AN urgent warning has been issued over dangerous “super vapes” after police seized “acutely toxic” products from a property.
Police raided a premises in Boston, Lincolnshire, last month, were they seized R&M Tornado Vapes containing dangerously high levels of nicotine.
The high capacity disposable electronic cigarettes have a capacity of 30,000 puffs and 30ml of liquid – fifteen times the legal maximum of 2ml.
They also contain “excessive amounts of nicotine” – the equivalent of 375 king-sized cigarettes.
The raid was performed as part of Lincolnshire Police’s Operation Nivada, a campaign to stop illicit tobacco and vape sales.
It came after the European Safety Gate – a rapid alert system for dangerous products – flagged R&M Tornado Vapes as “acutely toxic” and posing a risk to people’s health.
The alert covered a range of R&M Tornado Vape flavours, including:
- Strawberry Watermelon
- Strawberry Raspberry Ice
- Kiwi Passionfruit Guava
- Blueberry Cherry Cranberry
- Strawberry Mango
- Peach Mango Pineapple
- Triple Mango
It read: “The product has an excessive amount of nicotine-containing liquid.
“This could lead to the accidental consumption of a high dose of nicotine.
“Nicotine is acutely toxic and can endanger the user’s safety, notably if the product comes into contact with the skin or is ingested.
“Moreover, the product is insufficiently labelled, as the unit packaging does not include information on the amount of nicotine in the dose, or a complete list of ingredients.”
Lincolnshire residents were told to be on their guard against the vapes.
Andy Wright, Principal Trading Standards Officer at Lincolnshire County Council, said: “The popularity of disposable vapes show no sign of waning, but residents need to be fully aware of the health hazards that huge capacity super vapes like these pose.
“Worryingly, these products are not adequately labelled, and with their eye-catching branding, often end up in the hands of vulnerable young people.
“Nationally, Trading Standards are aware of these products and will seize them when found, precautions are being taken to stop them entering the country.
Lincolnshire police seized R&M vapes at a property in Boston[/caption]
They warned residents to be on their guard[/caption]
“We continue to remain vigilant, and work closely with partners including Lincolnshire Police, to remove these illegal vape and tobacco products from Lincolnshire’s streets and clamp down on the traders who peddle them.”
The warning follows one of the largest seizures of illicit tobacco ever seen in Lincolnshire.
More than 90,000 cigarettes and 300 vapes were captured from stores in Boston, Spalding, and Holbeach, as part of Operation Nivada.
Police and Lincolnshire Council has asked residents to help by reporting instances of illegal tobacco sales or associated criminality.
Smoking vs. vaping
VAPING has been touted as an effective tool to help people quit smoking.
Though vaping is substantially less harmful than smoking, the habit isn’t completely harmless and comes with its own set of risks.
The NHS only recommends it for adult smokers, to support quitting smoking.
GP and author Dr Philippa Kaye explained to The Sun that the differences between vaping and smoking – and whether one is better than the other – is “complicated”.
“In a nutshell, vaping is better than smoking, but breathing air is better than vaping at all.”
Vaping exposes users to far fewer toxins – and at lower levels – than smoking cigarettes.
Switching to vaping significantly reduces your exposure to toxins that can cause cancer, lung disease, and diseases of the heart and circulation like heart attack and stroke.
These diseases are not caused by nicotine, which is relatively harmless to health. But research has still linked vaping to a higher risk of failure and lung disease.
Health risks of cigarettes
- Smokers are more likely than nonsmokers to develop heart disease, stroke, and lung cancer
- Smokers are at greater risk for diseases that affect the heart and blood vessels
- Smoking can cause lung disease by damaging your airways and the small air sacs
- Smoking can cause cancer almost anywhere in your body
- It affects overall health too, such as your mouth, eyes, immune system and fertility
Health risks of vaping
- They can cause side effects such as throat and mouth irritation, headache, cough and feeling sick
- They could lead to tooth decay
- They could damage heart health
- They could cause lung disease
- They could slow brain development
Read more on how vaping can affect your health here.
Sources: NHS, CDC
“Reporting helps to build a better intelligence picture, to better evidence criminal activity, and to proactively disrupt organised criminals,” the council said.
It was revealed last year that more than one million illicit vapes were seized by the Trading Standards Institute – with officers confiscating 1.19million dodgy e-cigarettes from sellers in 2023/24.
Meanwhile, the number of children rushed to hospital due to vaping is on track to reach record highs, figures from December revealed.
E-cigarettes can cause lung damage or pneumonia in heavy users, while too much nicotine may lead to dizziness and vomiting.
Between April and October last, 31 under-18s were admitted to hospital in England with vaping-related illnesses.
The figures put the NHS on track to treat at least 53 by March – more than 2023’s high of 51 young patients in one financial year.
