E-Cigarette Complaints Rise Sharply in Beijing, Experts Urge Public-Space Ban

Recently, the number of complaints about e-cigarettes on Beijing's "Smoking Control Map" has significantly increased, with the highest number of complaints coming from workplaces, public spaces, and restaurants. The Beijing Smoking Control Association recently invited experts to discuss e-cigarette issues. Experts stated that due to the early introduction of the "Beijing Smoking Control Regulations," there are currently no management provisions related to e-cigarettes, making enforcement difficult. The government should provide legislative clarification on the management of e-cigarettes in public places and include e-cigarettes within the regulatory scope of the "Beijing Smoking Control Regulations."

Cui Xiaobo, Secretary-General of the Smoking Control Association and Professor at the School of Public Health at Capital Medical University, introduced that the number of complaints about e-cigarettes on the "Smoking Control Map" has significantly increased, with the highest complaints coming from workplaces, public spaces, and restaurants. Moreover, e-cigarette manufacturers are changing their promotional methods, and the sale of e-cigarettes around schools is gradually increasing. Some live streaming rooms are directly advertising e-cigarettes by smoking them during broadcasts. Many citizens have also reported that some people are smoking e-cigarettes on public transportation like subways, with no management in place. "Currently, there are over a hundred varieties of e-cigarettes, not only with diverse flavors but also with stylish designs that are quite tempting for young people and even teenagers. Especially, many people are smoking e-cigarettes in public places where smoking is prohibited, which not only affects the health of non-smokers but also has a negative impact on the existing smoke-free environment," said Cui Xiaobo. Due to the early introduction of the "Beijing Smoking Control Regulations," which do not include provisions for managing e-cigarettes, smoking control volunteers and law enforcement personnel often face obstacles when handling e-cigarette complaints.

As one of the drafters of the "Beijing Smoking Control Regulations," Professor Wang Qingbin from China University of Political Science and Law stated that to better adapt the regulations to the current smoking control situation in the city, a relatively quick approach would be for the Beijing Municipal People's Congress Standing Committee to issue a legislative interpretation to include e-cigarettes in the smoking ban in public places. "With the increasing number of people smoking e-cigarettes, we believe that the regulation of e-cigarettes has reached an appropriate time," said Wang Benjin, Deputy Secretary of the Beijing Health Supervision Institute, the city's smoking control enforcement department. Once relevant legislative interpretations are issued, enforcement will have legal backing.

Relevant departments can request legislative interpretation of the smoking control regulations

Hu Heng, Deputy Director of the Education, Science, Culture and Health Committee of the Municipal People's Congress: The legislative purpose of the "Beijing Smoking Control Regulations" was to not affect the health of others. If it can be confirmed and there is sufficient data to support that e-cigarettes indeed affect the health of others, relevant departments of the municipal government can request the Municipal People's Congress Standing Committee to make a legislative interpretation of the "Beijing Smoking Control Regulations."

Heavy metals detected in e-cigarettes

A survey project supported by the National Health Commission selected 18 leading brands and 20 different specifications of e-cigarette products from the market for testing.

The results showed that almost all e-cigarette products tested contained heavy metal chromium (Cr); about half of the e-cigarette products contained heavy metal nickel (Ni); 20% of the e-cigarette products contained heavy metal lead (Pb); and about 10% of the e-cigarette products contained non-metal arsenic. Among these, chromium, nickel, lead, and arsenic are all carcinogenic.

All e-cigarette products tested contained formaldehyde, acetaldehyde, and propionaldehyde. These low-molecular aldehydes are harmful substances with strong irritant effects on the respiratory system, with formaldehyde being a human carcinogen. Moreover, researchers detected 16 polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) from these 20 e-cigarettes, with an average of at least 5 types of PAHs in each e-cigarette, many of which are carcinogenic. The testing also found that the nicotine content of some e-cigarettes did not match the claimed values. "The survey results indicate that e-cigarettes are not safe and pose health risks, and are absolutely not harmless or non-toxic as advertised by tobacco companies," said Wu Yiqun, former Deputy Director of the New Exploration Health Development Research Center.