The Highland Council in the UK has reported that they have seized "significantly more than" 3,000 types of illegal electronic cigarettes in their stores over the past 12 months.
Officials from Trading Standards have issued several fixed penalty notices of £200 to those who have sold illegal e-cigarettes potentially endangering the health of users. The investigation revealed a variety of such products which pose a high risk to potential users.
According to UK law, the legal safety standard for electronic cigarette pods is 2ml, but illegal ones may have larger capacities. These illegal pods may also contain dangerous levels of nicotine.
David MacKenzie, Trade Standards Manager of the Highland Council, has revealed the challenges faced by authorities in the use of electronic cigarettes. "The recent explosive growth in sales of electronic cigarettes has presented us with various challenges. Unsafe electronic cigarettes have been found in general supply, lacking instructions and warnings, which are vital for informing people with diabetes or heart disease.
The nicotine content in some electronic cigarettes greatly exceeds legal limits. A recent example was discovered in August near Inverness.
A disposable electronic cigarette was sold from an unregistered stall, and the electronic cigarettes seized not only lacked necessary labels, instructions, and warnings, but were also found to contain "extremely high levels" of nicotine.
Retailers may be purchasing disposable electronic cigarettes designed specifically for the US market on the internet. The nicotine levels in these products may be 10 to 12 times higher than the legal level in the UK.
The latest trend in e-cigarette products indicates a huge demand for disposable e-cigarettes. These e-cigarettes are typically sold in various flavors and bright colors, making them particularly attractive to young people and children.
For children, it can also be affordable. In October of last year, an Aberdeen store sold illegal e-cigarettes that were five times the legal limit of nicotine content - each one priced at only 5 pounds.
The Highland Council Trading Standards have issued a warning stating that retailers are prohibited from selling non-compliant e-cigarettes to the public. Additionally, they cannot sell any type of e-cigarette to children.
According to data from the Action on Smoking and Health (ASH), the number of people in the UK currently using e-cigarettes has reached a record high of 4.3 million.
In April, over 100 illegal electronic cigarettes were discovered in stores in the center of Aberdeen.
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