Full Breakdown
ELFBAR Manufacturer Calls for Licensing of Scottish Vape Shops After Union Street Fire
5/15/2026, 11:03:44 PM
Proposed Licensing Scheme for Vape Retailers
ELFBAR, the third-best-selling e-cigarette globally in 2023 with annual sales of roughly £900 million, has submitted a proposal to the Scottish Government that would require vape-shop operators to obtain a licence. The scheme would charge a licence fee, mandate pre-licence inspections by Trading Standards, and impose fines of up to £2 500 for breaches. Proponents say licensing would stop illegal vape sales, ensure safe disposal of used devices and secure payment of a duty on vapes scheduled for October.
Union Street Fire and the Tobacco & Vapes Act
In March, a fire on Glasgow’s Union Street destroyed a premises later identified as a vape shop that was not listed on the Scottish Tobacco and Nicotine Vapour Product Retailer Register. The cause remains under investigation, but the incident has heightened scrutiny of the existing registration system. The Tobacco & Vapes Act, recently enacted, expands the Scottish Government’s authority to regulate vaping products and provides a legislative basis for tighter controls.
Stakeholders and Government Response
The key parties are the ELFBAR manufacturer, the Scottish Government (represented by a spokesperson for health and regulatory affairs), and local Trading Standards officers tasked with inspections. Councillors and members of the public have also voiced demand for tighter oversight. A government spokesperson confirmed that all retailers selling tobacco or vapes must enrol in the mandatory Register of Tobacco and Nicotine Vapour Product Retailers, noting that the register supplies Trading Standards with the data needed for enforcement and that the government remains committed to improving the register’s effectiveness.
Criticism and Calls for Stronger Regulation
Local councillors and the public have called for “stronger regulation… to strengthen safeguards and help prevent similar incidents from happening again.” A recent media-cited report warned that vape shops are frequently used as fronts for organised crime, reinforcing demands for more robust oversight of the sector.
Verbatim Quotes
- "The cause is still under investigation, but we know that the shop at the centre of the incident was not registered to sell vaping products, bringing the current registration and enforcement under scrutiny." — Daily Record, reporting
- "Councillors and the public want stronger regulation.... to strengthen safeguards and help prevent similar incidents from happening again." — Councillors and the public
- "All retailers in Scotland selling tobacco and/or vapes must sign up to the mandatory Register of Tobacco and Nicotine Vapour Product Retailers." — Scottish Government spokesperson
- "We remain committed to considering how the register could be improved." — Scottish Government spokesperson
