Concerns over Illegal E-cigarettes and Child Nicotine Addiction

A store in Brighton, UK was discovered hiding a stash of illegal e-cigarettes and also seized illegally imported cigarettes worth £2500. This has raised concerns among the public about nicotine addiction among children.

The Brighton and Hove Trading Standards recently discovered a batch of illegal devices at this shop, and noted that many e-cigarettes were equipped with “extra-large capacity” e-liquid tanks containing nicotine levels close to six times the legal limit.

The legal e-cigarettes have e-liquid tanks with a capacity of 2 milliliters, which contain 2% nicotine, equivalent to around 600 puffs. However, many e-cigarettes confiscated by the Bureau of Commercial Standards have e-liquid capable of delivering 3,500 to 9,000 puffs, with the former being equivalent to the nicotine content of 280 cigarettes.

Tim Roginski, Councilor and Chair of the Environment, South Downs, and Marine Committee at the Brighton and Hove City Council, stated:

I am highly satisfied with the efforts of our business regulatory officers in cracking down on the illegal sale of e-cigarettes and their sale to minors.

He added:

Disappointingly, there are certain businesses within our city that are willing to jeopardize the health of our citizens by selling illegal goods. The rapid proliferation of e-cigarettes among children and young people, including the use of cheaper, unregulated and illegal ones, is extremely concerning. This is leading to a generation becoming addicted to nicotine, who may have otherwise not started smoking.

He also expressed deep concern about the surge in popularity of disposable e-cigarettes. Apart from health concerns, this product is completely unsustainable from a waste management perspective.

Reference: 

[1] Illegal vapes seized from shop in Brighton