HSE warns people to stop using e-cigarette product containing illegal levels of nicotine

The HSE’s National Environmental Health Service is today (Friday, 25th August 2023) alerting the public to stop using five different flavours of McKesse brand disposable e-cigarette (listed below) as they contain illegal amounts of nicotine.

People can return them to the shop where they were bought, and retailers have been asked to stop selling them.

The products are:

• McKesse MK Bar 7000 Disposable

Flavours:

• Blue & Razz Ice Expiry date: 03/12/2023 (previously recalled 14th July 2023)
• Green Apple, Expiry date: 03/12/2023 (previously recalled 14th July 2023)
• Watermelon Ice, Expiry date: 03/12/2023
• Lychee Ice, Expiry date: 03/12/2023
• Energy Drink, Expiry date: 03/12/2023

The HSE’s National Environmental Health Service, National Tobacco Control Office, has submitted an update to a RAPEX alert notification on the European Safety Gate (the EU rapid alert system for dangerous non-food products) after discovering that further flavours of the product named above contain more than the permitted amount of nicotine (20mg/ml or 2%).

Additional samples of the McKesse brand electronic cigarettes were taken by the HSE and found to contain more than the permitted concentration of nicotine (measured values greater than 30.0mg/ml) which is set in legislation at 20mg/ml. There was no nicotine content declared on the packaging of some of the products and some indicated a nicotine content of 20mg/ml or 2% nicotine.

The HSE has contacted all major Irish distributors of e-cigarettes and refill containers and made them aware of this issue.

Dr Maurice Mulcahy, Regional Chief Environmental Health Officer, HSE said:

‘‘This is an update to a RAPEX alert initiated by the National Environmental Health Service in recent weeks.

I therefore must remind manufacturers and importers of electronic cigarettes and refill containers (e-liquids), it is their responsibility to ensure that they fully comply with all legislative requirements.

This includes the legal onus on manufacturers and importers to give full and proper advance notification to the HSE of their intention to place products on the Irish market via the European Common Entry Gate portal. Furthermore, they are reminded they bear full responsibility for the quality and safety of these products, when placed on the market and used under normal or reasonably foreseeable conditions.

Retailers must also ensure that the products they purchase from importers/distributors are notified to the HSE via the EU Common Entry Gate and comply with all legislative requirements.

In cases where the National Environmental Health Service establishes that products made available or placed on the market do not comply with legal requirements we will not hesitate to exercise our legal enforcement powers.

As a precautionary measure our message for the public is to check the McKesse products you may have against the products involved in this alert. If you have any of these products, we want you to stop using it and return it to the shop where you bought it.

We are also asking retailers to stop selling the products listed below and to contact the HSE with supplier traceability details. If retailers have sold or distributed any of the listed products below we want them to recall them by displaying a recall notice in a prominent position in their retail premises and on their website.”

The HSE is asking retailers to do the following:

• If you have any of the McKesse products as set out above, you must remove them from sale and contact the HSE at info.tpd@hse.ie with product and full traceability details
• If you have sold or distributed any of the products above, a recall notice must be displayed in a prominent position in your retail premises and on your website
• Retailers with any queries in relation to this matter can contact the HSE at info.tpd@hse.ie

More information on the products can be found at Safety Gate: the EU rapid alert system for dangerous non-food products - Europa.eu  using the words ‘electronic cigarette’.

The HSE advises consumers if they have these affected products not to use them and return them to the shop where purchased.

For more information visit Safety alert for disposable electronic cigarette - Brand name Mckesse MK Bar 7000 12ml (Word doc, 198 KB, 2 pages)