"WHAT you after, mate?" the shopkeeper calls out as I peruse the rows of flavoured vapes inside Matadar News and Souvenirs in Manchester city centre.
I take my time before picking out a 'Mr Blue' ENE Legend 3500. The packaging on the vape says it contains 3,500 puffs - nearly six times the recommended industry standard of 600 puffs.
Despite trading standards officers at one council warning people to avoid the ENE Legend 3500 due to its 'excess capacity, it is being openly displayed on the shop counter.
As he chats away on his mobile phone, the shopkeeper reaches for a light blue package and passes it to me. I hand over £11 in cash, pocket my purchase and head out onto the street. The whole exchange is over in less than a minute. I head along Piccadilly and soon come across another shop, Vaping Mart. Inside, a glass-fronted cabinet is filled with a dizzying array of branded vapes.
The choice of flavours is almost overwhelming, but I eventually set my sights on a £12 Hayati Pro Max. Its packaging promises 4,000 puffs nearly seven times the recommended level - and it contains 10ml of liquid, more than five times the legal limit.
I glance towards the till and find the shopkeeper watching me. I ask if he has anything "stronger". He says he doesn't. I shoot him a disappointed look and take a Skittle-flavoured one over to the till to pay.
Three doors down, there's a sign advertising a 'Smokers Paradise! I enter the Euronews store and ask for an R and M Tornado vape.
The man behind the till replies: "7,000 or 9,000?"
Denne historien er fra February 12, 2024-utgaven av Manchester Evening News.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent ? Logg på
Denne historien er fra February 12, 2024-utgaven av Manchester Evening News.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent? Logg på
DON'T PANIC
KOVACIC CONFIDENT BLUES CAN OVERCOME SLUMP
Zlatan not ruling out Vic switch
AC MILAN advisor Zlatan Ibrahimovic has refused to rule out the possibility of United centre-back Victor Lindelof joining the Italian club next summer.
Carsley gives respect to Ireland after Greece win
INTERIM boss Lee Carsley says celebrations are on ice as England look to follow up their impressive win in Greece by sealing promotion back to the Nations League top tier by beating the Republic of Ireland.
Young Heskey aims to step out of dad's shadow with Blues
\"IT'S the normal,\" says one of the latest City academy strikers catching attention in describing his upbringing.
Safety pledge for Brits going overseas for ops
THE Health Secretary has said he will work to improve safety for Britons travelling abroad for cosmetic procedures in the wake of several deaths.
£15m 'wasted' on migrant camp site
THE Home Office spent £15m buying a derelict prison contaminated with asbestos amid political pressure to stop housing migrants in hotels, according to Whitehall's spending watchdog.
Experts: Climate talks 'no longer fit for purpose'
THE process of UN climate negotiations is no longer fit for purpose and requires a comprehensive overhaul, leading experts have warned.
McCall reveals tumour diagnosis
CELEBRITIES have flocked to wish Davina McCall well after she revealed she has been diagnosed with a brain tumour, with fellow TV presenter Amanda Holden sending \"so much love\".
'Revenge' shooting teen faces years behind bars
BOY BLASTED AT CLOSE RANGE WITH SHOTGUN IN PREMEDITATED AND PRE-PLANNED' ATTACK
'It was dark, the waves were very high - it was very, very hard'
THE M.E.N. SPEAKS TO ASYLUM SEEKERS WHOSE HOUSING AT A HOTEL HAS DIVIDED A TOWN
