Trading Standards highlight risks from disposable vaping products in Scotland

A comprehensive examination of the market in Scotland for single use, or disposable, vaping products was carried out during October to December 2021, and found a wide range of non-compliant devices, with both safety and health risks. The project involved most of Scotland’s local authority trading standards services and was coordinated by The Society of Chief Officers of Trading Standards in Scotland (SCOTSS).

The project was influenced by press reports and information from Trading Standards throughout the UK that illegal single use nicotine vaping products (NVPs) were on sale at retailers across the country and a suggestion that these devices were being used by young people under the age of 18.

In the event, trading standards teams visited 721 premises during the project, mostly retailers but also some wholesalers. In total, 88,839 disposable vaping devices were removed from sale as they were either not labelled correctly in accordance with the TARP Regulations, did not contain sufficient CLP regulation information or had not been published by the MHRA.  In addition, 3,683 disposable vaping devices were seized as they had a capacity of over the legal limit of 2ml.

Environmental concerns were also highlighted around the waste battery aspect of the devices, millions of which are imported every year, mostly from China, along with health concerns about the attractive nature of these devices, which are often brightly coloured and made to be appealing to children.

Graeme Paton, Chair of SCOTSS, explained:

“Trading Standards teams across Scotland treat the sale of nicotine vaping products as a high priority, especially where children are concerned, and the rapid expansion of this market for disposable nicotine devices is worrying and presents real risks to the environment and health, especially the health of young people. 

“SCOTSS works very closely with Scottish Government colleagues around the regulation of nicotine vaping devices in Scotland and we will be highlighting these risks so that appropriate action can be taken.”

Sheila Duffy, CEO of ASH (Scotland), added:

“Trading Standards Officers in Scotland have done an excellent piece of work here in highlighting these issues. While some people use vaping to quit smoking, there is a real risk that these products can attract young people into experimentation and addiction. The current craze with disposable, brightly coloured and flavoured e-cigarettes can appeal to children and that is unacceptable.”