E-cigarettes have been making the news recently following shocking vaping reports from the US. Many vapers may be worried about these stories and so we would like to state our understanding.
US cases
The vaping related stories that are currently making the news are coming out of the US, and are mostly reports with the implication that users have altered their products with THC, one of the prominent active elements from the cannabis plant.
- THC (cannabis)
Many]of the reports from the US of vaping related illness have involved the product being altered with the addition of THC, a substance derived from the marijuana plant. It is important for all vapers to remember that, in the UK, THC products are not legal to buy and sell, and therefore any e-liquids claiming to contain THC or other synthetic drugs are not regulated or safe to use.
- Altered products
By altering these products they are no longer using them as the manufacturer had intended.
- Black market
As far as we know, many cases involved THC cartridges which were brought legally through marijuana dispensaries but are suspected to have been sourced via the black market, meaning they have not been appropriately tested and regulated.
- Vaporisers
Whilst unconfirmed it would appear that many stories actually related to using vaporisers with THC oils, unrelated to vaping, e-cigarettes and e-liquids. Vaping oils (rather than e-liquids) in any form is not a good idea.
Public Health England
A number of UK health organisations have now stepped in to reassure UK vapers that their view on e-cigarettes has not changed, with Public Health England stating;
“...we should continue to support and encourage smokers to swap to vaping and to use them as part of a supported quit attempt. This is the advice from all UK experts on the subject.” - Public Health England
Public Health England have published a lot of research and data on vaping, finding it to be at least 95% less harmful than smoking.
No serious side effects reported
To date there have not been any serious side effects from vaping reported in the UK, and although it is important to recognise that vaping is not reported as risk free, the dangers associated with smoking are widely recognised and vapers who are using an e-cigarette as a stop smoking aid should certainly not feel encouraged to discontinue use of an e-cigarette unless expressly advised by a medical professional, for the risk of relapsing to smoking poses far greater harm than an e-cigarette does.
Strict regulations
E-cigarettes and e-liquids are heavily regulated in the UK and so only products which are fully compliant make it to market.
The rules and regulations for e-cigarettes and e-liquids in the UK are overseen by the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) and anyone is able to check via the MHRA website that the product they are using is fully compliant and being sold legally.
These regulations prohibit harmful substances like diacetyl from being used in e-liquids in the UK.
All regulated are registered and can be checked on the MHRA website, and any products being sold without the appropriate warnings and ingredients list can be reported using their yellow card system.
ASH
Deborah Arnott, Chief Executive of ASH made a public statement on behalf of Action on Smoking and Health, a public health charity that works to eliminate the harm caused by tobacco:
“To date no serious side effects have been reported in the UK where the rules on e-cigarette products are overseen by our medicines regulator, the MHRA.
Anyone can check on the MHRA website to make sure the product that the product they’re using has been notified and is being sold legally.
Buying unregulated black market vaping products is a very bad idea. Anyone concerned about side effects from a vaping product they’re using should immediately report this to the MHRA.” - Chief Executive of ASH, Deborah Arnott
Evapo
All products sold by Evapo are completely compliant to UK regulations and standards, and have undergone rigorous quality testing so you can rest easy in the knowledge that you are using the highest quality products and are MHRA registered.
In response to the reported issues in the USA, Andrej Kuttruf, CEO Evapo says:
“We are sad to hear of stories in the USA. These appear to be generally linked to vaporising non-standard products involving unlicensed, black market THC oil. Public Health England has not received any reports of serious illnesses linked to vaping.'' - Evapo CEO, Andrej Kuttruf
Evapo would like to reassure vapers that the UK has the highest standards and stringent product safety rules to protect consumers for vaping products. Regulations in the UK ensure that all products are being tested and safe.
Public Health England continues to support and encourage smokers to swap from smoking to vaping. This advice is based on UK independent clinical reviews, which are updated annually. Public Health England conclude that vaping is at least 95% less harmful than smoking.
We would encourage vapers to only purchase their vaping devices from reputable retailers, such as Evapo, where they can seek expert advice and support.”
Sources:
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-49452256
https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/medicines-and-healthcare-products-regulatory-agency
