MHRA has decided to ban e-cigarettes

Wednesday, 12 June 2013 13:42

 MHRA has decided to ban e-cigarettes

(similar to being regulated as medications)



In a controversial press release, the MHRA has decided that all nicotine-containing products will be regulated as medicinal products. The decision has been made with the following “scientific” explanation: “The quality of NCPs can vary considerably which is why licensing them as medicines will allow people to have the confidence that they are safe, are of the right quality and work.”

The MHRA has decided to ignore common sense, laws and decisions dictating what a medicinal product really is, and scientific research on e-cigarettes. Although they admit that smoking kills and that nicotine does not cause harm, they are deciding to limit the availability of e-cigarettes, increase their cost and reduce the choices of users. It is unprecedented that a device consisting of a battery and a resistance will be regulated as a medicinal product. It is highly dangerous thinking, opening new ground in the field of medicinal regulation. Consider for example that meat products are not all of the same quality (so, should they be regulated as medicinal products?), vegetables are not of the same quality (another medicinal product?) and the list goes on endlessly. Every food product should be regulated as medication. And what about water? Can you just use “consumer safety” as an excuse to regulate everything as medicinal?

Interestingly, they do NOT mention anything about regulating the most dangerous nicotine-containing product, tobacco cigarettes as a medicinal product. And it would be interesting to see how the judges in courts will be convinced that nicotine is considered a medication only in e-cigarettes and not in tobacco (they have tried to do the same in 3 countries in Europe, and everywhere they failed!).


It should be mentioned that, currently, only one company has asked for licensing of e-cigarette as a medicinal product. It is a UK company, owned by a tobacco company. Coincidence? Maybe….

I am sure and confident that the courts will decide otherwise. MHRA decision has no scientific basis, cannot be realistically implemented (e-cigarettes are technology products and they are evolving so fast that no medicinal regulation can cope with that) and is based on an obvious misunderstanding of the law of what is considered a medicinal product. Here is another rule of regulation based on gossip and not science, once again having a negative impact on consumers’ health. This is sad…