Edinburgh councillors back vape shop licensing after Glasgow fire
Edinburgh councillors have backed calls for more powers for local authorities to control the sale of vapes in the wake of the Glasgow fire.
Green councillor Susan Rae tabled an emergency motion to the council’s regulatory committee following the March 8 blaze which started in a vape shop and destroyed Glasgow’s Union Corner, forcing the closure of Central station.
The sale of vapes is not currently licensed - those selling vapes are required to register under tobacco control legislation, but there is no power for local councils to refuse to register a premises selling vapes, and the legislation does not deal with any aspect of storage of the products.
The emergency motion, which was passed by the committee, said licensing the selling of vapes would allow greater control over where these products were sold, providing stronger safeguards around their sale and storage as well as ensuring that they could not be sold to children and young people.
It also called on the council to write to the Scottish Government, urging it to examine the licensing proposal further, and ensure that any new licensing scheme was accompanied by adequate resources for its operation.
Cllr Rae said: "We're all still shocked and saddened by the devastating fire in Glasgow, and residents are rightly seeking reassurance that we won't see this happening in Edinburgh.
“Unfortunately, this incident has shown just how limited councils are in regulating vape shops, and reveals significant gaps in licensing arrangements that Greens have been highlighting for some time.
“We're pleased that the council has agreed that more must be done to investigate giving councils the power to license the selling of vapes, as well as the need for any licensing programme to be properly funded by Scottish Government to help uphold the safety of our residents and historic build.”