As the law stands in the UK, no new tobacco products can be introduced into the market. The only products containing nicotine that are allowed are those classed and licensed as medicinal products.

Unfortunately, this leads to the ironic situation where the most dangerous nictotine products available are the least regulated, and the safest ones the most regulated. Medicinal regulation, while essential to protect the public at large, is a hugely time-consuming enterprise; from invention to licensing, a new medical product can take many years in development.

At the moment, the only way e-cigarettes could make it to the UK market for general sale would be via the medical licensing route.
it is highly doubtful they could be sold as a smoking alternative, since this would probably fall outside the remit of a medical device. More likely, it would have to be sold as NRT, in the same way as current NRT products.

In fact, a rather large publication from the MHRA (Medicine and Health product Regulatory Agency) states they had received a complaint (anonymous of course) about the electronic cigarette. They now require samples, advertising literature and a whole kit caboodle of stuff to consider the case.

But after introducing the electronic cigarette to the web site http://www.ecigchina.com a couple of months ago, Nothing is heard but praise from customers. They commented how this product has helped them cut down or quit smoking. It warms the heart to think you are selling something that is doing people good.

could this be the beginning of the end for the electronic cigarette in the UK?