HSE issues e-cigarette alert over illegal nicotine levels

The HSE has issued an alert for the public to avoid using two e-cigarette products which contain illegal amounts of nicotine.

The Executive’s National Environmental Health Service has urged retailers to stop selling them, and asked those who have purchased them to return them to where they were bought.

The products in question are;

• E-LIQUID: Tobacco 24mg/ml, Ben Son 24mg/ml and USA Mix 24mg/ml
• QST Puff Flex 2800 puffs 5% nicotine electronic cigarette in the sub-brands (flavours): Red Bull, Peach Ice, Blueberry on Ice, Watermelon Ice and Mango Ice

The National Tobacco Control Office has submitted two alerts to the EU’s rapid alert system for dangerous non-food products, after discovering that the products contained more than the permitted amount of nicotine, which stands at 20mg/ml or 2%.

Following laboratory analysis, the HSE found that the nicotine content in the E-LIQUID refill container was up to 25.4 mg/ml and the QST Puff Flex 2800 puffs electronic cigarette were greater than 30mg/ml.

The Executive has contacted distributors and importers of e-cigarettes and refill containers to make them aware of the issue.

The HSE has advised any consumers experiencing serious, undesirable effects or ill effects related to these products to notify the HSE and contact their GP.

Retailers are being advised they must remove the products from sale and contact the HSE in order to provide traceability details.

HSE Regional Chief Environmental Health Officer Dr Maurice Mulcahy has said it is the manufacturers and importers responsibility to ensure that the products fully comply with all legislative requirements.

“This includes the legal onus on manufacturers and importers to give full and proper advance notification to the HSE of their intention to place products on the Irish market via the European Common Entry Gate portal,” he said.

He added: “Furthermore, they are reminded they bear full responsibility for the quality and safety of these products, when placed on the market and used under normal or reasonably foreseeable conditions.”

“As a precautionary measure, our message for the public is to check the E-LIQUID refill containers and QST electronic cigarettes you may have against the products involved in this alert.

“If you have any of these products, we want you to stop using it and return it to the shop where you bought it,” he added.