What New Vaping Laws Should You Be Aware Of?
New vaping laws are coming in all the time, or being amended, as this relatively new industry grows.
Developments happen quick and fast in the vaping industry. This is because it hasn't been around all that long and only really took off in the last few years, as rising numbers of people found out about e-cigarettes and started using them. Of course, the industry has soared to new heights as smokers discover they could use vape gear to successfully, and finally, get off deadly tobacco.
Since then, governments around the world have been scrambling to keep up with laws and regulations governing the sale and use of e-cigarettes and the e-liquid they use. Some, like countries in Southeast Asia, have banned them entirely, imposing harsh fines and even prison sentences for merely having vape gear in your possession. Others have relied on recent medical studies showing vaping poses almost no risk to human health and should be offered as a smoking cessation method, and imposed rules on their use anyway.
Here in the UK, we're still subject to European Union regulations concerning vaping equipment and supplies — for now. When Brexit comes into effect next March, it may be a different story, as parliament may very well decide to repeal the legislation and enact its own — in line with the standalone ethos of the tumultuous decision to leave the EU. Additionally, we still have our own new vaping laws and regulations, too.
New Vaping Laws: UK
In the UK, rules under Tobacco and Related Products Regulations 2016 that came into effect less than a year ago govern e-cigarettes and e-liquids. They state that e-cigarette tanks can no longer be large and must contain no more than 2ml of e-liquids. Also, the volume of e-liquid in one refill container is restricted to 10ml.
E-liquids, which contain varying amounts of nicotine, including none, must be manufactured in such a way that the packaging is child-resistant and cannot be tampered with and result in harm. There's also a ban on various ingredients that had been used in e-liquids, such as caffeine and taurine, as well as a variety of colourings. New labellings containing health warnings are also now a requirement for e-cigarettes and e-liquids.
The regulations also state that no new vaping products can be sold in the UK before they're registered with the Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency. This is something the UK vaping industry welcomed, as it meant consumers could trust the vape gear they were buying as quality products that were safe for use.
New Vaping Laws: EU
The new vaping laws that come from the EU are designed to ensure "a high level of health protection for European citizens" and contain a raft of measures that member states have been obliged to adopt. Among them are provisions for outlawing nicotine strengths above 20mg. This has not been favourably accepted by heavy smokers, although many people who take up vaping to get off tobacco try to wean themselves off nicotine by gradually lowering the amount in their e-liquid refills.
The laws, contained in the Revision of the Tobacco Products Directive, also seek to make vaping less attractive to younger people. This is why there are now warnings on packaging and the same advertising restrictions on e-cigarettes and related vape gear that tobacco products are subjected to. This is despite the obvious fact that vaping does not use tobacco and doesn't have all the many thousands of toxic chemicals that are emitted in cigarette smoke.
Will the EU vaping regulations go out when Brexit becomes a reality and Britain is no longer part of the wider European integration project? It’s a possibility. Then we may have to brace ourselves for a set of new vaping laws all over again as the current ones go up in smoke.
Electric Tobacconist has the biggest range of e-cigarettes and other great vape gear in the UK today. Our electronic shelves are also fully stocked with a wide range of wildly exciting e-liquid flavours. Come on in and have a look now — and don’t forget, we’ll deliver for free if your order is worth more than £10!
Related Posts
-
Which is the Most Realistic E-cigarette in 2019?To some people, replicating the look and feel of a cigarette is the most important aspect of shopping for an ecig. This is o...
Read now -
How are "Approximate Cigarettes" calculated with electronic cigarettes?In e-cigarettes, often the first thing a customer looks for is the equivalent number of cigarettes their e-cigarette might de...
Read now -
Why indoor vaping bans could multiply the number of vapersWales is talking about banning e-cigarette use indoors. Will the rest of the UK follow? It's an interesting question and one ...
Read now