The council will ask The Scottish Government for powers to regulate vape shops after the Union Street fire in Glasgow, which is thought to have begun in a shop selling vapes.
At a regulatory committee meeting on Monday, councillors passed an emergency motion making the call in the aftermath of the blaze.
Though nobody was injured, the fire has paralysed nearby Glasgow Central Station – Scotland’s busiest – for almost ten days, severing many transport links to the south of the city.
Green councillor Susan Rae, who made the demand, said: “In this city, we have 600 registered vape shops.
“But we have no power to do anything with any of the vape shops that are registered. There have been multiple calls to close down vape shops.
“Obviously this is an issue that has to come from the Scottish Parliament, and the huge backlash to the fire has created a groundswell of demand for immediate regulation.”
She added that, though urgent action was needed, councils would also need support to get the resources needed to regulate vape shops due to existing demand on council services.
As Cllr Rae pointed out at present, councils have no power to licence vape shops, and trading standards teams are limited to ensuring products being sold are legitimate, not single-use and are being sold to people 18 years or older.
Regulatory committee convener, Cllr Neil Ross, said he was happy to support the motion.
He added: “I welcome the motion, we see it as an emergency, I see it as highly relevant. From that point of view I’m happy to support it.”
He also commended the work of the city’s trading standards teams in enforcing the law around vape shops where they have the power to do so.
Councillors agreed that regulatory services manager Andrew Mitchell would write to the Scottish Government making the ask.
At least three shops near Waverley Station sell vapes, including two on Waverley Steps and one inside Waverley Mall.
A reduced service from Glasgow Central’s high-level platforms began running on Wednesday with intercity services still unable to reach the station.
Services were able to begin running from the low-level platforms under the station a few days after the fire, though they can only handle traffic to the east and west of the city.
A large area near the station and the burned building is still closed off to the public, as teams work to demolish what is left of the 157-year-old B-listed Forsyth Building.
By Joseph Sullivan Local Democracy Reporter
