With sparse displays and white walls, Daniel Greenall’s two specialist vape shops in Oxfordshire look very different from the cluttered neon‑signed stores that have proliferated on high streets across the UK. Businesses like his helped people quit smoking, but he is frustrated at being “dragged through the same mud” as his “dodgy” rivals. A boom in vape shops—1,300% over the past decade—provoked a promise of action last week.

Prime Minister Andy Burnham pledged fresh powers for councils to curb new openings as part of a bid to “bring town centres back to life”, grouping them with betting shops and “dodgy businesses linked to organised crime”. Yet some argue that targeting vape stores will simply shift the problems elsewhere. Vaping remains encouraged by the NHS, and dedicated shops offer expert advice and a wider array of products.

Still, fears of tax evasion, counterfeit products and fronts for organised crime persist. The National Crime Agency’s “Operation Machinize” visited 236 vape shops, seizing 111,097 illegal vapes. Andrew Goodacre warned a “whack‑a‑mole” effect, while Gillian Golden defended law‑abiding retailers, citing NHS savings of £518mn if half of adult smokers switched to vaping.

Greenall calls for a more thoughtful, targeted approach to preserve legitimate businesses.