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Local retailers reminded of new e-cigarette rules

New e-cigarettes & e-liquids rules come into place from 20th May Credit: PA

Local e-cigarettes and e-liquids retailers are being reminded of new rules coming into place from the 20th of May.

Cumbria County Council say they are becoming more popular as they are considered a "safer" alternative to smoking, with specialist 'vaping bars' opening across the county.

The new requirements, upheld by the Cumbria Trading Standards, include:

  • Health information will be provided to consumers so that they can make informed choices
  • Items only to be sold in an environment that protects children from starting to use these products.
  • Restrict e-cigarette tanks to a capacity of no more than 2ml
  • Restrict the maximum volume of e-liquid for sale in one refill container to 10ml
  • Restrict e-liquids to a nicotine strength of no more than 20mg/ml
  • Require nicotine-containing products or their packaging to be child-resistant and tamper evident
  • Ban certain ingredients including colourings, caffeine and taurine
  • Include new labelling requirements and warnings
  • Require all e-cigarettes and e-liquids be notified to MHRA before they can be sold

The key messages I want to promote are if you don't smoke, don't start vaping; if you do smoke, stop altogether if you can - and our pharmacies can help; and if you can't stop, or don't want to - switch to vaping.

Cumbria's smoking rate is dropping and latest figures show that less than 16% of the adult population continue to smoke. However this still represents about 60,000 adult smokers across the county, so there's a lot more to be done to help get the numbers down further.

– Colin Cox, Cumbria County Council's Director of Public Health

Local trading standards officers will carry out visits to premises across Cumbria to advice businesses.