According to a report by Naver on July 15, Park Sung-hoon, a member of South Korea's ruling party, the People Power Party, announced on July 15 that he had submitted an amendment to the Tobacco Business Act to the National Assembly, aiming to include nicotine liquid in the definition of tobacco to fill the regulatory gap in current law. Currently, nicotine liquid, due to its synthetic nicotine produced by chemical synthesis methods, is not considered a traditional tobacco product and thereby avoids relevant sales restrictions.
Park Seong-hun pointed out that under current laws, nicotine liquid is not subject to tobacco-related taxes and regulations, nor is it required to have health warnings on its packaging. Additionally, the sale and promotion of these products online are not restricted, and sales points near schools are not prohibited, posing a risk of selling to minors.
Park Seong-hoon emphasized that although discussions on regulating new tobacco products are still ongoing, concerns about tax losses and social controversies, especially regarding youth smoking issues, have attracted widespread attention. He added, "The amendment aims to reduce the youth e-cigarette usage rate and minimize the negative impact of e-cigarettes around schools. We will strive to promote the swift passage of this bill.
The Korean Ministry of Planning and Finance has stated that they will decide whether to include synthetic nicotine e-cigarettes in the scope of regulation under the Tobacco Business Act after completing relevant research with the Ministry of Health and Welfare and the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety. The study is expected to be completed in December, during which the potential health hazards of synthetic nicotine liquid on the human body will be evaluated.
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