BRITS have been warned about supposedly nicotine-free vapes, after one in eight were found to contain the “highly addictive substance”.
National Trading Standards officials warned that people unknowingly puffing on nicotine-laced pens were at risk of being pulled into a continuous “cycle of addiction”.
An investigation found that one in eight ‘nicotine-free’ vapes actually contained the substance[/caption]
Seventy-six products sold as nicotine-free vapes were tested by Trading Standard teams in the South West, Salford and Berkshire, as part of Operation Joseph – an initiative funded by the Department of Health and Social Care which aims to track the sale of illicit vapes.
Over one in eight of the products – 13 per cent – were found to contain nicotine.
The liquid in the vapes contained between 0.06 mg/ml and 27.02 mg/ml – around the amount delivered by a pack of 20 cigarettes, according to the National Trading Standards.
All ten of the vapes also exceeded limits on the amount of e-liquid permitted in vapes, with two found to exceed both the e-liquid and nicotine strength limit.
Under current regulations:
- E-cig tanks should have a capacity of no more than 2ml
- E-liquid in vapes should have a nicotine strength of no more than 20mg/ml
As a result, people who thought they were buying nicotine-free products may have been unwittingly exposed to addictive nicotine in significant quantities if they’d picked up the vapes flagged in the investigation.
Nicotine is found in tobacco products and some vape liquids and it’s a highly addictive chemical.
It’s what keeps people puffing on cigarretes even if they want to stop.
It can cause a temporary feeling of exhilaration or relaxation as it enters the body but – according to the American Heart Association – it can increase blood pressure and heart rate.
It may also cause narrowing of the arteries and contribute to the hardening of the arterial walls, which in turn, may lead to a heart attack.
The chemical can stay in your body for six to eight hours at a time, depending on how often you smoke.
Also, as with most addictive substances, you may experience side effects of withdrawal if you stop consuming nicotine.
Lord Michael Bichard, chair of the 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.”
He called on vendors to be more vigilant with the products they sell.
“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, an operations officer for Heart of the South West Trading Standards, which helped conduct the operation, 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.
“We hope that the findings will provide valuable intelligence and help shape the future regulation of cigarettes, tobacco and vapes.”
It comes after Lincolnshire police issued a warning over dangerous “super vapes” containing “excessive amounts of nicotine”.
The warning came after teams raided a premises in Boston, Lincolnshire, last month, where they seized R&M Tornado Vapes.
The devices had previously been flagged as as “acutely toxic” and posing a risk to people’s health by the European Safety Gate, a rapid alert system for dangerous products.
Smoking vs. vaping
VAPING has been touted as an effective tool to help people quit smoking.
Though vaping is substantially less harmful than smoking, the habit isn’t completely harmless and comes with its own set of risks.
The NHS only recommends it for adult smokers, to support quitting smoking.
GP and author Dr Philippa Kaye explained to The Sun that the differences between vaping and smoking – and whether one is better than the other – is “complicated”.
“In a nutshell, vaping is better than smoking, but breathing air is better than vaping at all.”
Vaping exposes users to far fewer toxins – and at lower levels – than smoking cigarettes.
Switching to vaping significantly reduces your exposure to toxins that can cause cancer, lung disease, and diseases of the heart and circulation like heart attack and stroke.
These diseases are not caused by nicotine, which is relatively harmless to health. But research has still linked vaping to a higher risk of failure and lung disease.
Health risks of cigarettes
- Smokers are more likely than nonsmokers to develop heart disease, stroke, and lung cancer
- Smokers are at greater risk for diseases that affect the heart and blood vessels
- Smoking can cause lung disease by damaging your airways and the small air sacs
- Smoking can cause cancer almost anywhere in your body
- It affects overall health too, such as your mouth, eyes, immune system and fertility
Health risks of vaping
- They can cause side effects such as throat and mouth irritation, headache, cough and feeling sick
- They could lead to tooth decay
- They could damage heart health
- They could cause lung disease
- They could slow brain development
Read more on how vaping can affect your health here.
Sources: NHS, CDC
