If you vape and are thinking about visiting Paisley, you’ll be glad to know that the United Kingdom has some of the world’s most permissive laws regarding vaping. The UK National Health Service actively supports vaping as a means of quitting smoking, and the UK is home to a great variety of domestic and imported vaping products. The products that are available here differ slightly from what’s available in the United States and other non-European nations, though, so it’ll be helpful for you to understand those differences before traveling here. It’s also important to understand how to pack your vape gear properly if you’re traveling to Paisley from abroad.
So, what do you need to know about visiting Paisley if you vape? In this guide, we’ll provide an overview that we think you’ll find helpful.
What Are the Vaping Regulations in the United Kingdom?
In the UK, you must be 18 years of age or older to buy all vaping products such as e-cigarettes and vape juice. In addition, the UK observes an EU regulation called the Tobacco Products Directive (TPD). For the sake of safety, the TPD imposes a few limitations on vaping products. Those limitations are as follows:
- No e-liquid with nicotine can have a strength higher than 20 mg/ml.
- No bottle of e-liquid with nicotine can be larger than 10 ml.
- No vape tank, pod or cartridge can have a capacity greater than 2 ml.
All vaping products sold in the United Kingdom must comply with these restrictions. If you’re visiting Paisley from abroad, you might see a different selection of vaping products in the local vape shops than the types of products to which you’re accustomed. We’ll discuss that in greater detail shortly.
What Are the Public Smoking and Vaping Laws in Paisley?
Scotland enacted a ban on smoking in most public areas in March 2006. Although vaping as we currently know it didn’t yet exist in 2006, you can safely assume that you aren’t allowed to vape in places where smoking isn’t allowed. The public smoking ban includes virtually all enclosed buildings, public transportation and anywhere else where a “No Smoking” sign is displayed. Failure to comply with the public smoking ban may subject you to a fine of £50.
Do Any Scotland Airports Allow Vaping?
Glasgow Airport (GLA) is the closest airport to Paisley; Glasgow/Prestwick (PIK) and Edinburgh (EDI) are also nearby. Airports are included in Scotland’s indoor public smoking ban – and unfortunately, none of these airports provide outdoor smoking areas that you can use after you’ve entered the terminal. If your trip to Paisley will take you through any of these airports, you’ll have to vape in one of the designated smoking areas outside the terminal.
Are There Any Vape Shops in Paisley?
There are several vape shops in Paisley, and there’s an even wider selection of places to buy vape gear in nearby Glasgow. Here are some of the vape shops in Paisley at the time of writing.
VPZ
- Address: Unit 3, 4 High St
- Phone: +44 141 889 3463
- Hours: Mon-Sat 9am-6pm, Sun 10am-5pm
- Website: vpz.co.uk
E-Vapes Paisley
- Address: Piazza Shopping Centre, 15 Central Rd
- Phone: +44 141 842 1848
- Hours: Mon-Sat 9am-5:30pm, Sun 11am-4pm
- Website: piazzapaisley.co.uk
E-Cigarette Outlet Paisley
- Address: 35 Causeyside St
- Phone: +44 141 848 0403
- Hours: Mon-Sat 9am-5:30pm, Sun 10am-4pm
- Website: ecigaretteoutlet.co.uk
Scotvapes
- Address: 11A Moss St
- Phone: +44 141 840 1087
- Hours: Mon-Sat 10am-7pm, Sun 11am-5pm
- Website: scotvapes.com
Paisley Vapes
- Address: 25 Maxwellton St
- Phone: Not listed
- Hours: Sun-Thu 4pm-12am, Fri-Sat 1pm-1am
- Website: Not listed
What Vape Gear Should You Bring if You’re Visiting Paisley from Abroad?
If you’re visiting Paisley from a non-TPD nation such as the United States, you might want to bring enough vape gear to last the expected duration of your stay because the vaping products that you’ll find in Paisley might be a little different from what’s available to you at home.
If you primarily use disposable vapes or a pod-based vaping device, for instance, it’s possible that you’re accustomed to e-liquid nicotine strengths as high as 50 mg/ml. In TPD nations, however, the highest available nicotine strength is 20 mg/ml – so if you run out of e-liquid while you’re here, you’ll have to get used to using a lower strength.
If you typically use a nicotine strength of 20 mg/ml or lower, you’ll find that the vaping products available in Paisley are much the same as what you currently use. However, we do have a few e-liquid flavours in the UK that aren’t common in other nations and are well worth seeking out.
If you’re traveling to Paisley from an EU member nation, you’ll find that the selection of vaping products here is essentially the same as what you’re used to finding at home. That’s because all EU nations abide by the restrictions set forth in the TPD, which the UK also observes. Although the e-liquid flavours available in Paisley may not be exactly the same as the ones that you buy at home, the nicotine strengths will be the same.
How to Pack Your Vape Gear When Flying to Paisley
If you’re flying to Paisley from abroad and want to bring your vape gear with you, you’ll need to abide by a few rules to ensure that you’re packing your items properly for air travel. We’ll provide some tips for flying with the vaping items that you’re most likely to want to bring on your trip.
Vaping Devices
If you want to fly with a vaping device, the device should be turned off if possible. If it’s a puff-activated device without an on-off function, either remove the pod or leave the device’s original protective tab in place to prevent accidental activation.
You should always bring a vaping device in your carry-on bag and not in your checked luggage. Some airlines also allow you to carry a vaping device on your person, but you’ll need to present it for inspection when you pass through the security checkpoint.
Spare Batteries
If you’re going to fly with spare vaping batteries, you should always put the batteries in your carry-on bag and not in your checked luggage. Use a padded battery carrier to ensure that the batteries can’t touch each other or other metal objects.
E-Liquid
You may carry as much e-liquid as you like in your checked luggage with no restrictions. It’s a good idea, however, to either put tape around the bottles or to store the bottles in a plastic bag as a precaution against leaking.
If you want to bring a bottle of e-liquid in your carry-on bag, put it in a sealed quart-sized zip-top bag with the other liquids, creams and gels that you intend to bring on the flight. Be prepared to remove the zip-top bag from your carry-on bag and present it for inspection when you go through the airport security checkpoint.