With an explosion in growth of e-cigarettes and nicotine containing products within the vaping industry, the potential for ingestion and exposure to toddlers and young children has naturally increased.
Producers are therefore under a duty of care and are in fact required to design them in a child resistant manner as per the European Tobacco Products Directive 2014/40/EU (TPD) before they are placed on to the open market. Within the US the Child Nicotine Poi-son Prevention Act is the relevant legislation, and the standard in place for testing is US 16 CFR 1700.20
Did you know?
Your products may already be in compliance with the child resistance requirements stipulated within the TPD. To demonstrate this, child resistant testing is required to prove you are compliant.
If your product is in development, we can also provide you with guidance and feedback to ultimately help it achieve a pass of the relevant child resistance testing again to prove compliance in line with the TPD. We can help you through the testing process every step of the way to achieve a positive result and a report to show that child resistance has been achieved.
There are often some potentially small modifications that can be undertaken to help achieve compliance if your product needs an extra helping hand to fulfil the requirements, which we can provide you advice and guidance with.
EU-Directive
“Electronic cigarettes and refill containers could create a health risk when in the hands of children.Therefore, it is necessary to ensurethat such products are child- and tamperproof, including by means of child-proof labelling, fastenings and opening mechanisms.” TPD (40) *
“Member States shall ensure that electronic cigarettes and refill con-tainers are child- and tamper-proof, are protected against breakage and leakage and have a mechanism that ensures refilling without leakage.” TPD Article 20, 3. (g)*
*DIRECTIVE 2014/40/EU OF THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND OF THE COUNCIL
Statistics
Between 2013–2015 the number of children under 6 poisoned by nicotine in e-cigarettes rose by nearly 1500 %.
Over 90 % of the children drank the nicotine liquid that is contained inside the e-cigarettes. Just under half of the children exposed were under the age of 2.
PEDIATRICS.AAPPUBLICATIONS.ORG
Options to prove child resistant requirements
There are a number of standards that can be used to test your product to show that child resistance has been achieved!
ISO 8317
Tests and certifies re-closable packages. Examples of this would be the typical 10ml bottle and closure system. Manufactures/suppliers are required to have their products tested and certified according this standard and should be able to supply a certificate and report to demonstrate this.
EN 862
This standard tests non-pharmaceutical non-re-closable packages. This standard is currently widely in use for testing many types of e-cigarette devices, blisters, refill capsules, pouches, and boxes using a variety of materials.
US 16 CFR 1700.20
This standard is used for products for the US market place. It is relevant for products that are re-closable and non-re-closable.
As a research institute we have been working towards better standards of child-resistance since 1975. ivm childsafe is one of the few institutes in Europe accredited according to ISO/IEC 17025 as a testing laboratory for child-resistance. We are also the only accredited certification body for child-resistant packaging in Europe in accordance with ISO/IEC 17065. We are proud to be recognised by the US Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) and the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) as a testing body.
We work with some of the biggest players within the e-cigarette and pharmaceutical companies on the planet, which we are immensely proud of and excited about that, and we can work with you too!
