According to BBC journalistic investigation, in the liquid for electronic cigarettes company of VIP Electronic Cigarette company, sold in the UK, was revealed the chemical diacetyl. If inhaled diacetyl can provoke a severe respiratory disease – bronchiolitis obliterans. Based on the verification, harmful e-liquid was withdrawn from sale.
The BBC Inside Out journalists checked the quality of e-liquids for electronic cigarettes, gaining in recent years more and more popularity among consumers. Were taken four different e-liquids that you can buy in a regular store. In independent laboratory, where the samples were delivered, experts have found in one of the samples – chemical diacetyl.
Diacetyl is used in the food industry to produce some flavors, for example in the production of margarine and other fat foods. While eating diacetyl is not dangerous, but if it is inhaled, as is case of e-ciagrette smoking, it causes severe respiratory disease – bronchiolitis obliterans. Bronchiolitis leads to respiratory failure, accompanied by weakness, fever, dry cough, intrusive, increasing shortness of breath. There is often a poor prognosis of this disease, as it is usually diagnosed at a late stage. In some cases, patients are appointed to lung transplantation. This disease is also called “popcorn-pulmonary-disease”, because it is often detected in people working in the factories, that produces popcorn. In popcorn production diacetyl is also used as a food additive.
Diacetyl was detected in one of the liquid samples, which was sold in one of the biggest UK market of electronic cigarettes – VIP Electronic Cigarette company, owned by Must Have Ltd. In this case, diacetyl is used to make the flavor of butterscotch candy. When to VIP Electronic Cigarette company became known the test results of the investigation of Inside Out, company’s head of retail sales Lynn White told to BBC, that they found themselves a little earlier the diacetyl in the filling of e-liquids and had to withdraw from the sale a large part of this e-liquids.
Mrs. White expressed the regret that not all liquids for electronic cigarettes which have in their composition diacetyl, was not all withdrawn timely and journalists still had time to buy this e-liquid from the rejected batch. “Due to the fact that the electronic cigarette smokers inhales only a small dose of this component, it was decided that for short-term use it would not harm. But with prolonged use – it may provoke a severe respiratory disease. But we decided not to revoke the product from the market, but simply withdraw it from sale, conform the trade association for electronic cigarette (Ecita) » – she said, adding that this is the first such problem with VIP Electronic Cigarette liquids for the last five years. “We sell millions of bottles of liquid per year. We are very sorry that it happened and now we are investigating the circumstances of this incident “- said Mrs. White.