"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?"
This story is from the February 12, 2024 edition of Manchester Evening News.
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This story is from the February 12, 2024 edition of Manchester Evening News.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
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