“Who are these people?” — Answers demanded over late-night vape shops in Kilkenny
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As featured on the front page of this week’s Kilkenny People
Cathaoirleach of Kilkenny County Council Joe Malone has renewed calls to ban the sale of vapes to combat addiction in young people.
The long-standing Fianna Fáil councillor also bemoaned ongoing drug use in the city centre, calling for tougher enforcement, expressing particular concern over the persistent smell of cannabis smoke on local streets.
Cllr Malone, who was elected cathaoirleach in June, claimed he has been made widely aware of young people purchasing vapes and other substances illegally, and says some shops are selling questionable substances. He says the consequences are plain to see every day on local streets.
“People are smoking cannabis on the street. I often wonder, if I use a drug test, would I fail it because of the passive smoke you’re inhaling?” he asked.
But be it illegal substances or vapes, the local representative fears their availability’s long- term impacts on young people.
“We don’t know what’s in them and they’re addictive. It’s the smell, it’s the taste of the vape.”
“It’s more than one shop,” Cllr Malone asserted, commenting, “regulation is one thing, but you need policing.”
“They’re getting grants to open these shops, and they’re open for nine/ten months at a time. Who are these people? It’s an all-night job with some of these shops in Kilkenny. Who’s regulating that?
“That’s not the night-time economy we in the council want to present. We don’t need that,” he added.
The city councillor also alleged that the unauthorised sale of vapes and other substances is taking place in some premises operating under the guise of other businesses, and called for greater documentation requirements to prevent such outlets from opening.
“Who is running these shops? Who is paying the money for these shops? Where does this stuff come from? Why are these stores open from early morning until late at night?
“They draw you in late at night when you’re having a pint and you don’t know what you’re taking.”
The situation isn’t just anecdotal, according to Cllr Malone, who says he sees it up close and personal.