New data published today by National Trading Standards reveal supposedly nicotine free vapes on sale to UK consumers have been found to contain nicotine. The findings have been published as Trading Standards continue to unearth new intelligence around the illegal vapes market.
As part of Operation Joseph – a Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) funded initiative tracking the sale of illicit vapes and underage sales – 76 products sold as nicotine free vapes were tested by Heart of the South West Trading Standards Service, working together with Trading Standards teams in Salford and Berkshire.
More than one in every eight (13.2%) of the products were found to contain nicotine in amounts ranging from 0.06 mg/ml to 27.02 mg/ml – around the amount delivered by a pack of 20 cigarettes.*
All ten were also found to exceed the limit on the amount of e-liquid permitted in vapes with two found to exceed both the e-liquid and nicotine strength limit.**
As a result, consumers hoping to buy nicotine free products would have been exposed to nicotine and its addictive effects and in significant quantities with eight of the ten failed samples.
Lord Michael Bichard, Chair, National Trading Standards, said:
“Nicotine free vapes can be a useful tool to quit smoking and reduce nicotine dependency, but these findings reveal that people can actually continue to be stuck in a cycle of addiction if sold the highly addictive substance unknowingly.
“Businesses should be aware vapes falsely claiming to be nicotine free are in circulation and should make sure they are not breaking the law by selling products that are falsely advertised, especially where they are importing goods or acting as the main UK distributor.
“I urge businesses and consumers to be vigilant and report suspected cases to the Citizens Advice consumer service by calling 0808 223 1133.”
Alex Fry, Operations Officer for Heart of the South West Trading Standards, said:
“We are pleased to have contributed to and helped co-ordinate the sampling of this project. We recognise how important it is for regulators and legislators to have up to date intelligence on what products are being supplied to consumers.
“Trading Standards are at the forefront of ensuring products comply with legal requirements and we hope that the findings will provide valuable intelligence and help shape the future regulation of cigarettes, tobacco and vapes.”
Notes to Editors
*NHS.uk - Vaping myths and the facts
* *The vapes failed to comply with the Tobacco and Related Products Regulations 2016
About Operation Joseph
Operation Joseph is a government funded project to tackle specific aspects of enforcement and compliance around the sale of vaping products including collating national data on enforcement, supporting local authorities to increase enforcement activity, targeted testing and port seizure work. The project is led by National Trading Standards and key areas of work include:
- Enabling the collection of detailed information on enforcement from local authorities to help inform government policy and better understand emerging trends in the vape sector. This is the first time data has been collected on a national level
- Supporting local authorities to increase enforcement work e.g. by assisting with storage and disposal of illicit vaping products, increasing regional and national intelligence analysis and providing a Vaping Expert Panel to unravel technical and legal barriers
- Assessing compliance with age restriction laws by businesses who sell vapes online
- Carrying out compliance testing on a range of products that have been notified to the MHRA
- Stopping illegal products getting on to the UK market by stopping them at key ports.
Operation Joseph is funded by the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC).
Core work to tackle the sale of vapes to children and remove illegal vapes from retail sale is carried out locally by local authority Trading Standards services using their own funding. Operation Joseph adds to and complements this work.
About National Trading Standards
National Trading Standards delivers national and regional consumer protection enforcement. Its Board is made up of senior and experienced heads of local government trading standards from around England and Wales with an independent Chair.