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THE TEST
Why UK and EU e-cigarette testing standards ensure
product safety for consumers
Words: Patrick Griffin
The American lung disease crisis which saw hundreds
of vapers admitted to hospital with serious breathing
problems is unlikely to be seen in Europe, says a leading
scientist.
Dr Chris Proctor, from Vype, told the Vaper Expo that the
robust monitoring and testing requirements of the TPD
allowed far greater protection to the EU vaping community.
The Group Head of Potentially Reduced-Risk Product
Science said the US vape-related deaths and illnesses were
not normal cases of lung disease that would be seen in a
smoker.
Dr Proctor said: “These are acute cases where the lung has
been infected by bacteria which can lead to people of all
ages getting ill quite quickly.”
The American Centres for Disease Control and Prevention
had not defi nitively determined the cause of the outbreak at
time of writing, but named vitamin E acetate, an ingredient
commonly found in black-market THC vape products, as a
“chemical of concern.” Vitamin E acetate had been found in
all of the fluid samples taken from 29 patients who were
being treated in hospital for the vape-related lung illnesses.
Speaking before the CDC’s announcement about vitamin E
acetate, Dr Proctor said a possible route to infection was
from microbes contained in cannabis oils which could lead
to pneumonia taking hold very quickly but he predicted
the crisis may not be long lasting as more became known
about its cause.
He added: “We are getting close to concluding that this is an
issue where people are getting sick from buying cannabis
oil off the street and using these oils in their vape devices.”
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He said the most rigorous tests were carried out on all
Vype products to ensure that contaminants did not get into
their e-liquids.
While many vapers prefer using open pod systems where
they can refi ll the liquid themselves, Dr Proctor said, from a
scientifi c standpoint, closed systems were best.
He went on: “In a closed system I know exactly what is
going on there from a scientifi c point of view. I know exactly
what has gone into the liquid and I know precisely how it
functions because we have done thousands of hours of
product testing.
“We go way above what is required by the TPD because in
this emerging category we feel it is our duty to know more
about our products than anybody else and then publish
the results of our research for the scientifi c community to
review.”
He said it was a result of the rigorous testing of vape
products in the EU that consumers could have real
confi dence in the products on the shelves.