The HSE National Environmental Health Service (NEHS) has issued an urgent alert to the public to stop using three e-cigarette products that falsely claim to contain ‘no nicotine’ but actually contain significant nicotine levels.
Laboratory analysis by the State Laboratory revealed the products contain nicotine concentrations between 18.0 mg/ml and 19.0 mg/ml, despite being labelled as nicotine-free. The products also contain up to five times the legally permitted volume of nicotine-containing liquid.
The affected products are The Crystal Bling 6000+ puffs (Blue Razz Lemonade flavour), McKesse MK Bar 7000 (Passionfruit & Lime flavour), and JNR Crystal Pro Max 5000+ puff (Kiwi Watermelon Ice flavour).
Dr Maurice Mulcahy, Regional Chief Environmental Health Officer at HSE, said:
“The National Environmental Health Service is regularly finding non-compliant products on the Irish market. These three most recent alerts are for products labelled as containing “no nicotine” but following laboratory analysis we found that they have concentrations as high as 19.0 mg/ml.
While this may be below the legal permitted limit of 20 mg/ml, it is not what the consumer has been told they contain. In addition, these products were found to have 7.7ml to 9.4ml of nicotine-containing liquid, almost 4 to 5 times the permitted volume of 2ml,” he added.
Consumers who have purchased any of these products are advised to immediately stop using them and return them to the shop where they were bought. Anyone experiencing ill effects after using the products should contact their GP and notify the HSE at [email protected].
The HSE has instructed retailers to remove the products from sale and display recall notices in their shops and on websites and social media. Retailers have also been urged to ensure they are selling compliant products and to verify product safety with their suppliers.
“Retailers play an important role in protecting consumers from potential harm and should be checking both the products themselves and their suppliers’ details before selling them,’ Dr Mulcahy said. ‘Otherwise, they may not only be putting the consumer at risk, they may be breaking the law.”
The HSE warned that it will continue to use its legal powers to protect the public, including product seizure, destruction, and prosecutions where necessary.
As the designated Market Surveillance Authority for electronic cigarettes in Ireland, the HSE National Environmental Health Service conducts regular inspections and sampling of e-cigarette products on the Irish market. The organisation is responsible for enforcing the Tobacco Products Directive, which is transposed into Irish law by EU regulations.
For more information on these alerts and recall notices, consumers and retailers can visit the HSE website or contact [email protected].