Scottish Greens renew call for vape shop licensing following Glasgow fire
March 11, 2026
Firefighters continue to damp down the remains of a fire at Central Station on March 09, 2026 in Glasgow, Scotland. (Photo by Jeff J Mitchell/Getty Images)
The Scottish Greens have renewed calls for tighter regulation of vape retailers following reports that vape products may have contributed to a fire in Glasgow.
The blaze occurred at a vape retailer on Union Street in the city centre, prompting renewed debate over safety regulations for businesses selling vaping products and other goods containing lithium-ion batteries.
Currently, retailers in Scotland must join a national register in order to sell tobacco and vaping products, but there is no licensing system equivalent to that used for alcohol sales.
Scottish Greens co-leader Gillian Mackay MSP said the incident highlighted the need for stronger oversight of vape retailers.
“If initial reports are correct and if vapes have played a role in exacerbating this fire, then it highlights the risks that come with selling vapes and other hazardous materials without proper oversight,” she said.
Mackay has previously called for a licensing system that would give local authorities the power to regulate vape shops, enforce safety standards and refuse licences where appropriate.
The Scottish Greens argue that such a system would allow councils to better control where vaping products are sold and strengthen safeguards aimed at preventing sales to children and young people.
Mackay also noted that vape shops currently face fewer checks than premises selling alcohol.
“The age of shops selling products containing lithium-ion batteries facing fewer checks than a corner shop selling alcohol must end,” she said.
Glasgow Green councillor Christy Mearns said the fire had caused significant disruption and economic loss for businesses in the area.
She added that governments should examine whether stronger regulation is needed around the sale and storage of products containing lithium-ion batteries.
“With the intensity of the fire exacerbated by vape products, and with multiple fires recorded in our refuse service for the same reasons in recent years, government must act on Greens’ long-standing call to fully regulate and license vape products, including controlling how lithium-ion battery products are stored, and consider whether these products are suitable or safe to be sold on our high streets at all,” Mearns said.
The Scottish Greens have previously supported stronger vaping regulations, including the ban on single-use vapes.
