24/07/2026
Yesterday the Government cut business rates for 32,000 pubs and clubs and named "anti-social businesses, such as v**e shops" as how it'll pay for it.
Six words. No definition. No distinction between a rogue seller and a responsible specialist with a clean compliance record.
Here's what that label ignores: the NHS points smokers to specialist v**e shops for advice. The Cochrane Library finds v**es outperform patches and gum as a quit aid.
And in Essex, a council-run scheme through v**e shops delivered 900+ verified quits and saved over £100,000.
Judge shops on conduct: ownership, stock, age checks, not on the sign above the door.
Our full response, with the evidence: https://rioteliquid.com/blogs/news/specialist-v**e-shops-arent-anti-social-theyre-one-of-the-few-things-working
**ng