South Korea Seeks Ban on Vaping Discounts and Promotions
South Korea’s Health Ministry wants to ban discounts, promotions, and special offers for vaping and heated tobacco products. The proposal must pass parliament, alongside other anti-smoking enforcement measures.
The South Korean Ministry of Health and Welfare seeks to ban discounts, promotions, and special offers on vaping and heated tobacco products.<\/span>
The proposal has been put forward by the State Council and requires approval from the National Assembly to pass. Last year, local authorities across the country also took other enforcement actions to prohibit smoking and vaping in public places.<\/span><\/div>
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Opposition to e-cigarettes legislation.<\/span><\/div>
Additionally, in November of last year, the South Korean Ministry of Health announced plans to conduct its own investigation into EVALI. The results of the investigation will be released in June 2020, but in the meantime, the public is urged not to use e-cigarettes.<\/span><\/div>
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The Ministry of Health and Welfare stated when announcing the investigation: “After coordinating with the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety (MFDS), we will conduct a comprehensive investigation into the components of liquid e-cigarettes.”<\/span><\/div>
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Counterproductive measures.<\/span><\/div>
The day after the government issued its warning, the large convenience store chain GS25 stopped selling flavored vaping products from Juul Labs and South Korean company KT&G. Subsequently, the South Korean Army recently announced a ban on the use and possession of e-liquids on its bases.<\/span><\/div>
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Harm reduction experts would certainly agree that these initiatives will be detrimental to public health. Despite the declining smoking rates, South Korean men remain among the highest smoking populations in the world. Disincentivizing smokers from switching to effective alternatives could cost many lives, especially considering the current COVID-19 outbreak, which puts smokers at a higher risk than their non-smoking peers.<\/span><\/div>
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