Warning from VPZ: "Big Puff" e-cigarettes may bypass ban

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The Scottish e-cigarette retailer VPZ has issued a warning that "mod style" e-cigarette devices, which can be recharged and refilled, are being used to circumvent the disposable e-cigarette ban set to come into effect in June.

These devices contain significantly more e-liquid than legally allowed, have non-replaceable coils, and are essentially no different from disposable products. They have flooded the UK market in large numbers over the past six months.

VPZ pushes for ban to take effect, calls for closing legal loopholes.

According to a report from the Daily Record on March 13th, Scottish e-cigarette retailer VPZ has issued a warning about the alarming rise of "Big Puff" e-cigarette devices, which are said to be capable of circumventing the disposable e-cigarette ban set to take effect in June.

Greg Fowler, the operations director of VPZ, stated that in the past six months, a large number of "Big Puff" e-cigarette products have flooded the UK market due to regulatory "grey areas." These devices can hold six times more e-cigarette liquid than regular disposable products and have the appearance of being rechargeable and refillable in order to bypass regulations. Despite having a longer lifespan and a USB port, these devices still use non-replaceable coils internally, making them no different from disposable products.

Fowler pointed out that although the British health regulatory agency approves new devices on a weekly basis, some devices have e-cigarette liquid capacities as high as 12 milliliters or more, far exceeding the legal limit of 2 milliliters for disposable e-cigarettes.

We are probably the most unpopular company in the e-cigarette industry right now, because we are the only professional e-cigarette store that refuses to sell 'high-quantity' disposable devices. This is a huge step backwards for the industry.

He stated that overseas e-cigarette devices were hardly regulated when registered with the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) in the UK. Since the impending ban on disposable e-cigarettes in the UK in 2024, the popularity of these "bulk number" e-cigarettes has rapidly increased.

In the UK, weekly sales of refillable e-cigarette devices are approximately 3 million, while sales of disposable e-cigarettes are about 5 million. VPZ emphasizes that without action, these "grey areas" may impact more young people in the next two years and result in more irresponsible retailers breaking the law. The UK Tobacco and E-Cigarette Bill is still under review, but any significant changes may take 18 to 24 months, possibly until 2027.

Scottish Green Party health spokesperson Gillian Mackay stated that the ban on disposable e-cigarettes is an important step for public health, but "bulk-buying" e-cigarette devices may undermine the impact of the ban.