Gansu Issues Fine for Selling Vaping Devices to Minors

On July 7, the Qilihe District Tobacco Monopoly Bureau issued a fine for selling electronic cigarettes to minors. On the afternoon of July 2 at 7:30 PM, the Qilihe District Tobacco Monopoly Bureau, based on information received, collaborated with the District Market Supervision Administration to crack down on a case of illegal sale of electronic cigarettes to minors at a night market stall located at 108 Dunhuang Road, Qilihe District. In accordance with the relevant provisions of the "Law of the People's Republic of China on the Protection of Minors," the business operator was administratively punished with the confiscation of illegal gains of 5 yuan and a fine of 500 yuan.

Wang Peng, deputy director of the Qilihe District Tobacco Monopoly Bureau, stated that currently, some middle and primary school students and minors are consuming electronic cigarettes out of "curiosity" or in pursuit of "trends," and since minors' bodies are not fully developed, consuming electronic cigarettes can cause serious harm to their physical and mental health.

It was reported that the newly revised "Law of the People's Republic of China on the Protection of Minors," effective June 1 of this year, includes provisions to protect minors from tobacco harm, legally safeguarding and maintaining their physical health and legal rights. In accordance with the deployment of the National Tobacco Monopoly Bureau and the National Market Supervision Administration, as well as the arrangements of provincial and municipal tobacco monopoly bureaus and market supervision administrations, the Qilihe District Tobacco Monopoly Bureau, in conjunction with the juvenile prosecution department of the District People's Procuratorate and the District Market Supervision Administration, actively implemented regulatory responsibilities, conducting investigations, registrations, and record-keeping of electronic cigarette businesses in the district. They also actively launched a concentrated publicity campaign themed "Keeping Youth Away from Traditional Tobacco Products and Electronic Cigarettes—Protecting a Smoke-Free Youth and Caring for the Future of Our Country" and a joint special rectification action. The Qilihe District Tobacco Monopoly Bureau issued the first fine in the province for selling electronic cigarettes to minors, marking the first shot in the province's efforts to protect a "Smoke-Free Youth."

The Qilihe District Tobacco Monopoly Bureau will take the newly revised "Law of the People's Republic of China on the Protection of Minors" as an opportunity to continuously strengthen publicity efforts, enhance supervision and inspection, and strictly fulfill their responsibilities to safeguard the healthy growth of minors. At the same time, they call on all sectors of society to actively supervise and report illegal activities of selling cigarettes and electronic cigarettes to minors, working together to protect the healthy growth of minors.