Recently, according to the Manchester Evening News, four counties in Greater Manchester have made it into the top ten of the ranking of "e-cigarette capitals" in the UK. Online e-cigarette store Go Smoke Free found that Bolton, Manchester, Salford, and Stockport are the areas with the highest number of certified e-cigarette retailers.
According to reports, the phenomenon of underage individuals using e-cigarettes is most prevalent in the northwest of England. Prior to this, the UK government announced plans to ban the sale of disposable e-cigarettes in England, Scotland, and Wales in response to the increasing trend of young people using e-cigarettes.
British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak is set to introduce a ban that is expected to take effect in 2025. Current laws impose strict limits on the amount of nicotine and e-liquid that disposable e-cigarettes can contain.
According to data from the UK's National Health Service (NHS), the use of e-cigarettes among teenagers is most prevalent in the northwest region of England, where 7% of teenagers regularly use e-cigarettes. The company also released a list of the top ten "e-cigarette capitals" in the UK based on the number of e-cigarette retailers per capita in each area.
Go Smoke Free searched for registered companies in the UK that specialize in selling tobacco products through the Companies House website, and then compared the number of these companies to the population of each town or city.
Blackburn tops the list with 27 registered e-cigarette retailers serving 119,700 residents. Bolton comes in second with 20.26 registered e-cigarette stores per 100,000 residents, totaling 41 registered e-cigarette retailers serving 202,369 residents.
Manchester ranks third with a total of 110 e-cigarette shops, equating to 19.84 shops per 100,000 residents. Salford ranks fifth with 14 registered e-cigarette shops, corresponding to 12.03 shops per 100,000 residents. Stoke-on-Trent ranks sixth with 10.91 retailers per 100,000 residents.
A spokesperson for Go Smoke Free stated, "Disposable e-cigarettes have become popular in recent years due to their convenience, portability, and low cost, attracting individuals who may not have been likely to invest in more complex e-cigarette devices. The new ban on disposable e-cigarettes should help prevent children from using e-cigarettes, while also encouraging adults to transition to more sustainable alternatives, such as refillable e-cigarettes.
This study highlights which regions in the UK are most likely to be affected by the upcoming ban on the sale of disposable e-cigarettes. Greater Manchester, known for its fair distribution of retailers, is popular among smokers, with Blackburn, Bolton, and Manchester city ranking in the top three. As the ban impacts consumer behavior, existing retailers will adjust their products to comply with the new regulations, potentially leading to significant changes in the e-cigarette culture of these cities.
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