Selling Vaping Products on WeChat? It’s Illegal!

“I thought I was just an ordinary WeChat seller. I never imagined that reselling vaping products on WeChat could lead to such serious consequences. I truly regret it now...” suspect Xiaoyue said remorsefully at the hearing.

Recently, the Procuratorate of the Dalian High-tech Industrial Zone in Liaoning accepted a case involving the illegal sale of vaping products. The suspect, Xiaoyue, is a full-time mother who sold vaping products through WeChat without obtaining a tobacco retail license, constituting the crime of illegal business operation. As she had no prior criminal record, the amount involved had only just met the filing threshold, and she confessed and voluntarily admitted guilt and accepted punishment, the case could be handled with a relative non-prosecution decision.

The Procuratorate of the High-tech Industrial Zone convened a hearing in Xiaoyue’s suspected illegal business operation case. A lawyer, subdistrict officials, community grid workers, and resident representatives participated in the hearing, while some local residents attended as observers.

At the hearing, the prosecutor introduced the basic facts of the case, presented the evidence, explained the legal reasoning, and answered the hearing participants’ questions regarding lenient treatment and the motive behind the offense. After deliberation, all hearing participants unanimously agreed with the prosecution’s proposed decision of relative non-prosecution.

Nowadays, more and more people are engaged in “WeChat selling” and e-commerce, but many still do not realize that products such as vaping products, which are subject to state monopoly control, cannot be sold freely.

A community grid worker said: “By bringing this hearing into the community, the prosecutor not only demonstrated judicial fairness but also carried out a meaningful legal education activity. I hope there will be more legal awareness programs in the future that are closely connected to everyday life and that they will provide more legal support for our community grid work.”

A resident representative said: “I’m also a full-time mother, so I can really understand her desire to do more for her family. I honestly didn’t know before that selling products online could potentially violate the law. I learned a lot from attending this hearing.”

A community Party member said: “When prosecutors come into the community to hold hearings and review cases, it makes case handling more transparent and reflects fair justice. It shows that our society is progressing and the rule of law is advancing. I agree with the prosecution’s proposed handling of the case.”