According to The Korea Times on November 27th, the South Korean government and lawmakers are working to pass legislation to categorize synthetic nicotine e-cigarettes as "tobacco products" in order to curb their use.
According to the ruling party National Power Party lawmaker Park Seung-hun on Wednesday (27th), he stated that a report obtained from the Ministry of Health shows that synthetic nicotine may have various effects on the health of users.
Based on these results, the government is seeking to expand the legal definition of tobacco in order to regulate synthetic nicotine e-cigarettes. A study has shown that the addictive properties of this substance are comparable to heroin or cocaine. Currently, South Korea's tobacco law narrowly defines tobacco products as those made from tobacco plant leaves. Therefore, some companies are researching synthetic nicotine products.
Previously, British American Tobacco (BAT) launched a synthetic nicotine e-cigarette called "NOMAD SYNC 5000." If the current laws remain unchanged, this product will not be considered a "tobacco product" subject to multiple taxes and special fees.
In recent months, the South Korean parliament has proposed over a dozen bills to address legal loopholes, with legislative negotiations expected to make progress in the coming weeks and months.
This latest bill was proposed by South Korean lawmakers Kim Jinyoung and 10 other members of the main opposition party, the Democratic Party, on Tuesday (26th). It aims to redefine tobacco products and attempts to regulate synthetic nicotine e-cigarettes.
Another group of 11 legislators led by Democratic Party Representative Jeon Jin-sook is seeking to expand the legal definition of tobacco and require retailers to include warnings on e-cigarette packaging similar to those on cigarette packaging.
The South Korean Ministry of Health and Welfare has promised to support such legislation to more effectively regulate the use of new nicotine products and increase public awareness of their harm.
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