The Safety of E-cigarettes
Over 1 million smokers in the UK have switched to using e-cigarettes and the market is continuing to grow. Still little is known about any long term health risks and exposure to e-cigarettes for non smokers. Latest statistics have also shown that there has now been more than 60 fire related incidents so far this year from the use of e-cigarettes, of which most have been mainly caused by the charging process.
Fires have occurred when consumers have used incompatible chargers or when users have been charging e-cigarettes for a long period of time. The incompatible chargers cannot regulate and control power in the correct way causing too much current to enter the battery, which in turn will cause it to overheat and in some incidences explode.
Steps you can take to ensure you are protected when charging your e-cigarette
- Follow the instructions by the manufacturer carefully
- Take notice of any warnings supplied with the product
- DO NOT leave e-cigarettes plugged in overnight or when you are out of the house
- Look for the ‘CE’ mark, which indicates chargers comply with European safety standards
- DO NOT overload plug sockets
- Check that your electrical products have not been recalled
- Avoid buying counterfeit or substandard goods
- Switch off appliances at the socket when not in use
For further information visit www.gov.uk