If you're new to vaping, or have been vaping for a while, the TPD is something we're sure you've heard about. These EU vaping laws were battled throughout the implementation, with the term TPD now being part of our vocabulary and can be seen not only across Royal Flush Vape but across the vaping scene throughout the UK.
If you're new to vaping this may all seem overwhelming, or if you have a basic understanding then this blog will outline and explain in depth what TPD is and how it affects you, alongside pointing out important things you should know about regarding the law.
What is TPD?
In short, TPD stands for Tobacco Products Directive. Although this was originally created to control the tobacco industry, the directive now also deals with the regulation of electronic cigarettes. The specific regulations regarding vaping can be found within article 20 of the TPD if you want to read a bit more after this, although this blog should cover most of what you'll ever need to know!...
Why was TPD created within vaping?
Although people will argue that TPD has negatively affected them by decreasing choice and created additional hindrances, it's very important to note that TPD has significantly improved the safety for you and the vaping community. The Tobacco Products Directive was enrolled for the following reasons:
- To protect children from nicotine products
- Protect customers by creating enforceable standards regarding quality and safety of all e-liquids and devices
- Protect customers via the requirement of manufacturers and retailers to provide useful packaging and information
Therefore it's vital to ensure that you purchase your products from a reputable business that follows TPD regulations. This is for your own health and safety, as the sort of business which deliberately flouts the law and continues to sell illegal tanks and e-liquid, is also the same sort of seller who probably doesn't care about your safety or the quality of their products.
How does TPD affect you?
You may already be aware of the effects of TPD, especially if you currently shop with us as we ensure all our eliquids, vape kits and accessories are completely TPD compliant. Below we explain the main affects on TPD in regards to you, the customer...
Limit on E-Liquid
The maximum size for any e-liquid bottle containing nicotine is now 10ml. Anything larger than this with nicotine already including breaks TPD compliance and the sale of this is against the law.
However, nicotine free e-liquid can be sold at any amount, which led onto the introduction of shortfill e-liquids. This is where what was normally a 60ml bottle of e-liquid now comes with 50ml so you the customer can add a nicotine shot yourself to bring up the nicotine level to your liking.
Limit on Nicotine Strength
Alongside the limit on the amount of e-liquid you can purchase, there are also limits on the nicotine levels you may purchase. You have possibly already noticed that the highest nicotine strength e-liquids you can buy from TPD complaint vape stores is 2% or 20mg/ml.
Although this hasn't really affected short fill e-liquids, or hindered 10ml e-liquids too much, the biggest notice where this has negatively impacted customers is in relation to nic salt e-liquids.
With this being said, there have been huge advancements with vaping technology, especially with pod kits which are designed to extract the most efficient amount of nicotine from the e-liquid to provide a more satisfying hit alongside great flavour.
Limit on Pods & Tanks
One of the most noticeable and frustrating affects which TPD has had on a wide range of customers is the 2ml limit on all replacement pods and tanks. Most frustratingly for cloud chasers, the limit on tank size now means that you will have to re-fill more frequently, especially with new advancement in coils, such as with mesh coils and other sub ohm coils.
Can you still purchase bigger pods & tanks?
As highlighted earlier, if a store supplies you with anything that is not TPD complaint they are breaking the law. In addition if they are not bothered in providing you with non TPD compliant vaping supplies, then they are less likely to care about the quality or health of their customers.
Most companies who flout the laws and regulations on TPD often source their product from the black market. This is why we never sell anything that isn't TPD complaint as we completely care about you and all of our customers and only want to bring you the best e-liquids and accessories available on the market!
Additional Packaging
The most visible thing you may have noticed since the introduction of the Tobacco Products Directive is with the extra packaging for all vaping supplies. E-liquids are required to come with warning labels. This is one reason why you have seen an increase of 10ml e-liquids being placed in boxes as they create additional room to print warnings required.
How do you know if your pod/tank is TPD complaint?
In order for your pod kit or tank to be TPD complaint it must follow these guidelines:
- Maximum 2ml e-liquid capacity
- Must have an ECID and be registered on the MHRA website
- Comes with a warning label stating: "This product contains nicotine which is a highly addictive substance"
Although quite obviously the previous statement may be incorrect, Trading Standards provide a second warning that corrects the first statement where applicable, stating that: "The following warning applies when the product is used with e-liquids containing nicotine."
Regarding the atomiser on your tank, these will also have had to undergo emissions testing, however the only way to check on this would be to search for the atomiser on the MHRA site. If your product follows the above guidelines, then you can rest assured that it is TPD complaint. If it's not and you recently bought it, the seller is most likely breaking the law!
How do you know if your e-liquid is TPD complaint?
The guidelines for compliance regarding e-liquids is a little more lengthy than pod kits or tanks. In order for your e-liquid to be TPD compliant, it must follow the following guidelines:
- In a bottle no larger that 10ml (if the liquid contains nicotine)
- Comes with warning leaflet or print
- Must be registered on the MHRA website alongside having a European Community Identification Number (ECID)
- Come with warning label that states: "This product contains nicotine which is a highly addictive substance"
As highlighted, there are numerous areas to ensure that your e-liquid is complaint. Once again if you have purchased any e-liquids that don't follow the above guidelines then the seller is most likely breaking the law. If this is the case, the seller is also distributing e-liquids which could not only be harmful to your device but your health in general.
We strongly recommend you only purchase from stores that ensure they follow TPD compliance throughout such as ourselves!
Conclusion
Overall it's clear that although TPD has limited the use of vaping products and e-liquids, it has also generated a safer and more even playing field which in turn ensures your e-liquid and devices are safer and a lot less harmful due to 'cowboy' manufacturers now struggling to sell their e-liquids.
Although you may purchase non TPD complaint from stores elsewhere, we would strongly recommend that you don't. Not only is the sale of products that break TPD compliance illegal, the sellers of these products are a lot less likely to care about your health or safety and mostly in the industry to make money.
We hope this blog has highlighted TPD in more depth and supplied you with adequate knowledge of the regulation.
If you have any concerns or questions relating TPD, or got a burning statement? Let us know in the comments below, we'd love to hear your thoughts!
But for now, as always; Stay safe and speak to you soon,
The Royal Flush Team!
Disclaimer: The content on www.royalflushvape.co.uk offers general insights about vaping and vape related products. Please be aware that this information is not meant to be a substitute for medical advice and should only be relied upon when explicitly referenced. We make no guarantees regarding the accuracy, reliability, or health-related advantages of the content displayed across all pages of our website, including blog posts, product pages and social media content.
