E-cigarettes have been discovered for sale in Carmarthenshire which are five times stronger than the legal limit.
Following concerns that illegal imports and counterfeit versions of ‘vapes’ and vaping products were circulating throughout the UK, officers from Carmarthenshire Council visited around 160 premises across the county which are selling such items.
Some of the vaping products on sale were found to be illegal.
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The regulatory body responsible for ensuring that medicines and medical devices are safe in the UK - the Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency - has set a limit as to the volume of nicotine that can be contained within a vaping product.
By the rules set out, the capacity of tanks, pods and disposable devices must not exceed 2ml of nicotine fluid.
However, a number of products on sale in Carmarthenshire were found to be too large, with some containing up to 10ml of nicotine fluid.
During the visits to stores, concerns were also raised about the sale of e-cigarettes to under age customers. The legal age for buying e-cigarettes is the same as standard cigarettes - 18.
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“My advice to businesses is always source products from legitimate suppliers and request written confirmation of orders so that they can be easily traced,” said Philip Hughes, cabinet member for public protection at Carmarthenshire Council.
“The goods offered on the black market are dangerous and the suppliers are just looking out for themselves and to line the pockets illegally.
"There are no consumer protections in place and what you could be buying could prove very harmful as you don’t know what is in them. If you are unsure whether a particular product can be legally sold, there is a register on the MHRA’s website which can be used to verify.
“When buying e-cigarettes, please be cautious as there are counterfeit merchandise circulating.”
The council said they would now look to carry out test purchases of e-cigarettes across Carmarthenshire.
They also advised anyone with concerns or suspicions over the sale of illegal products or the sale of legal products to those under age to contact the trading standards department on 01267 234567.
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