Regions Launch 'Protect Growth' Campaign Against Tobacco and Vaping Harm to Minors

According to information from the National Tobacco Monopoly Administration, in order to implement the newly revised "Law of the People's Republic of China on the Protection of Minors" regarding the protection of minors from harm caused by tobacco (including e-cigarettes), and to legally safeguard and protect the physical health and legal rights of minors, the National Tobacco Monopoly Administration and the State Administration for Market Regulation have decided to jointly carry out a special action to protect minors from tobacco harm called "Protect Growth," and have released the "Protect Growth" special action plan, which outlines the overall requirements, main tasks, time schedule, and work requirements for the special action, and sets forth clear requirements.

The main tasks of the special action include: clarifying and standardizing distance standards and measurement standards around campuses, cleaning up existing tobacco sales points around campuses, implementing warning sign settings and ID verification regulations, effectively strengthening daily supervision of the tobacco market, legally investigating and dealing with illegal sales of tobacco to minors, comprehensively tightening regulation of e-cigarette business activities, continuously strengthening control over internet channels, and guiding e-cigarette physical stores to operate legally and in compliance.

The special action will start on June 15, 2021, and end on September 14, 2021, lasting three months, and will be divided into three phases: publicity and mobilization, concentrated rectification, and summary improvement. The special action plan clearly states the need to "strengthen organizational leadership," "reinforce comprehensive governance," and "ensure effective publicity and guidance" among other work requirements.

Relevant departments in various regions are orderly carrying out related special activities

The Tobacco Monopoly Bureau of Fucheng and Youxian District has resolutely implemented the decisions and deployments of higher authorities, increased the intensity of investigating and dealing with tobacco-related illegal activities, emphasized prevention as the primary focus, and organized the "Protect Growth" special action.
  Law enforcement personnel promote and interpret regulations to e-cigarette shops

Thorough cleanup and investigation: A comprehensive cleanup of existing tobacco sales around campuses has been conducted, especially focusing on e-cigarette sales points. After investigation, a total of 44 e-cigarette shops were identified, and their operators, franchise methods, and main consumer groups were registered, with all information documented.

Education and publicity in place: Operators have been vigorously educated about relevant laws and regulations, strictly prohibiting the sale of tobacco products to minors. So far, a total of 86 law enforcement personnel have been dispatched, and notices and warning slogans have been reposted around kindergartens, primary and secondary schools, stations, community bulletin boards, cigarette retail stores, and e-cigarette shops.

Supervision and management in place: Continuous strengthening of market supervision of e-cigarettes, fully grasping the latest developments, and publicly announcing complaint hotlines to address violations in a timely manner, ensuring the physical and mental health of minors.

The Zhejiang Provincial Tobacco Monopoly Bureau and the Zhejiang Provincial Market Supervision Administration jointly formulated the "Protect Growth" special action plan (hereinafter referred to as the "Plan"). The special action lasts for three months and is divided into three phases: publicity and mobilization, concentrated rectification, and summary improvement.

The "Plan" emphasizes the need to resolutely implement the decisions and deployments of the Party Central Committee and the State Council, increase the intensity of investigating and dealing with tobacco-related illegal activities, pay more attention to prevention, and combine prevention and treatment, comprehensive governance, ensuring effective publicity and guidance, and strengthening the legal promotion of tobacco sales (including e-cigarettes) points, urging the comprehensive setting of warning signs; prevention and protection measures must be in place, strictly enforcing distance standards around primary and secondary schools and kindergartens (hereinafter referred to as "around campuses"), implementing registration and documentation of tobacco sales points, and accelerating the cleanup of illegal sales points; enforcement and supervision must be in place, strictly investigating illegal sales of tobacco to minors, continuously strengthening online monitoring, and increasing the crackdown on illegal activities to effectively protect the healthy growth of minors.

The "Plan" specifies three main tasks.

First, earnestly implement the requirement that no sales points should be set up around campuses. Strictly enforce distance standards and measurement standards around campuses; clean up existing tobacco sales points around campuses.

Second, strictly investigate illegal sales of tobacco to minors. Implement warning sign settings and ID verification regulations; effectively strengthen daily supervision of the tobacco market; legally investigate and deal with illegal sales of tobacco to minors.

Third, continuously strengthen market supervision of e-cigarettes. Strictly regulate e-cigarette production and business activities; continuously strengthen control over internet channels; guide e-cigarette physical stores to operate legally and in compliance.

The "Plan" requires all units to strengthen organizational leadership, reinforce comprehensive governance, and ensure effective publicity and guidance to ensure the special action achieves practical results.

The People's Procuratorate of Quanzhou City and the Quanzhou Tobacco Monopoly Bureau have decided to jointly carry out a six-month "Joint Care for Growth" special activity to protect minors from e-cigarette harm throughout the city (including counties, districts, and cities), and the launch ceremony for the special activity was held on June 24, 2021. #p#分页标题#e#
 
At the event, the two units jointly released five supporting materials for the special activity, including a unified logo, a set of promotional posters, a brochure, a presentation slide, and an animated promotional video, and read the "Initiative to Protect Minors from Tobacco Harm" and signed the "Agreement for Joint Construction of Branches." In addition, representatives of cigarette retailers also signed the "Commitment to Regulate Operations for Cigarette Retailers."
 
Signing the "Commitment to Regulate Operations for Cigarette Retailers"
The Quanzhou Procuratorate and Tobacco Monopoly Bureau are carrying out the "Joint Care for Growth" special activity to protect minors from e-cigarette harm, aiming to create a safe and healthy growth environment for minors through resource sharing and multi-dimensional coordination among departments, and to promote the improvement of social governance for minors.

Based on the phased goals, tasks will be refined and decomposed, and preparations for the implementation of each phase will be made, focusing on the key points, distinguishing priorities, and concentrating on carrying out special work tasks to ensure the special activity achieves good results.