Chinese vaping giant Elf Bar accused of skirting the law with powerful new device – which has the power of 240 cigarettes and costs £12.99
- Elf Bar is accused of circumventing British nicotine laws
- The new AF5000 vape contains the maximum amount of liquid nicotine
- But it has a snap-on reservoir that can push it over the legal limit
Chinese vaping giant Elf Bar has been accused of skirting British law with a £12.99 device that has the power of 240 cigarettes.
The AF5000 is advertised as being pre-filled with 2ml of liquid nicotine – the legal maximum for a disposable e-cigarette.
But it also has a click-on 10ml ‘reservoir’, bringing the total to 12ml, allowing 5,000 ‘puffs of immense satisfaction’ from a single device.
The EU has warned member states about the ‘dangerous’ device, which will likely lead to a European ban.
There are also calls for it to be removed from British shelves, for fear it could fall into the hands of vulnerable young people.
Last year some supermarkets stopped selling Elf Bar products after a Mail investigation found they were significantly stronger than advertised (File Image)
The AF5000 is advertised as being pre-filled with 2ml of liquid nicotine – the legal maximum for a disposable e-cigarette
Chinese vaping giant Elf Bar accused of circumventing UK law (File image)
Steve Brine, former chairman of the House of Commons health committee, said: “This cynical move will not surprise anyone. These companies will always find a way to protect their profits. That is why the law must stay a few steps ahead of them.’
Former Tory MP Caroline Johnson, a pediatric consultant, said: ‘This is a clear sign that the industry will do everything it can to circumvent the law so that more people can become addicted to nicotine products.
‘These new devices are clearly not intended to help people quit smoking, but as an alternative source of addiction to generate income.’
Last night, Elf Bar insisted that the AF5000 complied with the law and said it was investigating the EU warning.
A spokesperson said: ‘We take product compliance across all global markets seriously and are following the necessary steps to meet relevant criteria.’
The MHRA, which is responsible for enforcing vaping regulations, was contacted.
Last year some supermarkets stopped selling Elf Bar products after a Mail investigation found they were significantly stronger than advertised.