Illegal Sales Conducted via WeChat in China
Sellers Do Not Verify Buyers' Ages
Prices Range from Several Dozen to Hundreds of Yuan
Illegally obtained electronic cigarettes have spread like a trend among Chinese teenagers, sparking controversy within China.
On the 24th, multiple Chinese media outlets including Guangmingwang, Zhonghuawang, and CCTV (China Central Television) reported, "Although the sale of cigarettes, including electronic cigarettes, to minors is prohibited by law, fruit-flavored electronic cigarettes are secretly distributed and have become popular among high school students."
Zhao, a resident of Beijing with a high school daughter, said in an interview with CCTV, "I found an electronic cigarette while organizing my daughter's school bag," adding, "I couldn't understand how my daughter, who disliked the smell of cigarettes, started using electronic cigarettes."
Zhao's daughter revealed that she had been using electronic cigarettes secretly since the second year of middle school. She explained, "Half of my classmates secretly use fruit-flavored electronic cigarettes," mentioning various flavors such as lemon, strawberry, and watermelon. She added, "They taste fresh and cool. There is no cigarette smell at all," and "I started trying them out of curiosity."
According to reports, electronic cigarettes have spread among Chinese students since 2020. In regions such as Shanghai, Guangdong, and Hunan, even middle school students can easily obtain electronic cigarettes if they are not wearing school uniforms. One middle school student told CCTV, "More than half of my friends use fruit-flavored electronic cigarettes."
CCTV also reported discovering a 'secret code' used by consumers who vape electronic cigarettes on China's social networking service WeChat. Sales are conducted through some accounts that post numerous emojis such as strawberry, watermelon, and flowers. CCTV explained, "After adding one account as a 'friend,' we were able to receive various electronic cigarettes like mango and pineapple a few days later," adding, "The seller did not even verify whether the buyer was a minor." It was also not difficult to obtain electronic cigarettes on some e-commerce platforms. Although a 'warning' message appears when searching for the keyword 'electronic cigarette,' many sellers appeared when searching for related keywords such as atomizer, which is a component of electronic cigarettes. Prices ranged from several tens to hundreds of yuan. More than 100 orders are placed daily.
Because these products are distributed secretly, Chinese authorities find it difficult to regulate them. Wan Quanwei, Deputy Director of the Monopoly Supervision and Management Department of the Shenzhen Tobacco Monopoly Bureau, explained about the illegally distributed electronic cigarettes, "It appears that these products were smuggled illegally after being exported overseas or diverted through false customs declarations."
CCTV reported, "Officials from the Shenzhen Tobacco Monopoly Bureau have started investigating some offline retail stores and plan to conduct further investigations into online sales channels."
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