UK Gov't Body Funds Tests on Vapes

On April 17, 2FIRSTS London interviewed Inter Scientific about its test results that published on The Guardian, which reports that some high street vapes claiming to be nicotine-free actually contain the same level of addictive substances as full-strength e-cigarettes. Of the 52 products examined in England and Wales, 73% were above the legal e-cigarette tank capacity of 2ml, while over 40% had been filled with 5ml of liquid or more. The analysis also showed that eight devices purporting to contain no addictive substances did contain some, with many containing almost 20mg/ml of nicotine – the legal limit in the UK. Following are the questions and answers of the interview.

Funder of the tests

Is there a complete list for this product test? And what was the motivation and purpose of this test? 

"The tests were funded by the UK enforcement bodies who had ceased suspected illegal products from stores across the UK. Inter Scientific is involved in the testing of these products in our ISO 17025 accredited lab. Under our laboratory accreditation we cannot share client data directly without express written consent. But the products related to several branded products including: ELUX, Dr. Gorilla King & R and M."

Impact of overload or overstength of e-liquids

We have observed that there are also products with excessive nicotine concentration in your report. What kind of harm do you think the excessive nicotine concentration will cause to the body?

"In relation to the nicotine content, this was not a major concern. One product was greatly in excess of the UK limit of 20mg/mL however this does not pose an immediate health risk. None of the products tested appear on the UK MHRA published list of legal products. All nicotine containing vape products must be registered with the MHRA before they can be sold. The process of registration allows for the review of ingredients and emissions for safety. As such, these products have not been subject to regulatory scrutiny. Most worrying, some products indicated as 0% nicotine were found to have 20mg/mL nicotine (2%) which is the maximum amount permitted in the UK. By marking a product as 0% nicotine it is both misleading to consumers but also not subject to regulatory requirements of TRPR 2016 and CLP/REACH."

2FIRSTS will continue to follow up on this topic. Please stay tuned. 

Also read: 

6 Elux Products Recalled by UK Distributor Booker

BAT Confirms Sending Competitor Disposable E-cigarettes for Inspection in the UK

UKVIA on Overfill Incident: Other Tests Conflicts with BAT's Results

Lost Mary Tested 50% Higher Nicotine Level Than Legal Limit in UK

BAT Slams Disposable Vapes After Failing to Acquire Elfbar. A Retaliation?