Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many cases of chronic lung disease are recorded as being linked to (a) butterscotch flavoured e-liquid and (b) electronic cigarettes in general.

The Department does not hold the requested information.

There are reported cases of butterscotch, and other flavours of e-liquid, containing the chemical diacetyl which has been strongly associated with a form of lung disease called bronchiolitis obliterans via occupational exposure.

This substance is not intentionally present in e-liquids and because of the potential of this chemical to cause disease, a precautionary approach should be taken. Many responsible producers have taken steps to remove this chemical from e-liquids.