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Daily Mirror
Daily Mirror
National
Kelly-Ann Mills

Two major supermarkets pull ANOTHER vaping product from shelves over safety concerns

Two major supermarkets have stripped another popular vaping device from their shelves due to safety concerns, it is reported.

Tests on samples of a Double Apple flavour Lost Mary vape found them to have an average of 3.6ml of nicotine liquid.

Sainsbury's and Asda have now reportedly confirmed that they are banning the product following the findings.

It comes just weeks after an investigation discovered the watermelon-flavoured Elf Bar 600 product had at least 50% over the legal limit for nicotine e-liquid.

According to UK law, the amount of nicotine liquid in a vape is legally limited to 2ml with a maximum nicotine strength of 2%.

The ban follows tests that were carried out in an investigation by the Daily Mail.

In a previous statement, Elf Bar said: "We found out that some batches of the Elf Bar product have been overfilled in the UK.

"It appears that e-liquid tank sizes, which are standard in other markets [such as the US], have been inadvertently fitted to some of our UK products.

"We wholeheartedly apologise for the inconvenience this has caused."

The company added that it would alert retailers and review its production process.

Elf Bar (elfbar.com)

England's chief medical officer, Sir Chris Whitty, recently called for a clampdown on the 'appalling' marketing of vapes to children and criticised the Elf Bar.

In response to the first withdrawal, of the watermelon-flavoured product, the Chinese company apologised and insisted the "highly regrettable situation" did not compromise the product's safety.

There has been no immediate response to the supermarkets withdrawing the Elf's Lost Mary vapes.

The Mirror has contacted Elf Bar for comment regarding the Lost Mary tests.

How popular is Elf Bar?

Elf Bar, which launched in 2021, sells around 2.5million disposable 600s in the UK every week.

The devices, which cost £5.99 each, come in appealing flavours such as guava and kiwi, watermelon and blueberry ice.

In January last year, online vape platform IndeJuice reported it had seen a 279% increase in its sales of disposable vapes in the final quarter of 2021 compared to the one before.

Vapes including the flavourings of "fruit" and "ice" accounted for 60% of sales.

Is vaping harmful in general?

While vapes are believed to be less harmful than smoking tobacco - which contains tar and carbon monoxide - there are still concerns over the chemicals that vapers are putting into their bodies.

Dr Gareth Nye, a lecturer and researcher at the University of Chester, previously said: "A 2018 study showed that e-cigarette users had concentrations of metals and volatile chemicals (toluene, benzene, and carbon disulfide) comparable with those of cigarette smokers.

“Vaping has caused increases in tooth decay, dental and oral conditions and shows signs of being linked to oral cancers the same way cigarette smoking does.

“Bottom line - inhaling chemicals into the lungs which are not meant to be there leads to a reaction from your immune system which damages the lung tissue."

Most e-cigarettes contain nicotine and are not fully risk-free.

The NHS says: "The liquid and vapour contain some potentially harmful chemicals also found in cigarette smoke."

Will they be banned across UK?

Ministers have been told that disposable vapes should be banned from sale in the UK.

Conservative former health minister Dr Caroline Johnson urged MPs to back her Disposable Electronic Cigarettes (Prohibition of Sale) Bill.

She said prohibiting their sale would prevent children and teenagers from taking up vaping.

The Sleaford and North Hykeham MP said: "By banning the sale of disposable vapes, we will encourage a more sustainable way of utilising e-cigarettes as quitting aids and make vaping less accessible to children, preventing an epidemic of teenage nicotine addicts and protecting our planet."

The Bill will be considered by MPs again on March 24, but will not progress through the Commons without support from the Government.

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