The announced Tobacco & Vapes Bill has rocked the convenience retail sector in many different ways since it was introduced. Within the bill, trading standards officers would get new powers to issue on-the-spot £100 fines to retailers in a bid to stop them selling tobacco or vapes to under-18s, and there would also be new restrictions on flavours, packaging and the sale of vapes, to make them less appealing to children.
The new bill would also prevent anyone born after January 1, 2009 from legally purchasing cigarettes. The Bill will now proceed to committee stage, where it will be discussed further.
While we’ve already focused on what it means for the business side of the sector, we at C-Talk also think it very important to pay attention to the only other way the bill could go; pushing the tobacco market deep underground.
Though tobacco sales may be monitored in most stores should the bill be approved, that doesn’t stop a few unhinged entrepreneurs from buying a load themselves and patrolling the streets, looking for a desperate buyer. And there’s no telling if what they’re selling is the real deal, either.
Fake vapes with far too many puffs, faux cigarettes with lashings of unknown substances; all containing ingredients that have unknown side effects on the human body.
The fuss is that these dodgy products are packed with a whole bunch of things you wouldn’t want anywhere near you as a whole- much less your lungs.
For example, chemicals like formaldehyde and heavy metals like lead – stuff that’s straight-up harmful. And due to there being a lack of proper regulation, people who willingly choose to purchase these things are essentially rolling the dice with their health.
These knock-offs aren’t just causing a fuss; they’re posing a serious risk to both retailers and the communities they serve. In this instance, the vape ban isn’t helping matters either.
Should one stream of supply disappear, another will follow- there’s just no telling if the latter is legitimate or not. Unmonitored, unsafe, unregulated; this could be the future of tobacco.
But it’s not just about health – it’s about trust too. Convenience stores are supposed to be the reliable go-to for quick buys, but when dodgy vapes and cigarettes sneak onto the shelves, businesses turn from safe spaces into hubs of dishonest activity.
Convenience retailers are all about building strong ties with their communities, but selling dodgy items most definitely puts a spanner in the works- as it makes shop-owners look as though they’re in on it with the dodgy dealers.
In addition to this, retailers must consider the the financial hit. If someone gets sick from one of these underhand products, it’s not just their health that’s at stake – it’s business owners’ livelihoods too.
Retailers participating in this could very well be greeted with lawsuits, fines, or even the dreaded ‘closed for good’ sign.
Our advice for retailers is to stay sharp and aware of what goods hits the shelves in your store. Within our sector, we have got to be extra vigilant about who we’re buying from and what’s being stocked behind the counter.
Of course, we’re aware of the fact that the vape ban doesn’t help. It’s not uncommon knowledge that when you take something away from people, all it does is drive it underground.
Instead of consumers getting their vapes from reputable sources, they’re turning to dodgy dealers selling off shavings and splinters.
However, we must not let this dishearten us as a sector. While the ban may give these illicit affairs a slight push to happen, it is still within the retailers’ loyalty to their community to ensure that policies are being followed and laws abided by.
