Non-compliant e-cigarette products are mixed in quality, and long-term use of certain substances may

On October 15, reports emerged citing police in Guanxian, Guangxi, who stated that because non-compliant e-cigarette products vary widely in quality and their production lacks adequate oversight, some may contain certain substances in excess of national standard limits. When heated, they may produce carcinogens such as formaldehyde, acetaldehyde, and nitrosamines, and long-term use may harm human health.

According to the mandatory national standards for e-cigarettes implemented on October 1, 2022, the national unified e-cigarette transaction management platform may only provide tobacco-flavored e-cigarettes that comply with national standards. The sale of non-compliant e-cigarettes is prohibited; otherwise, it may constitute a violation of Article 140 of the Criminal Law of the People’s Republic of China, "the crime of producing or selling counterfeit or substandard products," punishable by up to 15 years of fixed-term imprisonment or life imprisonment. It may also violate Article 225, "the crime of illegal business operations," which carries a maximum sentence of more than five years of fixed-term imprisonment.