Irish Health Department Issues Urgent Warning on E-Cigarettes

According to a report from the Irish Examiner on June 5th, the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) in Ireland has issued an urgent warning to e-cigarette users after illegal levels of nicotine were detected in two e-cigarette products.

The national environmental health department of HSE has issued a safety alert for two e-cigarette products, urging the public to stop using all flavored and formulated e-cigarette products and return them to the purchased stores, as these products contain extremely high levels of nicotine.

In Ireland, the law states that the maximum concentration of nicotine in e-liquid is 20 milligrams per milliliter. However, some products have nicotine levels exceeding 10 milligrams per milliliter, posing a serious risk of nicotine poisoning.

The two products include:

E-cigarette liquid: The E-LIQUID Tobaccon 24mg/ml, Ben Son 24mg/ml, USA Mix 24mg/ml. 

E-cigarette brand: QST Puff Flex 2800, with flavors including Red Bull, Peach Ice, Blueberry Ice, Watermelon Ice, and Mango Ice.

The National Environmental Health Services Department and the National Tobacco Control Office of the HSE have submitted two RAPEX alert notifications to the European Safety Portal (EU Rapid Alert System for Non-Food Products) after discovering nicotine levels in the above-mentioned products exceeded the allowed amount (20mg/ml or 2%). The HSE sampled these products and conducted laboratory analysis, finding nicotine levels in the refill packaging of e-liquid as high as 25.4 mg/ml, while the nicotine content in the QST Puff Flex 2800 e-cigarette exceeded 30 mg/ml.

In response, HSE has contacted the distributors and importers of the two products, informing them of the issue and following up as necessary.

Health and Safety Executive (HSE) environmental health officer Dr. Maurice Mulcahy stated:

I must remind manufacturers and importers of e-cigarettes and refill containers (e-liquids) that they have a responsibility to ensure that their products fully comply with all regulatory requirements.

He reminded retailers to ensure that products purchased from importers and distributors have been notified to the HSE and comply with all regulatory requirements. If products on the market are found to not meet regulatory requirements, the department will not hesitate to exercise its legal enforcement powers.