The British town that became the vape capital of Europe. IAN GALLAGHER visits the grey streets where nearly a THIRD of schoolchildren have smoked drug-infused e-cigarettes and some young girls vape instead of eating
Blackburn, once a global cotton-manufacturing centre, has become an unlikely hub for Europe’s vaping industry, with numerous shops and factories supplying Britain and overseas markets. The sector generates about £500 million in annual sales and employs more than 2,000 people, but its economic benefits are overshadowed by concerns about youth access, addiction and drug-contaminated products.
More than 5.4 million people in Britain regularly use e-cigarettes, originally promoted as a safer way to stop smoking. However, a Blackburn survey found that over half of schoolchildren had used nicotine vapes, while a recent report said 28 per cent had used THC or drug-laced vapes; authorities also fear some products contain the dangerous synthetic cannabinoid Spice rather than cannabis.
- Blackburn is a major European vaping-industry centre.
- The sector brings jobs and roughly £500 million in annual sales.
- Youth vaping and drug-contaminated products are causing alarm.