Supermarkets in the UK are banning a popular vaping product after it was found to exceed maximum nicotine levels.
An investigation found that watermelon flavoured Elf Bar 600s were at least 50 percent over the legal limit for nicotine e-liquid.
Three major supermarkets - Tesco, Sainsbury’s and Morrisons - have now removed the vapes from sale while the manufacturer looks into the claims.
Tesco announced it had "temporarily removed" the product as a "precautionary measure", with Sainsbury's following suit.
Fellow supermarket Morrisons said it was to remove the sale of all the Elf Bar 600 vape products as part of its ongoing investigation.
Asda has not confirmed it will remove the product from sale - however, it is working with the supplier.
In response, the Chinese company apologised and insisted the "highly regrettable situation" did not compromise the product's safety.
As an urgent investigation is launched, here is everything we know so far.
How popular is Elf Bar?
Elf Bar, which launched in 2021, sells around 2.5million disposable 600s in the UK every week, and accounts for two in three of all disposable vapes.
The devices, which cost £5.99 each, come in appealing flavours such as guava and kiwi, watermelon and blueberry ice.
In January last year, online vape platform IndeJuice reported it had seen a 279% increase in its sales of disposable vapes in the final quarter of 2021 compared to the one before.
Vapes including the flavourings of "fruit" and "ice" accounted for 60% of sales.
Why have supermarkets banned the product?
According to UK law, the amount of nicotine liquid in a vape is legally limited to 2ml with a maximum nicotine strength of two percent.
But a test conducted by the Daily Mail on three flavours of Elf Vap 600 products found they had 3ml and 3.2ml of nicotine levels.
Mark Oates, director of consumer advocacy group We Vape, said of the findings: "'Not only are the levels of e-liquid too high but checks to make sure these guidelines are adhered to either haven't occurred or are insufficient.
"Anyone supplying vapes in the UK market should be following the legislation."
The Elf Bar 600 products were bought at Sainsbury's, Tesco and Morrisons branches in London, Derby and Sheffield.
Is the problem being resolved?
Elf Bar is reported to have initially suggested that the products tested may have been fakes.
But it then backtracked on this assumption, later saying: "We found out that some batches of the Elf Bar product have been overfilled in the UK.
"It appears that e-liquid tank sizes, which are standard in other markets [such as the US], have been inadvertently fitted to some of our UK products.
"We wholeheartedly apologise for the inconvenience this has caused."
The company added that it would alert retailers and review its production process.
Is vaping harmful in general?
While vapes are believed to be less harmful than smoking tobacco - which contains tar and carbon monoxide - there are still concerns over the chemicals that vapers are putting into their bodies.
Dr Gareth Nye, a lecturer and researcher at the University of Chester, previously said: "A 2018 study showed that e-cigarette users had concentrations of metals and volatile chemicals (toluene, benzene, and carbon disulfide) comparable with those of cigarette smokers.
“Vaping has caused increases in tooth decay, dental and oral conditions and shows signs of being linked to oral cancers the same way cigarette smoking does.
“Bottom line - inhaling chemicals into the lungs which are not meant to be there leads to a reaction from your immune system which damages the lung tissue."
Most e-cigarettes contain nicotine and are not fully risk-free.
The NHS says: "The liquid and vapour contain some potentially harmful chemicals also found in cigarette smoke."
Will they be banned across UK?
Ministers have been told that disposable vapes should be banned from sale in the UK.
Conservative former health minister Dr Caroline Johnson urged MPs to back her Disposable Electronic Cigarettes (Prohibition of Sale) Bill.
She said prohibiting their sale would prevent children and teenagers from taking up vaping.
The Sleaford and North Hykeham MP said: "By banning the sale of disposable vapes, we will encourage a more sustainable way of utilising e-cigarettes as quitting aids and make vaping less accessible to children, preventing an epidemic of teenage nicotine addicts and protecting our planet."
The Bill will be considered by MPs again on March 24, but will not progress through the Commons without support from the Government.
