HSE warns over e-cigarette and refill with illegal levels of nicotine 

The HSE has issued urgent safety alerts warning the public to stop using two particular e-cigarettes products which have been found to contain illegal amounts of nicotine.

The two items are:

• The QST Puff Flex 2800 puffs 5% electronic cigarette in the Red Bull, Peach Ice, Blueberry on Ice, Watermelon Ice, and Mango Ice flavours;
• The E-LIQUID Tobaccon 24mg/ml, Ben Son 24 mg/ml and USA Mix 24 mg/ml refill containers.

Laboratory analysis found that the former contained 30mg/ml of nicotine — above the legal 20 mg/ml or 2% threshold, while the E-LIQUID refill container was found to contain 25.4 mg/ml of nicotine.

The HSE's National Environmental Health Service, National Tobacco Control Office says it submitted a two Rapid Exchange of Information System (RAPEX) alerts — the EU’s rapid alert system for dangerous non-food products — on Wednesday on the back of its findings.

It also says it has contacted several distributors and importers of e-cigarettes and refill containers to make them aware of its findings. 

Any consumers who purchased the items have been advised to return them to where they were bought. Any consumers who might be experiencing ill effects related to these items have been advised to contact their GP and notify [e-mail].

“I must remind manufacturers and importers of electronic cigarettes and refill containers [e-liquids], it is their responsibility to ensure that they fully comply with all legislative requirement,” said the HSE’s regional chief environmental health officer Dr Maurice Mulcahy.

The HSE has contacted several distributors and importers of e-cigarettes and refill containers to make them aware of its findings.

“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.

“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.” 

Dr Mulcahy also said that retailers must ensure that the products they purchase from importers/distributors “are notified to the HSE via the EU Common Entry Gate and comply with all legislative requirements”.

“In cases where the National Environmental Health Service establishes that, products made available or placed on the market do not comply with legal requirements we will not hesitate to exercise our legal enforcement powers,” he said.

He added that the HSE's message to anyone who purchased either item was simply to "stop using it and return it to the shop where you bought it".

“We are also asking retailers to stop selling the products listed below and to contact the HSE with supplier traceability details," he said. 

"If retailers have sold or distributed any of the listed products below we want them to recall them by displaying a recall notice in a prominent position in their retail premises and on their website.”