More than 13,000 ‘illicit’ vapes have been seized from wholesalers and retailers across Glasgow during a crackdown in the last three months. The city’s Trading Standards team confiscated the controversial single-use devices during checks of businesses selling directly to the public and other retailers.
The non-compliant vapes have been impounded for various health and safety reasons including excessive tank capacity and nicotine strength exceeding permitted levels. A report is currently being submitted to the Procurator Fiscal in relation to a significant seizure of non-compliant products from one shop in the city, Glasgow City Council said.
The Daily Record launched a campaign last month calling for disposable vapes to be banned after Scotland’s streets became a plastic dumping ground. The Scottish Government has since launched an urgent review - headed by Zero Waste Scotland - into the impact of the devices which have been linked to issues such as litter, plastic waste and fire risk.
Glasgow City Council's Head of Community Safety and Regulatory Services said the number of complaints about illicit vapes for sale has increased over the last three months. Gary Walker said: “Vapes and e-cigarettes are extremely popular at the moment and sales have risen to meet that demand, but the number of complaints that Trading Standards are receiving has also risen.
“There are strict regulations around the sale of vapes to protect the public. Trading Standards officers visit retailers and wholesalers to ensure businesses are complying with those rules.
“Officers provide advice to retailers where necessary and also have powers to seize products which breach the regulations. There are also concerns that colourful, sweetly flavoured, single-use vapes appeal to young people but they should not be sold to anyone under the age of 18.
“Trading Standards also carry out unannounced test purchases with young volunteers to check that retailers are not selling prohibited products to anyone underage.”
Meanwhile, the company behind Britain’s best-selling vape has apologised after an investigation found they were ‘inadvertently’ breaking the law by exceeding maximum nicotine levels.
Independent lab tests, commissioned by the Daily Mail, found that the ‘600’ line of Elf Bar e-cigarettes were at least 50 per cent over the legal limit for nicotine e-liquid.
Vapes and e-cigarettes are regulated by the Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency (MHRA), which requires that they have tanks to a capacity of no more than 2ml; a nicotine strength of no more than 20mg/ml; and their labels display manufacturer details and health warnings.
Refill containers are restricted to a maximum capacity of 10ml, certain ingredients including colourings, caffeine and taurine (an amino acid) are banned and nicotine-containing products or their packaging must be child-resistant and tamper evident.
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