I was mooching around Twitter / X and found a very informative post from Lincolnshire Trading Standards advising how to spot a dodgy vape and I thought it was too good not to share.
In this article I will be concentrating on two scenarios…
- Illegal vapes – these do not comply with the TPD regulations and will have either higher nicotine strengths than 20mg or will contain more than 2ml of e-liquid.
- Counterfeit vapes – this are the scary ones!
Illegal Vapes
These are not necessarily a huge concern as the issue is most likely to be that they have a bigger capacity or stronger nicotine than is permitted.
You should check on the manufacturer’s website that they are authentic if this is possible.
If they are authentic the risk is lower, but they could still be using ingredients or technology which is not permitted in the UK.
Counterfeit Vapes
These are the scary ones.
You have no idea of what ingredients these contain plus the electrics may be substandard and even dangerous.
Again if you are not sure if they are legit, visit the manufacturer’s website and run a verification check if it is possible.
How Do You Spot A Dodgy Vape?
We have a guide to checking if your vape is authentic. This will help guide you through the online verification process and we have collated links from most of the major brands.
I have posted the original image I saw in the Tweet from Lincolnshire Trading Standards below as it is a really great guide.
Report any sellers who are retailing dodgy vapes. We need these to be out of circulation as they have the potential to harm people and also give negative view of vaping.
You can see the original Tweet / X Post below
❓ Do you know how to spot an illicit vape product?
If you know of anyone selling illicit cigarettes or vapes, please report them to Citizens Advice on 0808 223 1133. pic.twitter.com/cAI10fqnnU
— Lincolnshire Trading Standards (@lincsts) July 30, 2023
