Grantham shop owner Josh Ogden raises concerns over vape placement in Morrisons, near toys, suggesting it promotes youth vaping and harms small businesses.
Josh Ogden owns Juice-E-Vaporium and is worried about a vape display in Morrisons, which sits near toys and school supplies. A Squishmallows toy is right by the vapes. Josh says kids will easily see vaping products, and he thinks this is inappropriate.
He argues it’s almost like targeting kids. A child could steal a vape, or they could ask a parent to buy one. The display has items kids like, and vapes are at ground level too. Kids could grab nicotine products without parents knowing.
He feels this normalizes vaping for children, and they might start vaping from this. New rules could hurt small vape shops, while big stores like Morrisons won’t feel it as much. The vaping industry faces challenges with increased regulation and taxes. Josh thinks large companies should do better.
Josh keeps nicotine vapes behind the counter, and staff must help customers get them. Selling nicotine vapes to under 18s is illegal, and adults cannot buy for minors either. His shop gives expert advice, which supermarkets may not. Parents and teachers wrongly blame his shop sometimes, when they find vapes on kids bought elsewhere.
Josh thinks flavor and tax changes will make people smoke again. He contacted Morrisons staff, speaking to them in person and sending concerns via email, but he hasn’t gotten a reply yet.
Morrisons said the location “is not ideal” and they plan to move the display. However, they follow all current laws on vaping and try to keep vapes away from kids’ areas, though this isn’t always possible. They put the displays where staff are, which helps stop underage buying. Morrisons uses Challenge 25 and doesn’t sell bubblegum or other kid-friendly vape flavors.
