Tougher restrictions required to stop online selling of e-cigarettes

DESPITE THE AUTHORITIES ISSUING a statement that all websites and apps selling e-cigarettes should be shut down and all online marketing campaigns halted, e-cigarettes are still being sold and advertized on the major domestic e-commerce platforms. China Daily writer Wang Yiqing comments:

On Nov 1, the State Administration for Market Regulation and the State Tobacco Monopoly Administration jointly issued a document aimed at strengthening the management of e-cigarettes to better protect minors.

The document called for e-cigarette producers to shut down their internet sales channels and withdraw online advertisements for e-cigarettes. The e-commerce platforms were urged to stop selling e-cigarettes online due to the high health risks posed by e-cigarettes and the vulnerability of minors.

While several e-cigarette producers quickly responded to the document and expressed their support, the major e-commerce platforms, including Taobao, T-mall, JD.com and Pinduoduo, have failed to respond and e-cigarettes can still be easily purchased on these e-commerce platforms. Some e-cigarette brands are even being used in their promotions for the Singles Day annual sales bonanza on Nov 11. In addition, these e-commerce platforms had no response to the media asking why they haven't implemented the ban on the online selling of e-cigarettes.

The reason that the e-cigarettes online sales ban has failed to be effective is because the document only "calls for" the producers to put a stop to their online selling, and it gives no specific deadline for stopping the sale of e-cigarettes online. And with e-commerce platforms being only "urged" to stop selling e-cigarettes, those e-commerce platforms without a sense of social responsibility have chosen to sell e-cigarettes as long as possible before a strict legislative ban is introduced.

On the other hand, many online retailers have taken advantage of the unclear definition of e-cigarettes to continue selling them. As an e-cigarette consists of cartomizer and e-cigarette atomizer, some retailers sell ecigarette atomizers claiming what they are selling are only digital products.

National standards should clearly define e-cigarettes and stricter regulations on e-cigarettes should be introduced at the earliest date to curb their online sale.