The Local Authorities Coordinators of Regulatory Services (LACORS), Trading Standards Institute (TSI) and The Chartered Institute of Environmental Health (CIEH) recently sent a formal letter to the Department of Health outlining changes they would like to see made to existing legislations so they includes electronic cigarettes.
One of the primary concerns raised in the document is the complete lack of age restriction on the sale of electronic cigarettes; an issue which should be addressed by the government sooner rather than later.
“There is no existing legislation to deal with Electronic Cigarettes as age restricted products and thus the product may be legally sold to young persons of any age. Contrast this with thelegislation controlling for example, tobacco products, alcohol, solvents and fireworks all ofwhich are age restricted in order to protect the health and well being of young people.”
A large number of suppliers actively enforce an age restriction of 18 when retailing these products, but there are a few less scrupulous suppliers who are exploiting the lack of legislation.
Another point which the document addresses is the challenge in the enforcement of Smokefree legislation in public places:
“The inability to easily distinguish between a normal and an e-cigarette leads to confusion and upset amongst the public which can give rise to complaints as they believe that breaches of the legislation are taking place, and they are being subjected to cigarette smoke whilst in a no-smoking area. The use of e-cigarettes in premises where the law prohibits smoking could well encourage people to smoke, either in the mistaken belief that the law does not apply or is not being enforced, or that the individuals concerned will not be noticed and reported. There is also real potential for public order offences being committed where individuals are approached and asked or told to stop and this is challenged.”
After this the organisations go on to comment that they believe that electronic cigarettes should be classified as tobacco products and subject to the relevant legislation.
Whilst we are firmly in favour of sensible legislation to control the sale and use of electronic cigarettes, we believe that since they contain no tobacco, their classification as tobacco products is a step too far, and hope that the Department of Health doesn't choose to take it to that extreme.
The future of electronic cigarettes is at a tipping point in the UK, much like in the US, and we will have to wait and see what the the Department of Health thinks of these proposed changes before we find out what direction the UK market will take.
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Okay, so following their logic, since I suffer from an inner ear problem, and therefor often stumble as I am walking (thus appearing to be drunk, in public), all people who suffer from this same condition must be banned from walking in public. After all, we musnt promote the idea that public intoxication is legal, or cause anyone any undo stress worrying about whether or not the stumbling one is indeed drunk, or heaven forbid an officer confronts the non-drunk stumbler...I could go on, but it's just to bloody silly.
Posted on 18/12/2009 20:16
Comment By Coop
Thanks for posting this information. Proposed changes are rather alarming - not the age restrictions, which most reponsible electronic cigarette companies accept, but the proposal to stop users from smoking the electronic cigarette in public places. I think us E Cigarette Companies need to start an association in the UK which matches ECASSOC in the US, with an aim to self regulate and to inform and educate the public about the electronic cigarette.
Posted on 01/01/2010 17:11
Comment By James Dunworth
The formal letter to which you provided a link has been taken down. Do you have a stored copy you can put up?
Posted on 06/01/2010 13:59
Comment By jon
Thanks for the article Arron, I missed that news until recently. There's some discussion and a copy of the letter here: http://vapersnetwork.org/forum/showthread.php?tid=115 Please help in whatever way you can to ensure we get to keep vaping.
Posted on 13/01/2010 12:45
Comment By Kate
@Katie thanks for the information, it seems to be causing quite the debate. I have tracked down a copy of the original PDF and the link is now again working. @jon As mentioned I have now tracked down the original copy. If you would like it, please comment and I'll send it through.
Posted on 13/01/2010 12:48
Comment By Arron Coda
The idea that a smoker could mistake a black and platinum coloured metal tube, with a blue LED on the end, for a cigarette is bizarre to say the least. Also, who ever heard of a cigarette that expels no smoke from it's tip? Plus the vapour from an e-cig doesn't smell like a footballer's jock. It is a fact that special interest groups have a gripe against personal vaporisers, from a strictly moral standpoint. Any argument will suffice to disparage the electronic cigarette industry. Anything that replicates smoking is bad, right? WRONG. If it saves the life of millions of smokers worldwide, it is a miraculous device. I quit a 25 year habit using an e-cig, something that I never managed to do with nicotine replacement therapy. I lost that smoker's cough and I no longer smell of cigarettes. A miracle. Sure, please restrict sales to people aged 18 and over. But don't start on some stupid puritanical crusade like that being seen in the war on smokers in the US. The UK is beyond all that sort of politically correct nonsense. Isn't it?
Posted on 25/01/2010 23:21
Comment By Colin