Is menthol vape juice banned in the UK?

Recent events in both Europe and the US have created a lot of confusion around flavoured vape juice and caused many people to ask questions – particularly, is menthol vape banned? Thankfully, blu is on hand to explain what rules have changed and what that means for you.

Are menthol vapes banned?

Not in the UK, no. You may have read stories about flavoured vape juice being removed from sale this year – but this applies to the US, not to the UK.

In February, a new US law came into force that effectively banned the sale of all flavoured e-cigarette cartridges in the US, except tobacco and menthol. The law only applies to cartridges, sometimes known as pods, and doesn’t apply to bottles of vape liquid.

Manufacturers can apply to the Food & Drug Administration (FDA), which regulates vaping products in the US, for permission to sell a flavoured vape cartridge. They would have to meet a certain set of standards to do this. But without this authorisation, they are no longer able to sell flavoured vape cartridges other than menthol or tobacco.

What’s the difference between menthol and mint?

An unusual detail of the US legislation is that menthol-flavoured cartridges are allowed while mint-flavoured cartridges are not. So what’s the difference?

When you look at all the mint and menthol flavoured vape juices on the market, it’s not always clear. Generally speaking, menthol is a ‘fresh’ sensation that is technically flavourless. Mint is a specific group of flavours (usually spearmint, peppermint or a combination of the two) that is either extracted directly from the mint plant or reproduced in a lab.

What is the ‘menthol cigarette ban’?

There has also been a ban on menthol cigarettes in Europe, which has potentially led to even more confusion. The new ban does apply to the UK, but as the name suggests, it only covers menthol cigarettes – not menthol vape juices or cartridges.

It will stop manufacturers and retailers from selling any tobacco product with a ‘characterising menthol flavour’, meaning that any ‘filter, paper, package, capsule’ or any other component with a mentholated flavour will no longer be available in the UK.

Unlike in the US, the menthol cigarette ban has no impact on vaping. Flavoured vape juices and cartridges are still available in the UK.

You can read more about the menthol cigarette ban and the reaction to it in our post ‘What do people really think about the menthol cigarette ban?’.

Where can I buy menthol vape juice?

As one of the country’s favourite vape flavours, menthol vape juice and cartridges are still widely available in the UK. We’ve got a range of classic menthol variants to choose from.

For open-system users, there are 4 mint-flavoured blu e-liquids including Polar Mint and Mint Chocolate. For myblu™ users, there are 6 different mint and menthol-flavoured liquidpods to choose from including Intense Menthol, Blue Ice and our new Fresh Menthol.

See the full range of e-liquids and myblu™ liquidpods in the blu store.

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