GREENOCK has been declared 'Scotland's vape capital' and local opinion is split on the role of vape retailers in providing a lifeline for declining high street and the impact on public health.
The Telegraph spoke to people on West Blackhall Street to get public reaction to research from the University of Edinburgh which revealed Greenock has the most shops selling vapes per head of population in the country.
Business owner Sandra McCorkell said she is concerned about the number vape retailers in the town.
The Celebrations owner said: “You can get vapes anywhere now, practically in every shop in the town centre, especially in West Blackhall Street.
“Loads of shops that didn’t sell vapes before do now, maybe it's because it kind of helps keep the business rolling along a wee bit.”
She believes the town used to have a much more diverse offering for shoppers.
Sandra added: “It discourages a lot of folk from coming into town. Years ago, you the whole variety of shops in West Blackhall Street. They’ve all disappeared.
“It can be a bit concerning, that's all we’ve got. Everybody will tell you there's loads of barber shops, charity shops. Multiple shops doing the same thing but there’s no variety.
“We’re in need of good clothes shops. There isn't a half decent ladies’ shop. There’s nothing for men.
"You couldn't go to a shop and get a men's three-piece suit. There are no good shoe shops either.”
In 2020, there were 5,573 shops selling vapes in Scotland, increasing to 7,069 in 2024.
This growth of 1,500 outlets has been concentrated in the most deprived communities, according to the university's research.
Christine Docherty works at Refill Station, a vape shop on West Blackhall Street. She believes the shops are the one of the only things still bringing people into town.
She said: “Everybody needs something different so you do need variety, but just at this point in time, there's nothing in this town.
“It used to be, you would walk through the town centre, and it was pound shops and card shops. Now it’s vape shops.
“We need the business. It doesn't matter what kind of shop it is. As long as you're still getting people here. The town would die if no one came in.
“If the vape shops are thriving, it means there are still shops here.”
Christine said different shops sell different vaping products, which is partially responsible for there being so many shops.
But she added there is a wider issue with illegal sales and sales to under-18s too.
She feels this damages the public’s perception of vape shops that are run legitimately.
Greenock man David Montgomery worries that the marketing of vapes primarily appeals to young people.
He said: “Young ones who have never smoked in their lives take a vape because of the flavours.
"Apple and strawberry and all that – they’re just making money off youngsters.
“It’s a health problem no doubt about it. It's saturating people's lungs.”
David has chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).
He smoked for 40 years and quit by switching to vapes but suspects it may have played a role in the diagnosis.
He said: “At the time I thought it was great – getting off the smoking.
“I got up out of bed at 3am and felt unwell. I collapsed.
"I lost my breath for about 10 seconds, which doesn’t sound like a lot but for 10 seconds I couldn’t breathe out or in.
“I managed to get my breath back after 10 minutes, phoned NHS 24, and they rushed me up to Paisley.
“I don't know whether it was both together, and the vape that helped it along its way.
"You smoked all that time, you're all right then all of a sudden, you vape for three weeks and you’re rushed up to hospital?
“For folk like me, who have COPD, they all feel the same as I feel. They should shut them [vape shops] all down.”
Louise Cooper says vapes can help people quit smoking but thinks a large number of vapers start before touching a cigarette.
She said: “It can be a good thing if people use it as a means to quit their smoking, but I think they're just turning it into another habit.
“There are children vaping who have never smoked – that’s not what they’re for. They’ve got all these flavours to appeal to kids.
“Even your local shops have all got it all advertised all over the place. They're right in your face.”
However, she added it’s ‘sad’ but it may be the last thing keeping the high street alive.
Louise said: “It's probably what's keeping the economy going. I think it’s probably only reason people are coming into Greenock.”
She has concerns about the disposal of the lithium batteries in vapes needs not being done properly.
She said: “It’s a mess – everywhere you look they're all lying about a place broke up and it's going to end up having consequences on the environment as well.
“I have started seeing in some of the shops, they've got the buckets for disposal, but they'll need to make them more accessible as well, maybe putting them on streets.”
Margaret Hanley told the Tele vapes should come with health warnings, on par with those on cigarette packets so the public is better informed about the risks.
She said: “I think there should be more done to stop really young people having access to vapes.
“I don't smoke, but it just seems it's more readily available than cigarettes are.
"You have to be a certain age to buy cigarettes, and I'm sure the legislation must be the same for vapes, but somehow or another, young school children are still managing to get a hold of them and smoking them at school, which is a real shame.
“I just don't think there's enough thought given to the dangers in the health problems that these young people might face in later years.
“We know the dangers of smoking because it's in every packet of cigarette you buy, but we just don't know enough about vaping.
“If they're smoking at this young age, what are they're going to be like in a few years’ time. I think the whole point of it vaping was that it was a way of helping people to stop smoking.”
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