“A full investigation is not yet available but we’ve heard reports that most of these cases were linked to people using illicit vaping fluid bought on the streets or homemade, some containing cannabis products, like THC, or synthetic cannabinoids, like Spice.”
Following the infamous cases of a serious lung-disease outbreak in the US, the HSE wants the State Laboratory to test e-cigarettes and e-liquids for their nicotine and general chemical content. The State Laboratory undertakes chemical analyses for a variety of different purposes, including monitoring the quality and safety of Irish food and prosecuting fraud e.g., the sale of counterfeit products.
As concerns about the safety of vaping products grow worldwide, and there is an increasing array of vaping liquids on offer in the Irish market of varying strengths and flavours, the HSE wants the laboratory to determine whether the products across the country meet safety standards.
No cases reported in the UK
Meanwhile, referring to the cases of lung disease in the US, UK health experts have pointed out that they are not aware of any similar incidents with UK-regulated products. Head of Tobacco Control at Public Health England, Martin Dockrell, pointed out that latest reports have linked the cases to the use of illicit THC products.
“A full investigation is not yet available but we’ve heard reports that most of these cases were linked to people using illicit vaping fluid bought on the streets or homemade, some containing cannabis products, like THC, or synthetic cannabinoids, like Spice.”
“Unlike the US, all e-cigarette products in the UK are tightly regulated for quality and safety by the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency and they operate the Yellow Card Scheme, encouraging vapers to report any bad experiences,” concluded Dockrell.
Read Further: The Times
