April 17 - Tests have shown that some e-cigarettes claimed to be nicotine-free actually contain the same levels of addictive substances as full-strength e-cigarettes, according to a report by the Guardian.

Data shared with the Guardian by Inter Scientific - which provides product analysis tests to check whether they comply with regulations - examined dozens of e-cigarette brands sold in stores across England and Wales.

Super-sized and super-strong e-cigarettes are being sold illegally in stores.

A laboratory analysis of 52 products bought in the UK showed that 73 per cent exceeded the legal 2ml vape can capacity. More than 40 percent of the subjects were filled 5 ml or more.

The analysis also showed that eight devices that claimed to be free of addictive substances did contain some, with many containing nearly 20mg/ml of nicotine - the legal limit in the UK. One e-cigarette contained more than 50 per cent more than the legal limit.

Meanwhile, the government has set up an illegal vaping enforcement team as part of a crackdown on the sale of e-cigarettes to under-18s.

There have long been concerns that e-cigarettes are aimed at children, and the number of teen e-cigarette users is growing.

According to the latest survey by Action on Smoking and Health (Ash), 7% of 11- to 17-year-olds said they used e-cigarettes in 2022, compared with 3.3% in 2021.

This week the government announced plans to get one million smokers to switch from cigarettes to e-cigarettes, despite concerns that teenagers are taking vaping products. Almost one in five smokers in England will be offered an e-cigarette starter kit as part of the government's Smoke-free campaign under new smoking cessation plans.

Pregnant women will also be offered up to £400 to quit, and a consultation will be launched on whether to make it mandatory to place smoking advice in cigarette packets.

Current regulations limit the size of e-cigarette cans to 2 ml and the nicotine concentration to 20 mg/ml. Any e-cigarette with more than these levels is illegal and should not be sold to the public, the regulator said.

Inter Scientific examined dozens of brands sold in stores in Newcastle, Birmingham, Hertfordshire, Staffordshire, Dudley, Liverpool and Wales. This shows that many people are not following the rules.

Inter Scientific is working with Trading Standards to tackle the sale of illegal products flooding high street stores. In the last six months of 2022 alone, more than 1.4 tonnes of illegal e-cigarettes were seized in the North-East of England alone.

David Lawson, CEO of Inter Scientific and a member of the group of regulatory Affairs Professionals, said: We have seen a significant increase in the number of illegal vape products seized under trading standards and sent for analysis. Although the products do not pose an immediate health risk, they are evading UK regulation.

Their product tests showed that Dr Gorilla King Blackcurrant Grape Slush claimed to be nicotine-free, but actually contained 19.7mg/ml of nicotine.

Vape With a Bang Havana Tobacco's 6% single-use device had the highest nicotine content at 29.35mg/ml, well above the level allowed by law.

The Guardian was unable to trace the suppliers of the e-cigarettes for comment.

E-cigarettes must display manufacturer details as well as a list of ingredients and associated health warnings.

None of the e-cigarettes studied by Inter Scientific are listed by the medicines and health products regulator. They should be listed in order to document any hazards associated with them.

The figures show that the MHRA received 40 reports of harmful reactions related to vaping in 2022, up from 24 the previous year.

The government has allocated £3m to crack down on the sale of illegal e-cigarettes. It wants to conduct further test purchases and remove banned products from stores and borders. Under plans to be published this week, the government will also call for evidence to identify opportunities to reduce the number of children accessing and using e-cigarettes.

John Herriman, chief executive of the Chartered Trading Standards Institute, said it continued to be concerned about the large number of illegal and non-compliant e-cigarettes available for sale and would urge manufacturers, importers, distributors and retailers to do more to ensure the products they sell meet all regulations.

A Department of Health and Social Care spokesman said: It is illegal to sell e-cigarettes to children or to e-cigarettes that break our clear rules, and just this week we announced a new 'Illegal E-cigarette Enforcement Team', which has been supported with £3m to take further action.

"The team will have the authority to disrupt illegal supplies, conduct test procurement and testing of products, and will share knowledge and intelligence across the country. We will not tolerate the sale of illegal products and will take the necessary action to remove them from shelves and stop them from crossing our borders."