E-Cigarette Vendors Found Skirting Chinese Online Sales Ban

For years, there has been a ban on the online sale of e-cigarettes, and regulations clearly prohibit the sale of such products to minors. However, a recent investigation by journalists has revealed that although there are no search results for "e-cigarettes" on e-commerce platforms, some vendors are selling e-cigarette products under the guise of names like "electronic sticks" or "vaporization bullets" without requiring any proof of age at the time of purchase.

When one opens the homepage of Taobao and searches for keywords such as "electronic cigarette" or "vaporizer", the prompt reads, "Very sorry, no relevant merchandise found." However, by changing the search terms to "electronic stick vaporizer pellets", one can find over 20 related online stores according to the recommended search results.

The reporter randomly selected a store called "Long Yin Atomizer No. 2" and discovered that it sold "electronic atomizer supplement fluid", which was described as "herbal natural extract" with features such as "multiple flavors" and "mouthfeel". In the classification column, it showed more than 20 flavors such as "popsicles", "ice cola", and "drunk grapes", similar to the fruit-flavored e-cigarette pods sold offline.

The reporter contacted the seller online and inquired whether they only sell e-liquid. The seller replied saying "we have everything" and sent a screenshot displaying the message "we have all the products you need. If Taobao does not reply, please contact us through WeChat.

After adding the seller's WeChat account, the journalist quickly received a product introduction that included over 30 flavors of e-liquid, vaping devices, and a video tutorial on how to fill the pods. The journalist purchased a package worth 188 yuan, which included a vaping device, three empty pods, and four bottles of e-liquid. Payment was made through a Taobao link provided by the seller. Throughout the process, the seller did not inquire about the buyer's age or any other personal information, but only asked about their preferred flavor and shipping address.

After receiving the product, the journalist noticed that the seller had sent a set of products called "Cambrian", which had the words "Guardian Action" and "Not for use by minors" printed on both the cigarette holder and the pod packaging. The packaging for the cigarette holder also indicated that "This product contains no nicotine and is for entertainment purposes only!

However, the journalist saw that on the label of the cigarette butt bottle received, its ingredients were listed as propylene glycol, vegetable glycerin, food flavorings, and nicotine salts. The bottle information also showed that the capacity of one bottle of e-liquid was 30 milliliters, with a nicotine salt content of 40 milligrams.

As early as 2019, the Chinese government issued a notice titled "Further Protection of Minors from Electronic Cigarettes". The "online sales ban" of electronic cigarettes was consequently implemented. The notice also urged electronic cigarette producers, sellers, and individuals to promptly close their websites or platforms for electronic cigarette sales, and electronic commerce platforms to take down electronic cigarette products and close respective stores. Additionally, the notice urged electronic cigarette producers, sellers, and individuals to withdraw electronic cigarette advertisements posted online.

In addition to the Taobao platform, the journalist also observed that many individual WeChat accounts continue to post e-cigarette and related product sales information on their "moments" feed.

On the afternoon of the 7th, a journalist reported on a phenomenon of prohibited goods being sold on Taobao through the customer service department and asked if there were corresponding regulatory measures in place. The customer service representative responded that Taobao/Tmall does not allow the sale of prohibited goods and that they would strictly crack down on such violations and impose penalties in accordance with the rules once discovered. The staff member also stated that users could report such incidents through the Taobao app's safety center and that the website would conduct a serious investigation upon receiving a report.

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