What is the difference between herbal vaporization and e-cigarettes? Is herbal vaporization harmful

Following the release of the electronic cigarette management measures in March, the State Administration for Market Regulation recently issued national standards for electronic cigarettes, indicating that the electronic cigarette industry is about to face a regulatory storm.

One particularly noteworthy point in these national standards is that they stipulate that nicotine-free products, which also include non-nicotine electronic cigarettes, will not be allowed to be sold in the market starting in October. The national standards define electronic cigarettes as electronic delivery systems that generate aerosols for inhalation, and they also include nicotine-free electronic cigarettes within this definition. Furthermore, it is clearly required that solid products must contain nicotine, and nicotine-free electronic cigarette products are prohibited from entering the market.

In simple terms, this means that regardless of whether electronic cigarettes contain nicotine, they will be defined as electronic cigarettes and will not be allowed for market sale. This primarily targets those products that claim to be nicotine-free and harmless to health, even adding herbal ingredients to promote a traditional Chinese medicine concept.

Previously, the market for nicotine-free electronic cigarettes was dominated by herbal vaporization products, which refer to products that vaporize components extracted from non-tobacco plants. When these products were first launched, they marketed themselves as nicotine-free and non-addictive, and some claimed to have health benefits such as lowering cholesterol, aiding sleep, and replenishing energy due to their herbal ingredients. Many electronic cigarette companies had embarked on this new path, hoping to evade electronic cigarette regulations through the concept of zero-nicotine herbal vaporization. The introduction of the national standards undoubtedly dealt a heavy blow to both new and existing companies attempting to pursue this route.

Additionally, the national standards also mention that electronic cigarette devices and pods must have a closed structure to prevent human refilling, targeting the previously popular open electronic cigarettes in the market, such as those that allow users to refill with tobacco after use or those that produce more vapor than regular electronic cigarettes. These novelty products, which appeal to young people, will also be banned after the standards are officially implemented.

Another characteristic that attracts young people to electronic cigarettes is the wide variety of flavors. The previously released electronic cigarette management measures also addressed this issue, with the State Administration for Market Regulation stating that due to the strong appeal of flavored electronic cigarettes, such as fruit, food, and beverage flavors, to minors, which can easily lead to underage consumption, the standards clearly stipulate that products should not present flavor characteristics other than tobacco. This means that in the future, flavored electronic cigarettes, such as fruit flavors, will be prohibited in the market, effectively preventing new consumers who are curious about these flavors from entering the market.

In addition to the three points mentioned above, the national standards also specify regulations regarding electronic cigarette leakage, child locks, atomization areas, temperature, and more, imposing restrictions on many aspects of electronic cigarettes. It is important to note that the national standards for electronic cigarettes will officially take effect on October 1 of this year. After the implementation of these standards, all electronic cigarette products sold in the market must comply with national standards. Prior to this, the government has provided a five-month transition period for electronic cigarette companies to redesign their products for compliance, complete product modifications, and apply for product testing and technical reviews with relevant departments. Of course, it is still important to remind everyone that smoking is harmful to health, and smoking, including electronic cigarettes, is not encouraged.