E-cigarettes guidance published

16 July 2015

BSI, the business standards company, has collaborated with the Electronic Cigarette Industry Trade Association (ECITA) to develop PAS 54115 Vaping products, including electronic cigarettes, e-liquids, e-shisha and directly-related products – Manufacture, importation, testing and labelling – Guide. 

It is reported that up to 40,000 people a day, representing a worldwide $3Bn market, are switching from tobacco to some form of personal vapour inhaler. These come in the form of electronic cigarettes (e-cigarettes) and vaping products (VP). 

Consequently, the chance of unlicensed or rogue products being sold to the general public or children could accelerate. It is therefore essential to provide guidance on manufacturing, importing and marketing practices of vaping products. This will help to highlight the importance of safety and quality for consumers who wish to have access to VP.

Anne Hayes, Head of Market Development for Governance & Risk at BSI, said: “Vaping is fast becoming the alternative to the harmful practice of smoking. Therefore any vaping product which is a substitute to smoking and works by being ingested, has to be safe. It is essential that guidance such as PAS 54115 exists to establish this. It not only provides reassurance to regulators, it ensures that product safety and quality is maintained across batches and can be reliably demonstrated with documentary evidence.”

PAS 54115 gives guidance on:

  • The manufacture, importation, labelling, marketing and sale of vaping products (VP) including electronic cigarettes, e-shisha, DIY e-liquid mixing kits, and directly related products
  • Purity of e-liquid ingredients in manufacture, contaminants arising from device materials and potential emissions from device operation, electrical safety, and metals and carbonyls in emissions
  • Test solution liquid and an outline for the toxicological and chemical analysis of emissions
  • The safety of batteries and chargers

The guidance refers to existing equipment and manufacturing standards already in place which are relevant to this sector. It is applicable to producers and distributors of vaping products in the UK, and forms a guide for commercial operations in this sector.  It is also beneficial guidance for laboratories and testing houses engaged in, or planning to be engaged in, the testing of vaping products.

PAS 54115 does not cover:

  • Vaping products which are licensed as medicinal products or medical devices
  • “Heat not burn” or other tobacco products*
  • Wireless communication features which may be built in to vaping devices• Products which can be used in or as vaping products, but which are sold for other purposes, e.g. food flavourings sold in supermarkets

The guidance was developed using a consensus-based collaborative approach with expertise from such organizations as: E-Cigarette Consumer Association UK (ECCA), Knowledge Action Change (KAChange), New Nicotine Alliance, Nicoventures, Totally Wicked Ltd. and Trading Standards Institute.

- ENDS-

Notes to editors

- *Heat not burn products contain actual tobacco (while all the products talked about in PAS 54115 contain liquid nicotine instead)