An emerging trend in which vape stores have begun to sell highly sought-after sweets, drinks and snacks, including the viral Dubai chocolate bar, has been described as a “new low” for the industry.
The shops have started to stock food items rarely seen in mainstream grocery stores, usually labelled as “American candy” or “American snacks”.
This is alongside the sale of trending food items and drinks often boosted in popularity on social media platforms such as TikTok, including the now-famous Dubai chocolate bars and Prime energy drinks.
Chris Macey, director of advocacy with the Irish Heart Foundation, which has long called for restrictions on vapes, believes the development could “normalise vaping in the eyes of children”.
“Pairing sweets and vapes as though they are similar tasty treats represents a new low for an industry whose business model depends to a large extent on addicting as many young people as possible to nicotine,” he said.
Mr Macey said the issue suggests a need to examine regulation of the promotion and sale of vapes in conjunction with sweets and “other products aimed at children” alongside the “brightly coloured” facades of vape stores.
Fine Gael senator Mark Duffy, who described the move as “predatory”, said it has “proliferated across the country”.
Mr Duffy, who previously raised the issue in the Seanad after one such store opened in Ballina, Co Mayo, hopes to introduce a Bill this year to amend existing legislation and “break up the association between vapes and things that generally attract children and young people”.
“If you just took out vapes and replaced it with cigarettes, you have cigarettes and candy. It’s not a good look,” he said.
“I’ve had so many concerned citizens highlighting this. People take great offence to it in the community because of concerns for their children.”
Mr Duffy said a landlord in Westport had terminated the lease of one such newly opened store late last year after public backlash.
“We need to have legislation that does not rely on the goodwill of a landlord but tackles it at source,” he said.
Many stores also sell vaping products and jellies containing hexahydrocannabinol (HHC), a semi-synthetic cannabinoid that health officials have warned can induce psychosis.
While several owners of vape stores selling popular food items did not wish to speak to The Irish Times, one said he has “definitely” seen an increase in customer numbers since he recently began to do so.
Asked if the move might be enticing younger people into the stores, he said: “No, not really. We don’t sell them to younger people. We check their IDs.”
He added: “Other shops, like Spar and Centra, have vapes as well, and they’re selling ice cream to kids.”
