How Viable Is Selling E-Cigarettes on E-Commerce Platforms?
Chinese regulators have again urged platforms and sellers to shut down online vape sales, remove vaping products, and withdraw ads, citing rising youth use and the influence of marketing.
Recently, the State Tobacco Monopoly Administration and the State Administration for Market Regulation issued another notice urging relevant companies or individuals to close e-cigarette sales channels on the Internet, remove e-cigarette products on the Internet, and withdraw e-cigarette advertisements on the Internet.
Behind this ban is the increasing use of e-cigarettes among young people in recent years. The psychological hints of advertisements and convenient purchase channels have helped more and more young people join the ranks of electronic smokers.
So, will the promulgation of this ban gradually reverse this situation? The reporter conducted an investigation.
Offline supervision forces to ban the sale of e-cigarettes to minors
In Guangzhou's downtown neighborhoods, shopping malls, and even university campuses, reporters found that e-cigarette experience stores can be seen. As long as you stop in front of the counter for a short while, a clerk will come forward and greet you to try it. In order to attract young people into the pit, many manufacturers have also launched customized e-cigarette flavors such as perfume lemon ice, cola, and taro ice cream. nbsp;
How about selling e-cigarettes on e-commerce platforms? Nine platforms were interviewed!
A university student in Guangzhou: It is said that you cannot buy it under the age of 18, but in fact, many stores will not specifically check your age, so it is very convenient to buy it.& nbsp;
Although they all claim that they do not sell e-cigarettes to minors, the reporter found that it is not difficult for minors to buy e-cigarettes. Entering November, with the issuance of the "Notice", supervision in various places has been significantly strengthened, and this situation has improved. At a convenience store in Chaoyang District, Beijing City, the reporter met law enforcement officers who came to deliver the notice. nbsp;
How about selling e-cigarettes on e-commerce platforms? Nine platforms were interviewed!
Zhang Qiang, Chief of the Monopoly Supervision and Management Section of the Tobacco Monopoly Bureau of Chaoyang District, Beijing City: I am here today to deliver you a notice jointly issued by our two bureaus.
How about selling e-cigarettes on e-commerce platforms? Nine platforms were interviewed!
There is a primary school and two middle schools a few hundred meters around this convenience store. The clerk told reporters that just this morning, a notice stating that e-cigarettes are not sold to minors was just posted on the cigarette counter. Reporters from some offline stores in Beijing have seen that signs prohibiting the sale of e-cigarettes to minors have been placed in more and more conspicuous positions. nbsp;
Law enforcement officials told reporters that after entering November, all physical stores selling e-cigarettes in the jurisdiction have been notified, and supervision is being strengthened.
How about selling e-cigarettes on e-commerce platforms? Nine platforms were interviewed!
Zhang Qiang, Chief of the Monopoly Supervision and Management Section of the Tobacco Monopoly Bureau of Chaoyang District, Beijing City: Cigarette sales to minors are also explicitly prohibited, including traditional cigarettes and current e-cigarettes. nbsp;
Many departments in Beijing discuss the opening of e-cigarette network cleanup
In addition to online efforts, the reporter also found in interviews that regulatory authorities have also strengthened supervision over the sales of e-cigarettes on the Internet. Within a few days of the issuance of the "Notice", some e-commerce platforms have removed e-cigarettes, and on some platforms, e-cigarettes are still on sale. This afternoon, the government regulatory department conducted interviews with relevant companies.
How about selling e-cigarettes on e-commerce platforms? Nine platforms were interviewed!
In an interview with nine Internet platform companies registered in Beijing in Beijing City, some Internet platform companies admitted that e-cigarette products can still be searched.
How about selling e-cigarettes on e-commerce platforms? Nine platforms were interviewed!
Kong Fanjun, representative of Jingdong Enterprises: Many e-cigarette brands still have contracts and inventories with Jingdong, and there are many orders that have not been fulfilled. At present, we have indeed not removed e-cigarettes, but Jingdong will continue to fully cooperate with the supervision of e-cigarettes.
The person in charge said that Jingdong will gradually clean up e-cigarettes by blocking them first and then removing them from shelves as soon as possible. As for the promotion of personal accounts on social platforms, the Beijing City regulatory authorities said that relevant behaviors will also be regarded as advertisements and also need to be cleaned up. nbsp;
How about selling e-cigarettes on e-commerce platforms? Nine platforms were interviewed!
Liu Meng, representative of fast-hand enterprises: On this platform, we have blocked some well-known e-cigarette brands, including directly searching for keywords related to e-cigarettes. Next, our rectification of e-cigarettes may mainly focus on the live broadcast. nbsp;
At the interview site, Beijing City regulatory authorities also put forward specific requirements based on different types of enterprises. Take search engines as an example. In addition to clearing and blocking searches containing keywords involving e-cigarettes, they also require clearing links to websites selling e-cigarettes under natural search results.
How about selling e-cigarettes on e-commerce platforms? Nine platforms were interviewed!
Xuan Hongbo, Director of the Law Enforcement Cooperation Division of the Beijing City Market Supervision and Administration Bureau: Today we talked about e-commerce platforms, search engines, and social platforms. We also want to strengthen prior guidance and urge enterprises to effectively perform their main responsibilities in accordance with the requirements of the Notice.
How about selling e-cigarettes on e-commerce platforms? Nine platforms were interviewed!
Luo Minglu, Director of the Supervision and Administration Division of the Beijing City Tobacco Monopoly Bureau: We hope that by interviewing them, we will have a good demonstration effect on society. Just now, all representatives also made statements at the meeting, and we have also formulated a specific timetable. Before this Thursday (November 7), these companies will give us feedback on their specific measures. nbsp;
State Tobacco Administration: E-cigarettes pose greater health risks
As a supplement to traditional tobacco products such as cigarettes, e-cigarettes pose greater health and safety risks, especially for minors. So, for e-cigarettes, what are the current key points and difficulties in supervision?
How about selling e-cigarettes on e-commerce platforms? Nine platforms were interviewed!
According to a survey by the State Tobacco Administration, the domestic e-cigarette market is currently chaotic and the quality of products is uneven. A large number of products have serious quality and safety hazards such as the addition of unsafe ingredients, leakage of tobacco oil, and inferior batteries. In particular, in order to increase the attractiveness of their products, some e-cigarette companies add various additives at will to change the taste of e-cigarettes and the color of tobacco oil, which causes serious harm to the physical and mental health of consumers, especially minors. At this stage, my country's supervision of e-cigarettes focuses on protecting minors.
How about selling e-cigarettes on e-commerce platforms? Nine platforms were interviewed!
Lu Jie, head of the Monopoly Supervision and Administration Department of the State Tobacco Monopoly Administration: We need to increase market supervision and law enforcement for the behavior of physical stores selling e-cigarettes to minors, especially for physical stores around primary and secondary schools. Carry out some cleanup and rectification. nbsp;
Lu Jie said that in the past year's law enforcement practice, regulatory authorities have found that many e-cigarette companies focus on young people in Internet marketing and mislead consumers with propaganda that violates objective facts such as helping to quit smoking and is healthy and harmless. This has also brought difficulties to supervision. nbsp;
Lu Jie, head of the Monopoly Supervision and Administration Department of the State Tobacco Monopoly Administration: We also found that the majority of young people mainly know about, buy, and come into contact with e-cigarettes through the Internet. Moreover, many advertisements for e-cigarettes on the Internet promote concepts such as fashion and youth., it is still relatively harmful to young people. nbsp;
Lu Jie revealed that market supervision of e-cigarette products will be increased. Since the second notice was issued, many provinces and cities such as Beijing, Zhejiang, Shanghai, and Shenzhen have discussed e-commerce platforms and related e-cigarette online sales channels. In the next step, the State Tobacco Administration will also join forces with multiple relevant law enforcement agencies to further increase its efforts and investigate and deal with various illegal activities in accordance with the law. nbsp;
Lu Jie, head of the Monopoly Supervision and Administration Department of the State Tobacco Monopoly Administration: Relevant companies must fully implement the requirements of the "Notice", remove e-cigarette products from the Internet, and close e-cigarette sales websites and clients. Withdraw Internet e-cigarette advertisements to effectively safeguard the legitimate rights and interests of minors and consumers.
Commentator's opinion:
E-cigarettes, why do they need to be regulated? Does the e-cigarette industry have a future? Xu Shuze, a special observer of CCTV Finance and Economics, conducted an analysis↓↓↓
It doesn't matter what it's called. What matters.
How about selling e-cigarettes on e-commerce platforms? Nine platforms were interviewed!
The famous physicist Richard Feynman shared a very important cognitive skill: what a thing is called is not important at all. The core of the key is what it is. Returning to the essence of things, no matter what their name is, their essence is smoke, and the essence of tobacco is an addictive substance that provides pleasure and brings health risks. All addictive substances that can provide pleasure and threaten health should be subject to the same regulation for the protection of the public. nbsp;
The U.S. tobacco industry once made a fortune and is now in decline
How about selling e-cigarettes on e-commerce platforms? Nine platforms were interviewed!
In American history, the most profitable company in the last century was called Philip Morris. This name may be a bit unfamiliar to everyone, but its product is known to everyone, Marlboro Cigarettes.
At that time, a reporter interviewed a famous investment master. When the investment master realized that tobacco would threaten the health of all mankind, he decisively gave up investing.
What he wants to make is long-term money, and if he wants to make money in the long run, he must create value for the whole society in the long run. A business that threatens health for a long time is difficult to become a great company that continues to be profitable for a long time. nbsp;
Global smoking rates are gradually decreasing
How about selling e-cigarettes on e-commerce platforms? Nine platforms were interviewed!
Decades have passed and smoking cessation has become one of the most successful public health actions in the world. According to WHO, smoking rates are at their lowest level in the past decade. According to data from China, in 2018, the smoking rate among people aged 15 and above in my country was 26.6%. Compared with previous survey results, the smoking rate showed a downward trend.
Only by creating value for the whole society can we achieve greatness
How about selling e-cigarettes on e-commerce platforms? Nine platforms were interviewed!
The most profitable U.S. company in the last century has now been basically stagnant and declining for ten consecutive years. This once again proves that only by creating value for the whole society can we make long-term profits. At the top of the tide, there is no eternal king. If so, they have only one common similarity: they will always create value for all mankind.
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