If you vape, and you keep up with the news, you cannot fail to have heard about the changes to the law regarding electronic cigarettes. This law comes from the EU, and the British government can do nothing about it. It came into force towards the end of May, and looks set to shake up the e-cig industry in a way that has never been seen before – and not in a good way either.
It should come as no surprise then to learn that thousands of vapers, along with health advocates and ex-smokers, are supporting an attempt to get rid of the law. This campaign is being led by Lord Callanan, who has filed a motion calling for the new law to be got rid of.
Draconian and unwanted
The regulations came into force on 20th May 2016. If you vape, you may not have noticed an earth-shattering change to the way you do it. However, there is every chance you will do in the very near future.
The Tobacco and Related Products Regulations 2016 has come out of the EU and applies to every part of the supply chain that sees e-cigs and associated products developed, manufactured and made available to the public.
Smaller tanks
Take a look at the e-cigarette you are using at the moment. Chances are the tank size you put the e-liquid into can take around 5ml. If you buy a new one from this moment on, you’ll notice the tank size will be a maximum of 2ml.
What does this mean? Well, it means you’ll have to refill the tank a lot more often in order to vape for the same amount of time you do at the moment. So where you might not need to take any e-liquid with you to work or anywhere else you might go, that could change, thanks to this law.
Oh, and if you switched to vaping and picked the 24mg/ml strength e-liquid in terms of the amount of nicotine in it, don’t expect to be able to buy any more of it once you run out of your current supply. The maximum you can get now is 20mg/ml.
Could this create a black market for vaping equipment?
This is what Lord Callanan believes could happen. He pointed out that vaping has helped lots of people quit smoking, and has been promoted by the Royal College of Physicians as a way to quit cigarettes. Now we have these new strict laws, he fears many people will either go back to smoking, or find black market products that deliver the vaping equipment and e-liquids they have become used to.
Meanwhile, the petition to back the motion to stop these laws has received over 50,000 signatures at the time of writing. The target is 75,000 signatures, and the original signatory is petitioning the Prime Minister to debate the issue in the House of Commons.
Another part of the law sees e-liquids needing to be tested before they can be sold. There are fees for this that need to be paid before testing can be completed. Only when something has been tested and approved can it be sold in the normal manner.
Clearly, these laws are going to bring major changes for the vaping industry, not to mention the many people who currently vape to help them quit smoking. There are around 2.8 million vapers in Britain today, and there is every chance that number will rise. Every single one will be affected by this law. Are you among them? Have you signed the petition?
