What is the issue with 'vape shops'?

[SnufkinsSpiritAnimal]

I see it mentioned in threads about declining towns, and whilst I understand that chicken shops, betting shops and such tend to pop up more regularly in downmarket areas, why is a vape shop a signifier of this?

Surely people from all areas and backgrounds might wish to give up smoking cigarettes and use vaping as a way to bridge the gap? Why would it be associated with a 'bad area'?

I must say that currently I live in a town that has sped downhill faster than a bat out of hell, especially since the pandemic, and there's no improvement in sight (rising crime, knives, dereliction and drugs).
But we only have one vape shop, to my knowledge here.

Money laundering.
We have a great one in our town, it used to be a sandwich shop (that couldn't make sandwiches), then a barbers now it's a vape shop.
We also have dodgy ice cream shops and beauty parlours with no customers. I've tried to report them (council gave me the link) but to report as potential money laundering you have to work for the company concerned. I have no jdea what their accounts are, I can just see they operate for years magically with almost no customers.

It's a way to launder money too - constantly doing them up and never opening them and redoing them again.

So it's a class thing?

Well, there's most definitely a new breed of people here, but i am at a loss at to how to describe them - disposable income, multiple vehicles and very aggressive.

I grew up in a quiet, middle class village, and you are correct, addictions were less visible.

Where we are now was once a decent place to live, but not anymore. 10 yrs of urban sprawl and poor infrastructure are doing it to death, but there's certainly a new type of person.

Pretty much everyone I know who doesn't vape (which is pretty much everyone I know) thinks of it as a dirty habit, not much different to smoking.

I admit to considering it pretty chavvy, to be honest. I certainly wouldn't want a vape shop in my local town.

You dont get shops selling just fags. You do get shops selling just vapes and they are mostly up to no good. Naive to think otherwise or make an incoherent argument.

They just look chavtastic

The one near me is close to a school. It sells 50% vapes and 50% brightly coloured American Candy. You’ll never persuade me that they are targeting ex smokers. Wish the place would shut down.

I guess it's seems exploitative, like shops selling booze and fags. Or gambling shops. These are addictive products. There's unfortunately a lot of unscrupulous ones that do sell to underage.
I think they say things like barbers and beauty shops are a sign of decline too. I've heard that they can be used for money laundering. Cash only business. Like in a barbers they could say they did 50 haircuts, where's the proof? Other than money. Or they could say they did one and not pay tax when they did do 50.

Owned by wrong uns, frequented by wrong uns. Next!
seriously? people who vape are wrong uns? Bit of a seeping statement
I know a solicitor, teacher and nurse who vape, better tell them they're wrong uns!!
The one in my small
town has been there for years and is run by a local couple, people of all ages use it.

I live in a very chavvy scuzzy town where theres a vape shop, turkish barber and polski sklep on every corner. Its a money laundering scam and the police wont investigate either because its like playing whack a mole or theyre scared of these criminals.

Dont be so obtuse. Most respectable vapers buy from legal sellers like supermarkets and home bargains. Not from random Mo's vape shop in town.

America/Australia is not the UK.
British "vape shops" are a very different thing to vape shops in other countries.

I live in a 'big town' that has a really wide spectrum of a demographic, we have loads of vape shops, they're really flashy, big signs, fancy lights, pop up almost overnight, I don't for a minute believe they're purely selling vapes.

We have loads of Turkish style barbers too, look exactly like the vape shops, but supply a different service, apparently!

The vape shop by my bus stop absolutely stinks. I stand outside in a haze of strong air freshener smells as they don't shut the door.

What is it that the ‘illegal’ sellers are doing that’s illegal? If it’s money laundering, and nobody goes in to the shop, how are they laundering?

Could it be that shopkeepers need to sell something that people want to buy and they close down if business isn’t good enough? Just a thought.

And TBH the strongest sign of distressed high streets and poor areas are charity shops. But they’re not generally run by foreign people, are they, so they’re ok.

Vapes have a function for ex smokers. People who actually want to use them to quit smoking can buy them from a wide number of legitmate businesses.

Personally I'd ban disposable ones and I'd ban any flavouring. If you can afford fifteen quid for a packet of fags then you can afford a non-disposable vape starter kit. If you can stomach inhaling fag smoke then you don't need candyfloss flavoured vapes.

Basically they pop up these shops that operate at losses, but claim they made their drug money profits from the shops and not drugs. Simple to set up, prone to cash payments, difficult to audit....boom.

Charity shops are a sign of an area with an ageing population. I live near a very naice town that is full of charity shops, but it is a lovely upmarket area.

@Rummly The vape shops will be selling all manner of modified and potentially illegal vapes whereas your proper outlets will obviously abide by the regulations. There's all sorts of weird shit out there.
The only shops surviving on the high street provide things you cant buy online and apart from charity shops and betting shops, attract criminals, hence nail bars, kurdish barbers and illegal vapes sold under the counter. Possibly the influx of kebab/shwarma shops too.

It's really not tricky.
The shop is open.
The shop pays fifty grand in cash into their bank account.
They present accounts saying that they've sold fifty grand's worth of vapes /haircuts /candy for cash.

Prob do cannabis, Ketamine and cocaine instead.

@CowboyJoanna Canada, yeah it would seem that way. I haven't been home for a few yrs & vaping wasn't really a thing the last time I went home. Over here, you can really only get vapes & juice from a vape store. That's literally all they sell & you have to be over 19 to go in. It seems lots of things are really seen differently. We also have loads of Turkish barbers and nail bars that are well-established and have been here for years. Maybe my west coast paradise is actually a den of Iniquity 🤔😁

Selling vapes to the under age. Selling vapes with eg the drug spice instead of CBD. Selling vapes that just contain whatever someone puts in them. That's before we get to poss money laundering

Yeah America and Britain are worlds apart.

Or are better educated and spend their money on more sound things like good housing, education, healthcare etc.