Despite the mixed press and misinformation surrounding vaping products, vape shops in the UK are still opening at a rate of up to two every day.
This is good news for those who believe in the benefits of switching from smoking to vaping. According to an article published in the Daily Mail this week, of the more than 1,700 vape shops nationwide, more than 50% of them have only opened in the last year.
The reason for this impressive figure may be due to the famous study by the Royal College of Physicians earlier this year that showed vaping is 95% safer than smoking, leading to the UK fully supporting e-cigarettes as a smoking cessation tool. To date, there are more than 3 million vapers in the UK, which is the main reason why the UK has an unprecedented low rate of smoking.
According to the Daily Mail, in 2016, 800 vape shops were opened, most of them in central areas, with the three most concentrated areas being London, Northern England and Scotland. Accordingly, vape bars have also become popular.
The consequences of e-cigarette approval
Sadly, the positivity in the UK is in stark contrast to the US, where retailers have been forced to close due to unreasonable regulations imposed by the FDA. Some anti-tobacco groups and health experts have warned of the negative impact of anti-vaping laws on public health. On the other hand, there is hope that with the irrefutable evidence in favour of vaping, as we have seen in the UK, it will soon be impossible to deny the effectiveness of e-cigarettes.
