Shops in Scotland could be banned from displaying vapes to protect young people from a “ticking time bomb”, stated recent reports as Scottish Greens MSP Gillian Mackay voiced his opinion to treat e-cigarettes in the same way as cigarettes and hide them from view.
“This is beyond the days of smoking behind the bike sheds – this is a multi-million industry leading the nation’s health down a path to disaster. It is a ticking time-bomb and, until we know more, that’s not a risk I or anyone else should be asked to accept,” Mackay said.
She intends to ask for a law to crack down on vape products, which often come in bright colours and in a range of sweet flavours. She has written to shops and vape manufacturers ahead of taking her campaign to the Scottish Parliament.
Mackay added that there is growing concern that the number of under-age people being attracted by “deliberately sweet-toothed tactics” to market products is spiraling.
She is calling on retailers to lead by example by writing to them urging that they hide the products from view.
“Scotland should be rightly proud of the huge steps forward taken bringing in a smoking ban in public places introduced in December 2004.
“But I fear the progress it brought is being unpicked by producers of e-cigarettes and vaping products using deliberately sweet-toothed tactics to target a new generation of users and we cannot stand idly by and just hope for the best.
“It cannot be right that these brands are promoting these products with berry, watermelon, mint and other flavours. It is a re-run of when alcopops first appeared on the scene and targeted teeny tipplers.
“When campaigners such as Ash Scotland warn of the consequences ... politicians must take steps to protect our communities,” Daily Record quoted her as saying.
“I will be looking closely at what steps we may wish to explore in terms of restrictions on the flavoured products in particular, which are clearly targeted to appeal to a demographic of potential users most likely to be of a younger age.
“In the meantime, I am writing to the main supermarkets and leading retailers urging them to act responsibly and voluntarily ensure such blatant marketing campaigns are unable to cause harm by restricting their product placement,” she said, calling on retailers to to play their part in supporting the “health of the nation”.
