FAQ

The TPD is a piece of European Legislation which was transposed into UK law on the 20th of May 2016. The TPD sets down various rules and regulations on the manufacturing and distribution of E-Liquid and E-Cigarettes. The TPD governs the sale of all Tobacco products but specifically Article 20 of the TPD is pertinent to the vaping industry.

The TPD sets down various rules which affect E-liquid manufacturers, and therefore our customers. The most important points are;

• 1. Sale of E-liquid bottles greater than 10ml in volume is prohibited
• 2. Nicotine content may not exceed 20mg/ml (For practical reasons this likely means many manufacturers will not produce E-liquid over concentrations of 18mg/ml, to account for small margins of error).
• 3. Tank sizes may not exceed 2ml in volume.
• 4. Liquids must go through analytical testing for E-liquid emissions.

These tests look at the chemical composition of our liquids, their emissions in their vaporised form, and toxicological analysis of the ingredients. Once these tests are complete - "Submissions" are ready to go. Once we have our complete dataset this forms a technical dossier on each of our products which is submitted to the European government and the UK Medical and Healthcare Regulatory Authority (MHRA). Any liquid which is "TPD ready/compliant" must successfully go through this process

The TPD has gathered a great deal of controversy and criticism, which in the eyes on many people are totally justifiable. At Celtic Vapours we welcome the regulation, especially #4 as listed above as this will help to further legitimise our industry and ensure that we and our competitors are taking the safety of our customers very seriously

Celtic Vapours is currently in the process of becoming "TPD Compliant".

We have 30 flavours in the road to becoming TPD compliant. The range will likely grow very soon but we are preparing our initial compliant range. We are having a full battery of chemcial analyses carried out on our liquids and will be submitting our technical documents to the European Government and the MHRA before November of 2016. These tests are being carried out by independent companies who have extensive experience of regulatory affairs for the pharmaceutical industry, Phd Chemists, and Toxicologists.

We are striving to be fully compliant before the final compliance date for manufacturers - November the 20th 2016. We are taking this opportunity to ensure that we are making the best possible E-liquids, and making sure that we bring the flavours you love into the future of vaping in the UK

Using E-cigarettes or "Vaping" does not rely on the combustion of plant material. Tobacco leaves, like any plant, are hugely complex at the biochemical level and the combustion of these leaves emits many chemicals which are extremely toxic. This coupled with the addictive characteristics of Nicotine creates a very dangerous habit which consistently exposes the users to carcinogens. Vaping relies on heating a liquid to temperatures where an aerosol is formed - which is critically different from smoke.

E-liquid is composed of four principal ingredients:

• 1. Nicotine; Vaping has been shown to be a hugely effective form of Nicotine replacement, which appears to be much more effective than conventional Nicotine Replacement Therapy (NRT). The use of Nicotine in E-cigarettes is critical in helping smokers to stop using conventional tobacco cigarettes and satisfy their cravings.
• 2. Propylene Glycol (PG); This ingredient is used in a huge range of applications across many industries. PG is colourless, odorless and has a very slightly sweet taste It is very likely you have seen PG at your most recent visit to a music concert - it is used to make stage smoke. A small group of people exhibit allergies to PG - people who suffer from these allergies are encouraged to look at our Gold Range, which are low PG liquids.
• 3. Vegetable Glycerin (VG); VG is a thick, viscous liquid, which creates much larger and thicker plumes of smoke when used in an E-cigarette. VG often lends a sweeter flavour.
• 4. Flavourings; These are the component of E-liquid which tend to be more complex, some flavours use just one or two ingredients to create a distinct flavour, whilst others use several different ingredients to create multi-layered and sophisticated flavours.

This is a question which has sparked huge debates across the scientific community, and is one of the issues the TPD attempts to address. Recently, Public Health England (PHE) issued a report which stated that "E-cigarettes are 95% safer than smoking". There is no definitive answer to this question, but it certainly appears that the consensus amongst the international scientific community is that vaping represents a huge reduction in risk compared to smoking conventional tobacco cigarettes, and is the most effective method available to quit smoking yet.

Here are some links you may find useful:

• E-cigarettes: an evidence update
• E-cigarettes: an emerging public health consensus
• MAKE E-CIGARETTES AVAILABLE ON NHS, SAY GOVERNMENT HEALTH OFFICIALS
• E-cigarette users say vaping makes them feel better and stop smelling of smoke