A look at the damage caused by illegal devices and how to spot them.
Legal vapes are governed in the UK by the TRPR. This ensures that they don’t contain any harmful additives or faults that may be dangerous to users. But a major concern is how to spot illegal vapes.
Disposables are a major focus at the moment, and much of the bad press about them is due to devices that aren’t in line with the law. Let’s take a look at some of these kits and discuss how to spot a potentially dangerous fake.
Current UK Laws.
The Tobacco and Related Products Regulations 2016 (TRPR) are the laws that govern everything vape related. There are strict rules that keep users safe and responsible retailers will follow these to the letter. Here’s a brief summary of what laws the TRPR enforces:
- Nicotine containing e-liquid bottles can’t be more than 10ml.
- E-liquid must be fitted with a child-safe cap.
- The maximum nicotine strength is 2% or 20mg/ml.
- All packaging must contain appropriate warnings.
- Tank sizes must not exceed 2ml, including pre-filled tanks.
- All liquids must be notified with the MHRA.
- The minimum age for buying anything vape related is 18, even if it doesn’t contain nicotine.
Most of these laws are in place across all of Europe, under the Tobacco Products Directive (TPD) which the TRPR was modelled on.
Rechargeable Disposables.
Disposables that can re-charge aren’t necessarily illegal. As long as the tank only contains 2ml of liquid, like the VLTZ re:fuel. These devices are great for disposable vapers looking for a more cost effective way to vape. You can refill them when the tank is empty and pair perfectly with bar salts.
But, rechargeable disposables like the Elux Legend (pictured) have around 3500 puffs in a closed tank. This means that the tanks will have around 10-12ml of liquid, making them illegal.
Fake Disposables.
As with any piece of tech, there are going to be knock-offs floating around.
Elf Bars, Geek Bars, Lost Mary and Crystal Bars have a clever way to show how to spot illegal vapes. There are QR codes that can be used to authenticate them (pictured).
Packaging.
All compliant packaging, by law, has to contain the necessary nicotine warnings (pictured). If your box doesn’t, then it’s definitely illegal. That doesn’t mean that it’s dangerous necessarily, but it’s not TRPR compliant.
As a side note, e-liquid bottles also have to display the tactile warning triangle on the product itself.
The Main Issues With Illegal Vapes.
Now you’re up to speed with how to spot illegal vapes, let’s look at the impact that they have. Illicit devices are a menace, and most media claims speaking out against vaping are because of non-compliant kits. What’s worse is that they’re being sold by irresponsible retailers to underage vapers.
Aside from being sold to minors, there are still several reasons why they are a growing problem, let’s take a look.
Too much nicotine
Some illegal disposables contain nicotine levels exceeding the maximum 20mg, sometimes being as high as 50mg or 5%. These levels have been deemed by researchers as not suitable for human consumption. It’s roughly the equivalent of smoking around 50 cigarettes and as we know, nicotine is a highly addictive substance.
Banned substances
In a recent study completed by the Inter Scientific laboratory revealed that some illegal vapes contain toxins. It was found that lead, nickel and chromium was found in the liquid at levels exceeding safe exposure levels. The devices tested were ‘High Light’ vapes, that are designed to look like highlighter pens.
Faulty products
A fake Lost Mary vape was responsible for a recent house fire, as reported by The Independent. The vaper in question says that he isn’t put off vaping, thankfully. But, he’s definitely going to make sure he buys from reputable retailers in future.
Danger to the environment
This isn’t related specifically to illegal vapes, but disposables in general. If improperly discarded, single use vapes can leak heavy metals and plastics into the environment. This is a huge threat to ecosystems. Also, they’re a danger to landfill workers because if they’re simply thrown in the bin, they can cause landfill fires.
Disposables need to be taken to a WEEE recycle point. Recently, Totally Wicked teamed up with Veolia who responsibly recycle these devices. So, that means that you can take your used up kits to any Totally Wicked store or the TECC shop here in Accrington.
What needs to change.
In order for illegal vapes to become less available there are several changes that the government need to put into place. Firstly, tougher checks need to be done at the border to stop the initial importation of these kits. Also, fines for selling them, especially to children, need to be more severe. Currently, retailers can be fined up to £2,500 if they’re caught. This should be limitless and increase for repeat offences.
Thankfully, the government have pledged £3 million to setting up an ‘illicit vapes enforcement squad’. This team will be testing retailer on age verification and looking out for illegal vapes. Trading Standards are also cracking down, a recent raid in Newcastle saw them seize 1,500 devices that breached TRPR.
Disposable Alternatives.
The temptation to buy illegal disposables is usually the difference in cost, with knock offs and bigger kits being much cheaper than the 600 puff compliant ones. But, there is a legal way to save a fortune on single use vaping!
Disposable Pre-filled Pods
The biggest brands in disposables also produce pre-filled pod alternatives. These kits have a separate battery that you can keep and recharge. The packs of pods are usually sold in 2s, which slashes the cost of your vaping in half! They’re also much better for the environment.
Here’s three devices from the most popular disposable names:
ELFA Pro
| Battery | 500mAh |
| Flavours | 42 |
| Price | £5.99 |
Crystal Plus
| Battery | 400mAh |
| Flavours | 15 |
| Price | £7.95 |
VLTZ flex
| Battery | 900mAh |
| Flavours | 20 |
| Price | £9.99 |
Bar Salts
When combined with a simple kit like the VOOPOO Doric Q, Joyetech WideWick or OXVA XLIM Pro, bar salts are the most cost effective way to vape disposable-like liquids. They mimic the same intense flavours and smooth experience. The liquids produced by the major brands are actually the same ones that are in the single use kits. Each 10ml bottle has as much juice as 5 disposables, but costs less than one.
Here are three brands that are incredibly popular:
ELFLIQ
| PG:VG | 50/50 |
| Flavours | 43 |
| Price | £3.99 |
Crystal Bar E-Liquid
| PG:VG | 50/50 |
| Flavours | 25 |
| Price | £3.99 |
VLTZ E-liquid
| PG:VG | 60/40 |
| Flavours | 24 |
| Price | £3.99 |
And here’s a short video to explain the cost saving of bar salts in a little more detail.
And that’s it for our guide on how to spot illegal vapes! If you’d like to know more or have any questions, feel free to contact us.
