Guardian: 73% UK E-cigarettes Exceed Liquid Limits, 8 Zero-nicotine Products Contain Nicotine

On April 16, according to the British "Guardian", some e-cigarette brands sold in stores in England and Wales were found to be in violation of the law. Some e-cigarettes that claim to be nicotine-free actually contain the same levels of nicotine as nicotine e-cigarettes.

Inter scientific, which provides product analysis tests to check that products comply with regulations, shared data with The Guardian examining dozens of e-cigarette brands sold in shops in England and Wales.

Product testing data shows that high-puff and high-nicotine e-cigarettes are being sold illegally in stores. Laboratory analysis of 52 products purchased in the UK revealed that 73 per cent of e-liquids exceeded the legal level of 2ml. More than 40% of e-cigarettes are filled with more than 5ml of e-liquid.

The analysis also revealed that eight e-cigarettes claiming to be nicotine-free contained nicotine, with many containing almost 20mg/ml of nicotine - the legal limit in the UK. One e-cigarette contained more than 50 per cent above the legal limit: Dr Gorilla King Blackcurrant Grape Slush claimed to be nicotine-free but actually contained 19.7 mg/ml of nicotine. Vape With a Bang Havana Tobacco's 6% disposable e-cigarette had the highest nicotine content at 29.35 mg/ml, well above the level allowed by law. The Guardian was unable to trace the suppliers of these e-cigarettes for comment.

David Lawson, CEO of Inter Scientific and a member of the Regulatory Affairs Professionals Group, said: "We have seen a significant increase in the number of illegal vaping products seized under transactional standards and sent for analysis. Although these products will not An immediate health risk, but they are circumventing UK regulation."

Inter Scientific's investigation covered dozens of brands sold in stores in Newcastle, Birmingham, Hertfordshire, Staffordshire, Dudley, Liverpool and Wales.

Inter Scientific is working with the Trading Standards Organization to crack down on the sale of illegal products flooding high street shops. In the last six months of 2022, more than 1.4 tonnes of illicit e-cigarettes were seized in the North East of England alone.

Also read:

The UK will allocate 3 million pounds to set up a law enforcement team to ban shops that sell e-cigarettes to minors

The UK plans to encourage millions of smokers to switch to e-cigarettes and plans to reduce the smoking rate to 5% or below

Elux 6 products were recalled by UK distributor Booker

The British Electronic Cigarette Association said that regular compliance testing of electronic cigarette products should be carried out

References:

[1] Some ‘nicotine-free’ vapes high in addictive substances, tests reveal