Regulator warns retailers over illegal e-cigarettes and vaping devices

Advice has been issued by trading standards officers who have discovered a large number of retailers selling illegal e-cigarettes and vaping products.

In a recent test purchasing exercise across the city to check on compliance, officers were able to buy illegal products at 74 retailers – some containing up to 3,500 puffs, almost six times above the legal limit.

Now they are offering the retail trade the opportunity to contact Trading Standards for advice on their products with the proviso that compliance visits will be carried out in the New Year and any illegal products still on sale will be seized.

The council have also been receiving a large number of complaints over the sale of these products to children and is asking parents with information and evidence to contact them.

How to spot a genuine e-cigarette or vaping device-Each packet and any container pack must state: “This product contains nicotine which is a highly addictive substance”.

The health warning must:

• appear on both the front and back surfaces of the unit packet and any container pack
• cover 30 per cent of the area of each of those surfaces
• be in black Helvetica bold type on a white background
• be in a large font size in the centre of the surface area

In addition:

• e-cigarette tanks should have a capacity of no more than 2ml you’ve spelt millilitres out in full above.
• refills should be limited to 10ml
• e-liquids should have a nicotine strength of no more than 20mg/ml
• packaging and containers should be child-resistant and tamper evident
• colourings, caffeine and taurine are not allowed
• contain details of the UK importer for traceability and the European Community Identification (ECID) number showing authentication by MHRA

Councillor Abdul Qadir, Cabinet Member for Neighbourhoods, said: “E-cigarettes and vaping products are seen by many people as a way of giving up smoking.

“Our worrying research shows that people are unknowingly exposing themselves to far more nicotine than they would from using cigarettes, meaning they are even worse for their health.

“Our advice to people buying these products is to always check that the packaging has all of the appropriate warnings on it so that they can be confident they are not exposing themselves to far greater levels of toxic substances than is allowed under the law.

“We are also going to be carrying out enforcement operations early in the new year, so it is really important that retailers check they are buying legal stock they will find themselves out of pocket if we have to seize illegal products, and could be liable for prosecution.

“We will also be making sure that they are only selling to people over the age of 18 as we are aware of concern from parents that they are being sold to children.”