E-cigarettes are currently only covered by general product safety legislation but are due to be licensed and regulated as an aid to quit smoking from 2016. This effectively means they will be classed as a medicine and therefore will face checks by the medicine regulator MHRA when the time comes. More detail on the licensing procedure is available in PDF format on the MHRA website here.
World Health Organizations (WHO) point of view
The WHO have produced a report into e-cigarettes and have made some strong points on the subject. The report stats that there should be a ban on the use of electronic cigarettes indoors and that sales to children should stop (we dont think it should ever have started if it has!).
They gone on to state that there must be a stop to reports stating e-cigs can help smokers quit until there is firm evidence to support this. Speaking personally, its certainly helped me and many others (but we do understand the need to be cautious because of the health uncertainties).
We dont feel e-cigs or e-liquids should be available to the under-18s (just like tobacco products). The WHO report focuses on the risk that tempting flavours of e-liquids, and advertising might tempt children into using electronic cigs and therefore getting addicted to nicotine.
Wider opinions
Prof Dame Sally Davies, Englands chief medical officer, said We do not yet know the harm that e-cigarettes can cause to adults, let alone to children, but we do know they are not risk free. E-cigarettes can produce toxic chemicals and the amount of nicotine and other chemical constituents and contaminants, including vaporised flavourings, varies between products meaning they could be extremely damaging to young peoples health.
Katherine Devlin, president of the Electronic Cigarette Industry Trade Association, welcomed the changes in the law, saying they had been asking for it for years.
Its high time that it was mandated in law so that it can be robustly enforced, she added, pointing out that product labelling made it clear e-cigarettes were not for under-18s.
Ash
Anti-smoking charity Ash also welcomed the changes, but chief executive Deborah Arnott called for a retail licensing system that would mean e-cigarettes could be legally sold only in shops, not in car boot sales or markets.
World Health Organizations (WHO) point of view
The WHO have produced a report into e-cigarettes and have made some strong points on the subject. The report stats that there should be a ban on the use of electronic cigarettes indoors and that sales to children should stop (we dont think it should ever have started if it has!).
They gone on to state that there must be a stop to reports stating e-cigs can help smokers quit until there is firm evidence to support this. Speaking personally, its certainly helped me and many others (but we do understand the need to be cautious because of the health uncertainties).
We dont feel e-cigs or e-liquids should be available to the under-18s (just like tobacco products). The WHO report focuses on the risk that tempting flavours of e-liquids, and advertising might tempt children into using electronic cigs and therefore getting addicted to nicotine.
Wider opinions
Prof Dame Sally Davies, Englands chief medical officer, said We do not yet know the harm that e-cigarettes can cause to adults, let alone to children, but we do know they are not risk free. E-cigarettes can produce toxic chemicals and the amount of nicotine and other chemical constituents and contaminants, including vaporised flavourings, varies between products meaning they could be extremely damaging to young peoples health.
Katherine Devlin, president of the Electronic Cigarette Industry Trade Association, welcomed the changes in the law, saying they had been asking for it for years.
Its high time that it was mandated in law so that it can be robustly enforced, she added, pointing out that product labelling made it clear e-cigarettes were not for under-18s.
Ash
Anti-smoking charity Ash also welcomed the changes, but chief executive Deborah Arnott called for a retail licensing system that would mean e-cigarettes could be legally sold only in shops, not in car boot sales or markets.
