New European Tobacco Products Directive (EUTPD) rules on electronic cigarette (e-cig) nicotine strength are unlikely to have much of a negative impact on sales, it is being claimed.
The rules, set to be enforced on 20 November, will impose a ban on the manufacturer of all e-cigs and liquids with a nicotine content of more than 20/mg/ml.
However, according to new research published by Action on Smoking and Health (ASH) the rules will not cause problems for most vapers.
According to the ASH Smokefree GB Adult Survey, only 9% of vapers currently use e-liquid with a nicotine content of 19mg/ml or more, and only 11% of daily vapers use more than 4ml of liquid (the EU limit for tanks and cartridges is 2ml), indicating that few of them are likely to need to refill their device more than twice a day.
Deborah Arnott, chief executive of ASH, said: “The new ASH research shows that most vapers use less nicotine than the limit set in the new EU regulations and are likely to have to refill their devices no more than a couple of times a day. Concerns that the EU regulations would force the products most vapers use off the market seem to have been overstated.”
Retailers will have a further six months, until the 20 May 2017, to sell through any uncompliant stocks of e-cigs or liquids.
Many of the UK’s top selling e-cig brands, including JTI’s E-Lites and Logic-Pro range, and a number of other brands produced by the big tobacco companies, do not exceed the new EU limit in any case.
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