The Technical Regulations Division within the Malta Competition and Consumer Affairs Authority (MCCAA) would like to inform all economic operators and the general public that, from inspections and investigations carried out by its product safety officers over the past week, it is becoming more evident that a number of electronic cigarettes found on the market do not comply with the essential Health and Safety requirements of the European Directives under which such products fall, or are being claimed to fall.

All electronic cigarettes should have the CE mark. Moreover, products which either claim to assist the user to stop smoking and/or have other health claims and/or having a nicotine content of 10mg per ml or more fall under the Medical Devices Regulations (issued under the Product Safety Act (Cap. 427) as LN 210 of 2008), that fully transpose Council Directive 93/42/EEC of 14th June 1993 on the approximation of the laws of the Member States relating to medical devices, amongst other Directives.

Electronic cigarettes and their use must also comply with the provisions of legislation on tobacco products, even if they do not contain any nicotine.

Consumers are also being advised that inhaling vapours cannot in any way be considered ‘healthy.’

It is evident from research carried out by the Authority that a number of people are importing these cigarettes personally over the internet and are then selling them to consumers, or even to some retail outlets, on a one-to-one basis. The Technical Regulations Division reminds such economic operators that they are and remain personally responsible for the products they are placing on the market and that they may be liable for legal action should the products not conform to all applicable requirements.

Consumers who wish to report any unsafe product may do so directly on the Authority’s website http://mccaa.org.mt/loadfile/edec0589-219c-40d7-bb1c-f1d697799d8a.

For any further clarifications, one can always contact the Technical Regulations Division of the MCCAA on 2395 2000.

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