Government plans on licensing electronic cigarettes have been delayed even further amid fears for the future of the embryonic industry in Britain.
The Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency began a consultation in February 2010, but it said in March 2011 that it would take another 18 months to gather greater evidence on the health risks and the consequences of regulation. The Government had expected to announce plans on regulating e-cigarettes this spring, but it is no longer in a position to meet the deadline.
A survey last year by the anti-smoking charity Action on Smoking and Health estimated that 650,000 people used e-cigarettes, with two million British smokers having tried them. Companies are not required to have a licence unless they market the product