Uk Ban Question

[glennnnnnn]

Sorry if this has been addressed elsewhere, but I cant seem to see the answer

The proposed UK ban
Is it proposed to ban the selling, or the purchasing of e-liquid and e-cigarettes

So my question is basically if it does get banned will I still be able to buy from overseas, or will it be illegal for foreign suppliers to send me e-juice


Glenn

 

[Deschain]

It doesn't seem to be set in stone yet, but as I understand it, there are two options

1: Ban the sales of this stuff within the UK

2: As above, but also ban the import of this stuff as well.

As it stands, I have enough to last me until the end of this year...I might blink and grab another 18 months worth of juice just before June.

I can't believe this is happening to be honest...it's sheer stupidity.


.

 

[westcoast2]

Deschain/Glennn....:

It doesn't seem to be set in stone yet, but as I understand it, there are two options
1: Ban the sales of this stuff within the UK
2: As above, but also ban the import of this stuff as well.

The UK position is still to be decided.

The UK MHRA want to regulate all Nicotine containing products (except Tobacco) as Medicines.

The consultation is here --> MLXs: Medicines consultation letters : MHRA Documnet MLX 364.

Here are the options

Options
18. In order to ensure there is no risk to public health from unlicensed products on the market that have not been assessed for safety, quality and efficacy and in the light of the developing extent of their use and familiarity we are consulting to elicit views on whether and how to bring all products containing nicotine into regulation.
Option 1 – Whether products containing nicotine should be considered by the Agency to be medicinal products by function and, if so, whether all unlicensed NCPs should be removed from the market within 21 days. Currently, MHRA operates a strict practice regarding the period of notice operators are allowed to comply with under the Marketing Authorisation Regulations following the classification of a product as medicinal. Given that these Regulations do not make explicit provisions for a staged withdrawal from the market of an unlicensed medicinal product, immediate cessation of the sale or supply is usually required by the Agency, with written confirmation of the same within 21 days.
Option 2 – Whether products containing nicotine should be considered by the Agency to be medicinal products by function and, if so, whether a notice should be issued to manufacturers that all marketing must cease by a certain date e.g. June 2011. After this date enforcement action would be taken against manufacturers not holding an MA for any such product on the market. This would effectively allow manufacturers a year from the end of public consultation to produce relevant evidence to support an application for an MA, submit it to the MHRA for approval and get the newly licensed products on to the market.
Option 3 – Do nothing and allow these unregulated products containing nicotine that have not been assessed for safety, quality and efficacy to remain on the market.
19. The MHRA’s preferred option is option 1, which is in line with current practice.

The Consultation ends May 4th.

If option 1 is adopted then e-cigs will either have to have a license or be removed from sale. Since no e-cig products have a Medical Marketting Authorization (MA) and no chance (AFIK) of getting one within 21 days, this effectively bans ejuices and nic catridges from sale. Again (AFIK) hardware is not affected.

To get an MA all parts of the supply chain would need to be licensed from manufacturer to retailer.

If you read the consultation, part of the consideration is a ban for overseas products. This is to prevent personal imports of unlicensed products.

There is no definitive answer to your question until after the results of the 'consultation'.

Option 3 is misleading. Ejuice is regluated, a number of consumer laws and regulations already apply (for packaging, nicotine content etc). It is only unregulated as a medicine.

The best thing is to make your views known to the MHRA.

hth
----

 

[VictoryNotVengence]

what is the history of e-cigs in the UK? They seem to be so prevalent there and there are many manufactures there that start from scratch (janty?). It just seems to me that the UK would have already been through all the legal BS in the past to become the ecig industry they currently have.

 

[CES]

I haven't been sure whether US citizens should respond to the MHRA, but checked the CASAA website and decided speaking up was better than silence. So I sent the following response. I clearly identified that I'm not in the UK, so they can disregard my letter if they want to.

"Although I am a citizen of the United States, I wanted to share my experience with using a personal vaporizer (PV) for nicotine. I began using a PV in October 2009 as a method for allowing myself to continue to utilize nicotine without the harm associated with smoking cigarettes. While the research on the long-term effects of PV use has not yet been completed, none of the ingredients in the liquid that is vaporized are regulated, at least in the US. The harm reduction aspects, in my case, have been strong. My blood pressure (systolic and diastolic) has decreased 10 points, my hemoglobin has decreased to the middle of the normal range, and my ability to breathe deeply without coughing has also improved.

I am PhD researcher who studies and has published papers about the effects of activation of neuronal nicotinic receptors. I am thus well acquainted with the literature related to endogenous cholinergic systems, as well as those that are affected by nicotine use and/or smoking. Studies of smoking as mechanisms for learning about the effects of exogenous nicotine are strongly confounded by the additional chemicals and products of combustion associated with smoking. Additionally, anticholinergic agents are used in the treatment of Alzheimer’s disease and glaucoma, thus activation of nicotinic receptors in and of themselves is not always harmful.

Yes, it is incongruous that an individual who studies the cholinergic system is/was a long-term smoker, for whom approved nicotine replacement therapies (NRTs) did not work. It seems no less incongruous than the MHRA or FDA attempting to reduce access to or banning a product (PV) that provides for the inhalation of vapor containing a minimum of chemicals while tobacco products, “proper” use of which results in the inhalation of over 4000 chemicals, some of which are well known to be toxic and carcinogenic, remain easily accessible.

While I now use a PV exclusively, I did not start using it to quit smoking, and at this time if I was unable to use a PV I would most likely return to smoking. However, given time, I hope to reduce the amount of nicotine that I use and become nicotine-free in the long term. Whether or not I ultimately choose to reduce my nicotine intake, I am grateful for the opportunity to move away from the well-documented harm of smoking cigarettes. I ask that you carefully consider the potential negative ramifications of the ban that you are considering. "​

 

[Chrissie]

Wow, CES that is a fantastic response! Thank you so much for trying to help us over here in the UK

 

[CES]

someday I'll even learn to write without using really long, run on sentences with bunches of commas....

 

[Caesarea]

CES I personally regard your contribution as a convincing "big gun" testimonial. The MHRA has opened its consultation, and I hope that experts in harm reduction who have a weighty and prestigious word to say will be contributing to the evidence given.

The No 10 Downing Street petition at Petition to: Quash the upcoming policy to ban electronic cigarettes. | Number10.gov.uk is for UK citizens and residents, including expats.

But my view is that the general petition at
UK regulation of electronic cigarettes Petition
and the MHRA consultation at
MLXs: Medicines consultation letters : MHRA
should take on board serious, formal contributions from all sources.

Thank you,

C.