Scottish Green MSP calls for third-party testing of vaping devices instead of self-certification by

A Scottish Green Party MSP has called for laboratory testing of disposable vaping devices to be made mandatory.

Gillian Mackay is leading a campaign to ban disposable vaping devices, an issue now being considered by both the UK and Scottish governments.

These products often end up in the hands of children, and government data shows that as many as 22% of under-18s in Scotland have tried them.
She said laboratory testing of these vaping devices should be compulsory, bringing an end to the system in which manufacturers are effectively “marking their own homework.”

In addition to reducing the harm caused by legal vaping products, the MSP claims the proposal would also affect the number of counterfeit vaping devices being sold.

“The risks posed to users by untrustworthy suppliers are too great to leave to chance, so we urgently need to address the absurd situation in which manufacturers inspect their own vaping devices,” she said.
“I am calling for a UK-wide scheme under which testing is carried out by independent, accredited laboratories, to tackle harmful chemicals and poor construction that can endanger people of all ages.”

“There is currently nowhere near enough impartial scrutiny, and while a potential ban is being considered, immediate precautionary measures must be taken, including a licensing system for importers to address this issue.”