Illegal e-cigs seized from Aberdeen shop

Trading Standards officers have seized 121 unsafe disposable electronic cigarettes from a shop in Aberdeen.

Vapes with fruit, mint and cotton candy flavours which look like highlighter pens and make-up products with a value of about £900 were taken in the seizure. The products were found to contain five times the legal level of nicotine liquid.

Officers from Aberdeen Council’s trading standards service have visited stores in the city centre as part of a Scotland-wide project aimed at getting unsafe disposable vapes off sale, amid concerns underage children are accessing these products.

The Scottish government recently wrote to all retailers which sell these devices advising them to check their stock.

Nicotine inhaling products containing more than 2% nicotine or with more than 2ml of liquid are illegal to sell as they do not comply with UK safety requirements.

While the labelling guidelines for e-cigarette products mandate a UK-based point of contact for the company, the seized items did not meet this requirement, the council added.

Aberdeen Council said its Trading Standards service is contacting all distributors and retailers in the area to ensure that the law is fully understood and third parties take full responsibility for their actions, or potentially face a legal challenge.

“It was unacceptable that vapers are unknowingly risking their health by using these unsafe disposable products,” Graeme Paton, Aberdeen City Council Trading Standards manager, commented.

“Illegal and counterfeit products are flooding into the market and consequently pose a potential health risk to customers. Inappropriately branded products are also being purposely marketed towards children.

“Parents may not realise their children are vaping these unsafe devices – they are brightly coloured and closely resemble highlighter pens or make-up products. They cost from £5 to £7 each.”

Shops in the city centre have reported that they have never had to check the age of so many young customers as they are doing now and also said youngsters are trying to buy ‘Geek’ and ‘Elf Bar’ products by congregating outside shops on Union Street, trying to get adults to buy the vapes for them.

Any adult caught buying vaping products for underage teenagers face an on-the-spot fixed penalty of £200.