China intends to take measures to regulate the e-cigarette market, as it is concerned about consumer health and, of course, because sales of electronic cigarettes have been continuously increasing in recent years.
China's national health committee has launched a study on electronic cigarettes and plans to issue new legislation for the industry, said health authority chief Mao Qunan in a press conference this week.
The effort started as Chinese start‑up electronic cigarette businesses appear to have “escaped” in their attempt to attract attention in the world’s largest smoker market.
Vaping suppliers in China are currently also unknown labs. At least 20 e‑cigarette companies in China have increased their funding since early 2019, according to data collected by Crunchbase.
All these companies are facing the state monopoly China Tobacco, which is the largest cigarette manufacturer in the world and provides the government with massive tax revenues.
Some researchers argue that the use of e‑cigarettes can help adults quit smoking while others have shown that electronic cigarettes are equally addictive as traditional ones.
The other big controversy is the growing use of e-cigarettes among teenagers, which has led to California's plan to ban the sales of these products.
China, on the other hand, is reportedly applying more controls on the new smoking technology. Research shows that the aerosol produced by heating e-cigarettes can contain “many harmful substances” and that additives in e-cigarettes can “create health risks,” said . He also said that controversial labeling of nicotine levels can lead to bad behavior by smokers and lax device standards can lead to battery explosions and other safety incidents.
Just like the USA, China has also observed an alarmingly high participation rate among young people, which is another reason that drives Beijing to keep the industry under control. The use of electronic cigarettes by children, teenagers and young adults has been proven unsafe because nicotine, which is highly addictive, can damage brain development.
In May, China drafted a set of standards (PDF in Chinese) for e-cigarettes that specify the nicotine level, type of additives, accessories, and designs allowed in battery-powered smoking devices.
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