We live in UK’s ‘vape capital’ where kids as young as 12 puff on bubblegum flavoured e-cigarettes – we won’t quit them
WHILE the fruity smell that lingers from a vape cloud might be appealing to some, residents living in the UK’s “vape capital” are deeply worried about youngsters destroying their lungs.
Children as young as 12 are being drawn into vape shops, locals say, with bright packaging and flavours including bubblegum, candy floss and cola.
Former cotton mill town Accrington in Lancashire has been dubbed the UK’s “vape capital” thanks to its high number of vape shops per capita in the UK.
Statistics released by experts show Accrington has one vape shop per 2,500 people, or 40 per 100,000 residents, according to the Online store Haypp.
The “vape-obsessed” town, with a population of nearly 35,000, has 14 businesses in total.
Vapes are not completely risk-free, but they carry a small fraction of the risk of cigarettes.
The nicotine-filled simulators were introduced to help smokers cut down or quit completely, but have become incredibly popular among teenagers and young adults.
When used correctly, they are beneficial to help people smoke less and beat the addiction, but experts have warned that a combination of the two can be harmful.
Those who have been seriously affected by vaping say they suffered severe lung damage and were even left coughing up “pints” of blood.
A shocking study also showed that vaping can increase your risk of deadly heart failure by a fifth.
‘They draw kids in’
Barber Nicola Roberts, 35, and her 12-year-old daughter Charlie both vape.
She told The Sun: “My daughter vapes – very naughty. There are a lot of vape shops and they sell vapes inside newsagents as well, and even in normal shops.
“There is money to be made selling vapes here in Accrington. There are new shops springing up all the time.
“They draw the kids in with the colours and the lights and the smells.”
Retired musician Gary Brown, 67, says: “I occasionally vape myself.
“I’m not sure if they are all that good for me, you are still putting stuff in your lungs. Nobody knows what they are doing to our bodies.
“With smoking, the figures are there but we will probably have to wait another ten to 15 years to know the effects of vaping.
“I also smoke cigarettes, and I’m trying to cut those out as well. Vapes are certainly better tasting.”
Smoking is linked to stroke and cancer in various parts of the body, while vaping might contribute to tooth decay and hinder brain development.
Despite the risks, using vapes to quit smoking is still a better option than not trying at all, experts say.
But doctors have warned that smoking and vaping combined is extremely harmful and “doubles the load on your body”.
“Combining the two only multiplies the harm,” Dr Naheed Ali, a physician and senior contributor at Vera Clinic, from Florida, US, told Sun Health.
“Smoking introduces toxins like tar and carbon monoxide that directly damage your lungs and cardiovascular system,” he said.
“Vaping, on the other hand, adds chemicals from e-liquids that can irritate and harm lung tissue. “
“Doing both doesn’t just double the load on your body – it makes things worse because your system has to handle two different sets of toxins at the same time.”
‘It’s supply and demand’
Other residents claim vapes are healthier than cigarettes and welcome the new businesses in the town.
Sarah Brindle, 40, is a manager at the British Heart Foundation shop in Accrington town centre.
She says: “I think there is a decent number of vape shops around here. I wouldn’t say there were too many.
“I used to smoke but now I vape. I much prefer vaping to smoking.”
Retired housekeeper Jayne Clegg, 56, said: “I think vaping is the way forward.
UK's biggest vaping hotspots
- Accrington – 8.88/10
- Bolton – 8.78/10
- Manchester – 7.88/10
- Darwen – 7.58/10
- Stockport – 7.34/10
- Salford – 7.24/10
- Hayes – 6.92/10
- Southall – 6.84/10
- Altrincham – 6.83/10
- Newton Abbot – 6.51/10
Vape obsession score/10 based on the amount of vape shops and the amount of vape-related searches.
“It is better than cigarettes – although it has yet to be proved.
“There are more and more vape shops popping up here, but it is obviously what people want – supply and demand.
“I go to a vape shop further up town and I find that they are very helpful in there. But they are all fine.”
The long-term effects of vaping are still unclear, but many horror stories have recently come to light.
Nicola Hutchinson previously told The Sun she thought making the switch from smoking cigarettes to puffing on flavoured air 11 years ago was the “healthier option”.
But the 39-year-old was then given a severe pneumonia diagnosis and assigned a bed in intensive care because of her vaping habits.
Fearing she would die, Nicola, from Chester-le-Street, County Durham, said: “It was terrifying.“
Local builder Stuart Green, 34, said: “I do like a good vape. Miles more tasty and healthier than cigs.
“I don’t have a problem with the vape shops in town. It’s better than having the shops standing empty.”
Mum-of-six Louise Segal, 30, started vaping two-and-a-half years ago after quitting smoking.
Smoking vs. vaping
VAPING has been touted as an effective tool to help people quit smoking.
Though vaping is substantially less harmful than smoking, the habit isn’t completely harmless and comes with its own set of risks.
The NHS only recommends it for adult smokers, to support quitting smoking.
GP and author Dr Philippa Kaye explained to The Sun that the differences between vaping and smoking – and whether one is better than the other – is “complicated”.
“In a nutshell, vaping is better than smoking, but breathing air is better than vaping at all.”
Vaping exposes users to far fewer toxins – and at lower levels – than smoking cigarettes.
Switching to vaping significantly reduces your exposure to toxins that can cause cancer, lung disease, and diseases of the heart and circulation like heart attack and stroke.
These diseases are not caused by nicotine, which is relatively harmless to health. But research has still linked vaping to a higher risk of failure and lung disease.
Health risks of cigarettes
- Smokers are more likely than nonsmokers to develop heart disease, stroke, and lung cancer
- Smokers are at greater risk for diseases that affect the heart and blood vessels
- Smoking can cause lung disease by damaging your airways and the small air sacs
- Smoking can cause cancer almost anywhere in your body
- It affects overall health too, such as your mouth, eyes, immune system and fertility
Health risks of vaping
- They can cause side effects such as throat and mouth irritation, headache, cough and feeling sick
- They could lead to tooth decay
- They could damage heart health
- They could cause lung disease
- They could slow brain development
Read more on how vaping can affect your health here.
Sources: NHS, CDC
Louise said: “I used to smoke loads of cigarettes, but thought I’d better give up for my health.
“And also I’m saving money now. I buy my vapes in bulk online. I don’t go to the vape shops in town. My daughter is 14 and she vapes.
“I try to stick to my favourite flavours. I like blueberry/raspberry, but I’m on watermelon and ice at the moment.
“I’m shocked to learn we have the most vape shops in Accrington, compared to anywhere else around.”
Student Rhianna Courtney, 17, spends around £60-£80 per month on vapes.
“I’ve been vaping for a few years now. I’ve never smoked cigarettes,” said Rhianna.
“I like the smell and feeling. My favourite flavour is juicy peach. It’s handy to have so many vapes shops in the town to choose from.”
The Sun has contacted Hyndburn Borough Council for comment.
It remains to be seen what harm vaping could cause in the future but it seems the delicious-smelling vape clouds wafting down the street will continue for now.
Disposable vapes will be banned across UK
By Jack Elsom, Chief Political Correspondent
DISPOSABLE vapes will be banned across the UK within months.
New laws will prohibit their sale from June 1, 2025 to protect kids’ health.
The crackdown will also halt the scourge of plastic littering after five million vapes a week were thrown away in 2023 — quadruple the number from 2022.
The Government expects devolved nations in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland to implement the same cut-off date.
But refillable vapes will remain available as doctors use them to help people quit smoking.
The move follows mounting fears that more kids are illegally buying disposables, many of which now come in bright packaging with flavours including bubblegum, candy floss and cola.
Ministers also want to stop users trashing the environment with the throwaway devices.
More than 40 tonnes of lithium, used in the batteries, was thrown out with disposable vapes in the UK in 2022 — enough to power 5,000 electric cars.