Electronic Cigarettes
(asked on 2nd June 2023) - View Source
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether his Department has made an estimate of the levels of (a) nickel, 9B0 chromium and (c) lead in vaping products.
No assessment has been made of the estimated levels of nickel, 9B0 chromium or lead in vaping products. However, the Government recently announced £3 million of funding for a new national illicit vaping enforcement unit to tackle illicit and underage vape sales across the country. This includes the testing of products thought to be non-compliant.
The Office of Health Improvements and Disparities has published detailed evidence updates on vapes (e-cigarettes) since 2014. These reports include systematic reviews of the respiratory, cardiovascular and cancer risks as well as reports on the risks from fires, explosions and poisonings, including relating to the harmfulness of cinnamaldehyde and other chemicals. The full report is available at the following link:
Businesses supplying vapes and e-liquids to the United Kingdom market must ensure their products comply with the Tobacco and Related Products Regulations 2016, including relating to the safety of their products. Local trading standards have enforcement powers to remove non-compliant products.
The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) has produced guidance on ingredients and emission testing that companies making or importing e-cigarettes and e-liquids are required to follow, Chapter 3 - Emissions Guidance and Chapter 6 - Ingredient Guidance. This states that companies wishing to place their products on the UK market must submit information on key emissions and ingredients to the MHRA.