A study has revealed the increasing number of a vape shops in Salford compared to the rest of the UK.
Go Smoke Free conducted their research by outlining the number of registered tobacco/ vape stores compared to each town or city’s population size.
Rounding out the top five is Salford, which has a total of 14 registered vape shops, equivalent to 12.03 shops per 100,000 residents.
Blackburn ranked as the UK’s vaping capital, with 27 registered vape retailers serving its population of 119,707 residents. When accounting for population size, this equates to 22.56 vape shops per 100,000 residents – the largest figure for any UK town or city.
Second on the list is Bolton, with 20.26 vape shops registered per 100,000 residents in the Greater Manchester town. Bolton has 41 registered vape shops in total serving its 202,369 residents.
Manchester ranks third, with 110 vape shops in total. However, the city’s larger population ensures this works out to 19.84 registered vape retailers per 100,000 residents
Stockport ranks sixth after Salford, with 10.91 vape retailers per 100,000 residents.
A spokesperson for Go Smoke Free stated: “This study highlights which areas of the UK are most likely to be affected by the upcoming ban on selling disposable vapes.
“The Greater Manchester area boasts its fair share of stores catering to vapers’ needs, with Blackburn, Bolton and the city of Manchester claiming the top three spots.
“These cities could see a significant shift in their vaping culture, with the ban impacting consumer behaviour, and existing vape retailers adapting their offerings to cater to the new legislation.”
Despite this predicted “shift” in vaping culture, young vapers in Salford say the government’s ban won’t stop them from vaping.
Joe Brown, 19, at Salford Quays, said: “The ban won’t stop me vaping, I’ll just buy them online or I’ll get a refillable one.
“The fact they are banning them will put them on the black market, people will still ship them in and they will be putting worse stuff in their body. At least the corner shop is regulated.”
Featured image taken by Lindsay Fox, Flickr.
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