UK Pubs Fear E cig safety

[sherid]

Fears raised about safety of electronic cigarettes
12 August, 2009

By Phil Mellows

Products designed to combat smoking ban do not comply with Department of Health regulations

The government is set to crack down on sales of electronic cigarettes with tests being carried out to assess their levels of toxicity.

Many pubs and bars sell the products – which release a nicotine vapour - as a way around the smoking ban but health chiefs are concerned they do not comply with safety standards.

A Department of Health spokesman told The Publican: “Our scientific research has found that none of the products tested to date comply with product safety regulations.

“Local authorities enforce the law and the government is now working with them to crack down on e-cigarettes that contain toxic levels of nicotine, ensuring they are labelled and sold appropriately."

While an outright ban is not on the cards, trading standards officers are working with importers to ensure products on sale carry the right health warnings and some have already been suspended from the marketplace.

These products have raised a whole range of safety issues," said Jane MacGregor, advisor to the Local Government Association. She warned pubs and bars to check their supplies are correctly labelled and to ask suppliers for a test certificate. "It is a retailer's responsibility to make sure what they're selling is safe," she said

The Publican - Home - Fears raised about safety of electronic cigarettes

 

[SudokuGal]

Bureaucracy runs rampant everywhere. Truly amazing.

 

[Denni]

That's OK though, some UK suppliers are already collaborating with Trading Standards and get their products labelled accordingly. If they then can sell to pubs it's all for the good. It will pre-empty an outright ban

 

[PlanetScribbles]

“Local authorities enforce the law and the government is now working with them to crack down on e-cigarettes that contain toxic levels of nicotine, ensuring they are labelled and sold appropriately."

While an outright ban is not on the cards, trading standards officers are working with importers to ensure products on sale carry the right health warnings and some have already been suspended from the marketplace.

I won't be making a big deal out of this as it is a responsible course of action to be cautious. Not the fascist, totalitarian, one-trick pony approach that US smokers are facing from the anti-smoking lobby and the FDA.
I for one will be more than willing to pay an extra 10% or so to make sure I am not inhaling poisonous substances. I know as well as most how dodgy some Chinese stuff has been shown to be in the past. Poisonous toothpaste, toys, baby milk, pet food,... ad nausium.
Things like high powered lasers are verboeten over here, but can still be obtained from Chinese sources. e-cigs will survive in the UK as we have a much more liberal approach over here. We don't close borders to protect our bottom line in Europe.

 

[Angela]

So, a fair approach is still being taken in the UK at least. They are asking sellers to make sure that they are marketed and labelled correctly (child-proof bottles, labelled with warnings of toxicity, etc).... fantastic.

Why would ANYONE have a problem with this?

 

[ckc]

All i can say is 'thank goodness'!

The heart leaped a bit when i read the headline.Common sence rules.

 

[Angela]

Yes, ckc, my heart sank when I read the title too!

 

[Shining Wit]

All I can say is that the story is around six months out of date.
We have been complying with all pertinent regulations, in fact Trading Standards
have been so impressed with our approach that they invited me to speak to
them recently as they were preparing a training seminar for TS Officers
and wanted them to be knowledgeable on the subject of electronic cigarettes.
This was a wonderful opportunity to put our expertise to good use and dispel
some of the myths and lies surrounding the subject. They appreciated being
'educated' as they felt it would help them to do their job fairly. They also felt
that ecigs were not as 'scary' as some people try to make out.
John.

 

[Applejackson]

Sounds like the UK is being WAAAAYY more reasonable than us. I'll happily move 'cross the pond. I've got friends there and I'm getting pretty fed up with the US gov't in general.

 

[stevo_tdo]

Yes, I wish the U.S. would follow this. The answer is regulation, not ban or tax (applicable sales tax would be ok)

 

[Duckies]

All I can say is that the story is around six months out of date. We have been complying with all pertinent regulations, in fact Trading Standards have been so impressed with our approach that they invited me to speak to them recently as they were preparing a training seminar for TS Officers and wanted them to be knowledgeable on the subject of electronic cigarettes. This was a wonderful opportunity to put our expertise to good use and dispel
some of the myths and lies surrounding the subject. They appreciated being 'educated' as they felt it would help them to do their job fairly. They also felt that ecigs were not as 'scary' as some people try to make out.
John.

Theres some positive news! Yay!

Forgive me for not being current on this, but what is the word in the UK about these right now? Are they approved for sale or just the elephant in the room no one is talking about?

 

[Angela]

Neither, really.

Trading standards are getting around to liquid suppliers to check that their compliant with UK law with regards to selling, packaging, labelling, etc and I do know that a question was raised in Parliament requesting clarification as to whether or not they fell under the current non-smoking laws (only response was that they appeared not to breach no smoking laws, but couldn't state categorically as they hadn't investigated them all, but that they would be having relevant departments look into them as required..... shortly after that was when TS started looking at liquid retailers).

Thye only other thing 'official' I have come across, was 'guidance' to enforcement officers of Westminster Council on how to recognise an e-cig (so as not to mistake it for a real one)

Oh, and even ASH in the UK isn't 'anti'.... they don't officially approve of them (not tested, etc...) but they have more or less said that they have the potential to be a good thing and, whilst they recommend smokers use approved NRT, they have gone so far as to say moving to e-cigs would be better than nothing!

 

[rustylug]

This is nothing new .....You guys should read about the problems i was having with Trading Standards away back in Aug 2008 when i 1st started selling ecigs on my stand in the Eastgate Shoping Center in Inverness, Scotland.

If you read the whole thread you will get an idea of what Trading Standards expect form people who wish to sell ecigs in a public place.

I would also like to point out that alot of the help (MOST) of it came from Jason around about the time Totaly Wicked was being born.

You learn a lot from being in at the start, and both TW, Jason, his staff and myself hed learned a lot from what we had to comply with .....Dammm Trading Standards almost closed me down 2 days before Xmas ..Our buissiest time of trading ....But we got round it whilst complying with them at the same time

http://www.e-cigarette-forum.com/fo...m/2643-i-had-trading-standards-my-back-6.html