Consumers in the UK are being warned that some e-cigarette products claiming to be “nicotine-free” actually contain nicotine.
Trading Standards teams in the South West, Salford and Berkshire tested 76 products advertised as nicotine-free e-cigarettes for sale and found that more than one in eight (13%) were found to contain nicotine.
According to the National Trading Standards Agency, the nicotine content of these e-liquids ranges from 0.06mg/ml to 27.02mg/ml, which is equivalent to the nicotine content of a pack of 20 cigarettes. In addition, all 10 types of e-cigarettes exceeded the limit of the amount of liquid allowed in e-cigarettes, and two of them also exceeded the limit of both the amount of liquid and the nicotine concentration.
Michael Bichard, chairman of the UK’s National Trading Standards agency, said:
“Nicotine-free e-cigarettes can be an effective tool for quitting smoking and reducing nicotine dependence, but these findings suggest that people may actually remain trapped in a cycle of addiction if they unknowingly purchase this highly addictive substance.”
He called on traders to be more vigilant about the products they sell.
“Businesses should be aware that e-cigarettes falsely claiming to be nicotine-free are in circulation and should ensure they are not breaking the law by selling falsely advertised products, particularly if importing goods or acting as a major distributor in the UK.”