United Kingdom: High nicotine levels in e-cigarettes sold as “0 nicotine”

Laboratory tests carried out by Inter Scientific have shown that some e-cigarettes sold commercially in England and Wales, claiming to be nicotine-free, actually contain the same level of nicotine as conventional vaping devices or levels higher than the legal limit.[1].

Inter Scientific analyzed dozens of brands sold in stores in Newcastle, Birmingham, Hertfordshire, Staffordshire, Dudley, Liverpool and Wales.

E-cigarettes sold in the UK must display the manufacturer's contact information, as well as a list of ingredients and health warnings. None of the products studied by Inter Scientific were listed by the Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency, the competent authority for the notification system for e-cigarettes and refill devices in Great Britain and Northern Ireland.

Liquid tanks larger than the permitted limit

In the UK, current regulations specify that vaping tanks must have a maximum capacity of 2 ml. Devices with contents exceeding these limits are illegal and must not be sold to the public.

Laboratory analysis of 52 purchased products showed that 73 %s had an e-liquid tank with a capacity exceeding this legal limit of 2 ml. More than 40 %s of the tested products had been filled with 5 ml of liquid or more.

Nicotine levels at the legal limit or even higher

The analysis also showed that eight devices that were supposed to be nicotine-free actually did, including several with nearly 20 mg/ml - the legal limit in the UK. The results showed that the puff-style e-cigarette brand Dr Gorilla King Blackcurrant Grape Slush, which claims to contain no nicotine, actually contained 19.7 mg/ml of nicotine. Another brand of puff, With a Havana Tobacco Bang, had the highest nicotine content of 29.35 mg/ml, which is well above the permitted limit.

Nicotine levels often very high and not indicated in puffs in Europe

Laboratory analyses in several European countries had already shown that several brands of disposable puff-type e-cigarettes actually contained a higher nicotine level than indicated on the packaging. In May 2022, the Health Service Executive's National Tobacco Control Office in Ireland[2] discovered that some Aroma King disposable e-cigarettes contained up to 50 mg/ml of nicotine. These e-cigarettes were sold in packaging that indicated a nicotine concentration of 20 mg/ml.

L'Swiss Association for the Prevention of Smoking had also noted in March 2022 several brands of puffs marketed in Switzerland which contained nicotine concentrations of 50 mg per milliliter, or even 60 mg/ml, three times the authorized limit in the country.

Keywords: United Kingdom, vaping, puffs, nicotine

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[1] Sarah Marsh, Some 'nicotine-free' vapes high in addictive substances, tests reveal, The Guardian, published April 16, 2023, accessed April 17, 2023

[2] Tobacco-free generation, Ireland: Very high nicotine levels not indicated on disposable e-cigarette packaging, published May 25, 2022, accessed April 17, 2023

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