South Korea's Supreme Court Rejects Vape Association Petition
South Korea’s Supreme Court has rejected a petition from the local vape association urging the government to withdraw what it described as inaccurate statements about vaping products.
South Korea’s Supreme Court has just rejected a petition from the local vaping association, which urged the government to withdraw inaccurate statements about e-cigarettes.
Following the EVALI outbreak, South Korea’s health ministry investigated the safety of e-cigarettes last year. An official from the Ministry of Health and Welfare said: “After coordinating with the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety (MFDS), we will conduct a comprehensive investigation into the ingredient analysis of liquid e-cigarettes.” The results of the investigation were expected to be released in June 2020.
South Korea’s Ministry of Health and Welfare has been advising local smokers not to use e-cigarettes until the EVALI investigation is completed. A government spokesperson added that if the investigation finds significant risks, the government may revoke the sales licenses of e-cigarette manufacturers. In addition, the ministry has set up a response team tasked with investigating any domestic EVALI cases so that a possible vaping ban can be considered accordingly.
At the same time, the Ministry of Health and Welfare has continued advising local smokers not to vape until the investigation into the issue is completed. In response to these warnings, the Korean vaping association filed a petition with the Constitutional Court, but the request was quickly rejected.
In a statement, the group said: “The ministry has advised against using all e-cigarette products simply because trace amounts of vitamin E acetate were found in only some products.” The statement continued: “Most vaping companies are independent businesses, and they are suffering from a sharp drop in sales and the social stigma surrounding their products.”
South Korea was once one of the world’s fastest-growing vaping markets, attracting attention from major international manufacturers, including Juul Labs. However, just one day after the government issued its warning, major convenience store chain GS25 stopped selling flavored vaping products from Juul Labs and South Korean company KT&G.
Subsequently, the South Korean army announced a ban on the use and possession of e-liquids on its bases. An article on CNBC said the move was significant because South Korea has a large military of about 600,000 soldiers, mostly men. In addition, although local smoking rates are declining, South Korean men still rank among the heaviest smokers in the world.
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