New laws regarding e-cigarettes come into force
Health campaigners claim that new laws on e-cigarettes could be the beginning of a significant breakthrough in helping people quit smoking. However, there are concerns over the unknown side effects of e-cigarettes and vaping.
The new regulations came into force on 20 May, and mean that vape tanks larger than 2ml will no longer be permitted, whilst e-liquid bottles now have a maximum capacity of 10ml. E-cigarettes and e-liquids must be registered with the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) before they can be sold, and the maximum nicotine strength has been set at 20mg (2%). The laws also ban certain ingredients such as caffeine and colourings.
Dr Nigel Carter OBE, CEO of the Oral Health Foundation, welcomes the new regulations, noting that “These measures should give consumers added confidence about what they are purchasing and will also hold manufacturers and suppliers to account,” he continued. “It is also important to control elements such as inappropriate advertising, misleading labelling and clear advice on correct usage, which these changes will now set out to do.”
Tobacco remains the leading cause of preventable death in the UK, causing nearly 80,000 deaths a year in England alone. It is also responsible for oral health issues such as mouth cancer, plaque, inflammation, bone loss in the jaw, teeth staining and bad breath.
However, although health bodies have said that vaping is “almost certainly better” than smoking, Dr Carter said that “E-cigarettes may well be a healthier way to access nicotine but it’s not completely problem-free. Nicotine itself limits the blood flow in our mouth’s tissues. Because of this, it seems likely that vapers may be more prone to gum disease. If you are thinking about switching to e-cigarettes or already use them, it is important to be extra attentive to the prevention of gum disease.”
“Many have found vaping highly effective in their bid to quit smoking but the long-term goal should be to do neither. There are many e-cigarette users out there who have vaped for three, four, five-plus years. Given the links between gum disease and wider health problems, it is important that over time, you slowly attempt to come off both tobacco and e-cigarettes altogether,” Dr Carter concluded.
