A government plan to licence all nicotine-containing electronic cigarettes has been delayed amid fears that up to a hundred British businesses could be wiped out by the measure.
The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency, part of the Department of Health, started a consultation on licensing almost three years ago but has yet to make a decision. Since then, thousands more people have taken up the devices as an alternative to smoking tobacco.
However, e-cigarette companies are not legally required to have a licence unless they want to market the product as a smoking cessation device — a medicinal product.
The MHRA said in March 2011 that it would take another 18 months to gather greater evidence on the impact of regulation and the health