Gansu Issues a Fine for Selling E-Cigarettes to Minors

On July 7, the Qilihe District Tobacco Monopoly Bureau issued a fine for selling e-cigarettes to minors. On the evening of July 2 at 7:30 PM, the bureau, based on gathered information, collaborated with the district's Market Supervision Administration to crack down on a case of illegal e-cigarette sales to minors at a night market stall located at 108 Dunhuang Road in 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 was fined 500 CNY and had 5 CNY of illegal earnings confiscated.

Wang Peng, deputy director of the Qilihe District Tobacco Monopoly Bureau, stated that some middle and primary school students and minors are consuming e-cigarettes out of curiosity or a desire to be trendy. Since minors' bodies are not fully developed, using e-cigarettes can cause serious harm to their physical and mental health.

According to reports, the newly revised "Law of the People's Republic of China on the Protection of Minors," effective June 1, includes provisions to protect minors from tobacco harm, ensuring their physical health and legal rights. Following the directives from the National Tobacco Monopoly Bureau and the National Market Supervision Administration, as well as arrangements from provincial and municipal tobacco monopoly bureaus and market supervision administrations, the Qilihe District Tobacco Monopoly Bureau, in collaboration with the district's People's Procuratorate's Minor Work Department and the Market Supervision Administration, actively implemented regulatory responsibilities. They conducted investigations, registrations, and established files for e-cigarette retailers in the district, and launched a concentrated publicity campaign themed "Keeping Youth Away from Traditional Tobacco Products and E-Cigarettes—Protecting a Smoke-Free Youth and Caring for the Future of Our Country." The Qilihe District Tobacco Monopoly Bureau issued the first fine in the province for selling e-cigarettes to minors, marking a significant step in protecting a "Smoke-Free Youth" in the province.

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 enhance publicity efforts, strengthen supervision and inspection, and strictly fulfill their responsibilities to safeguard the healthy growth of minors. They also call on all sectors of society to actively supervise and report illegal sales of cigarettes and e-cigarettes to minors, working together to protect the healthy growth of minors.