SUPERMARKET chain Morrisons has announced a ban on a popular vaping product from their stores.
It comes as other supermarkets, including Tesco and Sainsbury’s, took the move to stop selling Watermelon flavoured ELFBAR 600s. The vape product was found to have at least 50% more nicotine e-liquid than the legal limit.
Tesco and Sainsbury’s have removed the product, while Morrisons has stopped the sale of the whole ELFBAR 600 range.
A spokesman for the supermarket told ITV News: “As part of our ongoing investigation into the legal compliance of ELFBAR 600 disposable electronic cigarettes with Trading Standards, we have made the decision to remove all flavoured variants from sale."
Meanwhile, Tesco is investigating the issue with its supplier and has removed the Watermelon flavour from sale.
A spokesperson said: “We have temporarily removed one ELFBAR vape line from sale as a precautionary measure, whilst the manufacturer urgently investigates these claims.
"The products will only be returned to sale once stock that fully complies with UK legislation becomes available."
It comes amid calls to ban the sale of disposable e-vapes in the UK, including from a former Tory health minister.
Dr Caroline Johnson has urged MPs to back her Disposable Electronic Cigarettes (Prohibition of Sale) Bill, which she said would prevent children and teenagers from taking up vaping, which she warned is not free from harm.
She also warned about the waste created by disposable e-cigarettes, telling fellow MPs: “According to a recent study by Material Focus at least 1.3 million disposable vapes are thrown away every week. That is two per second, or around 1300 while you listen to this speech.”
In January, the Scottish Government launched an urgent review into the environmental impacts and management of single-use vapes.
The review could include an outright ban on the products.
Lorna Slater, circular economy minister, said: “Not only are single-use vapes bad for public health, they are also bad for the environment.
"From litter on our streets, to the risk of fires in waste facilities, there are issues which need to be addressed urgently.”
