More than 800 illegal, and potentially unsafe, e-cigarettes will soon be destroyed thanks to our Trading Standards team.
The 826 illegal vapes were seized from 27 premises across Medway, between October 2021 and March 2022.
Some of the products had a strength of five per cent nicotine which is more than double the legal limit of two per cent and others contained more than four times the legal limit of e-liquid - 2ml. Many of the products were incorrectly labelled, lacked sufficient health warnings and did not have the details of a UK-based manufacturer or importer who can be contacted in the event of a safety issue.
The products will now be destroyed by a specialist company.
Diligent hard work keeping residents safe
Cllr Jane Chitty, Medway Council’s Portfolio Holder for Planning, Economic Growth and Regulation, covering Trading Standards, said: “I would like to thank our Trading Standards team for their diligent hard work preventing these illegal, and potentially unsafe, products from being sold to residents. The team will continue to visit shops across Medway to ensure that all e-cigarette products being sold are legal and safe. If residents have any concerns about the safety of e-cigarettes or e-liquids that they find on sale I would encourage them to report their findings to Trading Standards.”
Residents, and businesses, who have concerns about an e-cigarette they have bought, or have seen on sale, can contact Medway’s Trading Standards team by emailing consumer.protection@medway.gov.uk or phoning the consumer advice helpline on 0808 223 1133.