Crackdown on illegal vapes sold to children

On May 30th, British media outlet LBC published an article titled "Crackdown on illegal vapes after LBC exposed scandal of nicotine-filled e-cigs sold with no age checks." The article stated that LBC's investigation found multiple products on Amazon's platform that were advertised as nicotine-free, but were found to contain nicotine. The products implicated in this investigation were Blue Razz Ice Lost Mary BM3500 and Fizzy Cherry ENE Legend.

2FIRSTS interviewed Lost Mary regarding this incident, and their spokesperson stated that Lost Mary strictly manages its distribution channels in different regions. Lost Mary BM3500 is not sold in the UK market. The spokesperson emphasized that official dealers who cooperate with Lost Mary must comply with their dealer guidelines and local regulations.

The head of Lost Mary stated that counterfeits and knockoffs are unfortunately common. They have vowed to take all necessary measures to combat fake electronic cigarettes, including utilizing advanced technology, cooperating with authorities, and establishing a database with intelligence on counterfeit products. Lost Mary products have custom security codes and customers can verify the authenticity of their product on the official website. Additionally, Lost Mary has worked with authorities to shut down numerous counterfeit factories and will continue to have a zero-tolerance policy towards illegal distribution and counterfeit products.

The full translation of《Crackdown on illegal vapes after LBC exposed scandal of nicotine filled e-cigs sold with no age checks》is as follows: There will be stricter enforcement against illegal vaping after LBC exposed a scandal in which nicotine-filled e-cigarettes were sold without any age verification.

The UK Prime Minister has promised to close a loophole that allows retailers to provide free e-cigarette samples to children in England, amid growing concerns about the increasing number of children developing smoking habits.

The government is launching an investigation to ban retailers from selling "nicotine-free" e-cigarettes to those under the age of 18. The government stated that this will ensure that regulations in the UK remain in line with the use of e-cigarettes.

Earlier, last week, LBC reported that retailers were falsely advertising illegal electronic cigarettes as nicotine-free to evade online sales regulations and in some cases were not carrying out age verification.

Fraser Knight, a reporter for LBC, purchased two electronic cigarettes on Amazon which raised suspicions because customer reviews implied that they actually contained nicotine.

These products were delivered within a few days and no age verification was done. The product description of Blue Razz Ice Lost Mary BM3500 clearly states that it is a "nicotine-free electronic cigarette".

Laboratory tests have confirmed that it contains a highly addictive drug in the same quantity as approximately 280 cigarettes.

The device is a large capacity electronic cigarette, which is illegal for sale in the UK.

Prime Minister Rikh Sukhnaik expressed deep concerns over the significant increase in children smoking and was shocked by reports of illegal e-cigarettes containing lead being found in the hands of students, as he announced new measures to combat the issue on Tuesday.

Our newly established illegal e-cigarette enforcement team will receive support of £3 million, but there is clearly more work to be done. That is why today, I will take further action to crack down on companies illegally targeting our children with these products.

The promotion and illegal sale of e-cigarettes to children is completely unacceptable, and I will do everything in my power to put an end to this practice.

While using e-cigarettes may be an effective tool for smokers trying to quit, non-smokers should not be encouraged to start using them.

The number of children using electronic cigarettes has seen a particularly worrying increase, with companies clearly marketing these products towards children through their colorful, flavored and cheap disposable options.

Closing the loophole that allows companies to provide free electronic cigarette samples to individuals under 18 years old is a popular measure to address some of the harms associated with the e-cigarette industry.

We should continue to encourage smokers to switch to using electronic cigarettes as it is a relatively lower-risk alternative, while also preventing the marketing and sales of e-cigarettes to children.

Health Minister Neil O'Brien stated that marketing electronic cigarettes to children is a shameful practice that is leading to an increasing number of people trying e-cigarettes.

We have increased our efforts to prevent children from becoming addicted to e-cigarettes, including taking measures to crack down on companies providing free e-cigarette samples to those under 18, and for the first time incorporating education on the health risks of e-cigarettes into the curriculum.

We will also review the regulations for imposing fines on stores that illegally sell electronic cigarettes to minors and investigate the possibility of banning the sale of nicotine-free electronic cigarettes to those under the age of 18 because we know this could become a gateway to using nicotine products.

In addition, our newly established "Illegal E-cigarette Enforcement Team" will crack down on online stores selling e-cigarettes illegally to individuals under the age of 18.

This is based on the action announced last month to protect children's health and address the issue of underage vaping, while also maximizing the potential of e-cigarettes to help adult smokers quit.

An investigation by LBC has revealed that another e-cigarette brand, Fizzy Cherry ENE Legend, which boasts 3500 flavors, has been found to be illegal due to its nicotine content.

Jan Rieg, the general manager of ADACt Medical Company in Doncaster, stated to LBC that the results have raised a significant issue when compared to the publicity of the equipment.

She stated, "These products claim to be nicotine-free, but we have found that they actually contain nicotine. This is highly inaccurate and poses a significant problem.

I believe that online retailers should understand their actions when listing these products. They should obtain all necessary information to ensure that the products they sell are legal, of high quality, and safe, and that they serve the interests of consumers.

Amazon has a policy that prohibits the sale of nicotine products and has stated that it will investigate in response to LBC's discovery.

A spokesperson stated, "We have temporarily removed these two third-party products pending further investigation. Third-party sellers are independent businesses and must comply with all applicable laws, regulations, and Amazon policies when selling goods in our store.

We have taken proactive measures to prevent the listing and sale of prohibited products. We continuously monitor our stores and take action against any violations of our policies.

Dan Marchant, co-owner of Vape Club, has expressed his belief that it is difficult for websites like Amazon to monitor the sales of products by third-party sellers.

He said, "I have always suggested that Amazon could take a similar approach to that of knives and blades, only allowing sales through the 'fulfilled by Amazon' method, which means they are stored in their own warehouses.

This means that they are also responsible for delivery, therefore age verification can be requested.

In early May of this year, a survey conducted by the UK anti-smoking organization Action on Smoking and Health (ASH) revealed that the proportion of children who have attempted to use e-cigarettes has increased by 50% in the past year.

The proportion of individuals between the ages of 11 and 17 who have tried using e-cigarettes has increased from 7.7% last year to 11.6% this year.

Meanwhile, the Netherlands announced this month that it will prohibit the online sale of all electronic cigarettes that contain or do not contain nicotine starting in July.

A spokesperson for Lost Mary stated that the company closely monitors its distribution channels in various regions. Lost Mary does not sell the BM3500 model in the UK market, and has a zero-tolerance policy towards illegal distribution in unauthorized areas.

The manufacturer of Fizzy Cherry ENE Legend has also been approached for comment.

References:

Authorities intensify efforts to combat the sale of unlawful vaping products following the revelation by LBC of the trade of nicotine-infused e-cigarettes without verifying the age of buyers.