Is Herbal Cigarette Smoke Really Smoking? Don't Let It Become the Next E-Cigarette
Indeed, from the statistical data alone, it is impossible to determine a significant correlation between the "halt of online e-cigarette sales" and the "rise of online tea cigarettes." However, following the decline of e-cigarettes, some businesses have been vigorously promoting tea cigarettes as a healthy alternative, leveraging the public's inherent belief in the health benefits of tea to entice consumers to purchase tea cigarettes. The potential harm is no less than that of online e-cigarette sales. <\/p>
In November last year, the State Administration for Market Regulation and the National Tobacco Monopoly Administration issued a notice on "Further Protecting Minors from the Harm of E-Cigarettes." One of the purposes of this regulation is to prevent e-cigarettes from being sold to minors through e-commerce platforms. Although online sales of e-cigarettes have been largely eliminated, the rise of tea cigarette sales must be monitored to prevent minors from using tea cigarettes as a tobacco substitute after e-cigarettes. <\/p>
"Curiosity" and "trying to look cool" are the main factors driving minors to smoke. The opportunity for e-cigarettes to harm minors lies in the fact that some businesses shamelessly promote the "coolness" of vaping. Tea cigarettes are labeled as "non-tobacco products," but their name and packaging are indistinguishable from cigarettes. For minors with weak self-control, smoking tea cigarettes may provide even more psychological satisfaction than vaping e-cigarettes. <\/p>
The e-commerce environment is borderless, and advertising under the banners of "tobacco alternatives" and "nicotine-free" may lower the psychological threshold for minors to try these products, leading them to use their parents' identities to purchase cigarettes online. Once they have tried tea cigarettes and the novelty wears off, some minors may inevitably shift their focus to "seeking out cigarettes." Thus, "tea cigarettes" become a temptation for minors to start smoking. <\/p>
Article 22 of the Advertising Law clearly states: "It is prohibited to use advertisements for other goods or services, public service advertisements, to promote the names, trademarks, packaging, decoration, and similar content of tobacco products." Online promotion of tea cigarettes by businesses is a clear violation of this regulation. <\/p>
Whether tobacco products or non-tobacco products, any that are detrimental to minors' health must be strictly regulated. Tea cigarettes may seem to promote health through tea, but ultimately they remain an unhealthy smoking product. Adults have no need to smoke tea cigarettes to satisfy their cravings; minors have even less reason to buy cigarettes online to satisfy their curiosity. Relevant authorities need to address the issue of online sales of tea cigarettes from the perspective of protecting minors. (The author is a commentator for Tianfu Review News)
