"'Milk tea cup', 'coke can' and 'planet cup', 3 only free shipping, direct delivery from the factory"... In the circle of friends of Xiaochen (pseudonym), an "old smoker" who just turned 18, she often can I saw a micro-business advertisement selling such "toys".
However, these colorful and cute-named things are not really toys, but a disposable electronic cigarette.
These disposable e-cigarettes with prices ranging from 59 to 159 yuan are not only eye-catching in appearance, but also have a variety of flavors to choose from such as "mung bean popsicles, raw coconut latte, strawberry ice cream".
"Although it is disposable, there is a large-capacity e-liquid of 15ml inside, and it can suck five or six thousand puffs when you buy it back." The seller said that these e-cigarettes are equipped with charging ports, which are convenient for consumers to use multiple times.
It is worth noting that the outer packaging of these e-cigarettes is introduced in a foreign language, there is no Chinese mark, and no information such as the name, address and production date of the manufacturer is indicated. They are actually "three noes" products.
The "Compulsory National Standards for Electronic Cigarettes" officially implemented on October 1 this year stipulates that the sale of e-cigarette pods with flavors other than tobacco is prohibited.
The "Measures for the Administration of Electronic Cigarettes" clearly stipulates that no individual, legal person or other organization shall sell electronic cigarette products through information networks other than the electronic cigarette transaction management platform stipulated in these measures.
However, a recent investigation by reporters from China Youth Daily and China Youth Daily found that the online business of these illegally produced "three noes" e-cigarettes seems to have not been affected, and sales have even become more popular after "packaging".
Easy-to-obtain "three noes" e-cigarettes "sell well among students"
At present, branded e-cigarettes through formal channels can only sell tobacco flavors.
The young consumers' demand for fruity e-cigarettes has given the "three noes" e-cigarettes a living space.
"Few people who smoke e-cigarettes like the flavor of tobacco." Xiaochen said that in August and September today, the micro-businesses in her circle of friends began to sell this kind of "three vapes" with rich colors and different flavors. No" e-cigarettes.
In fact, such "three noes" e-cigarettes are not difficult to find on the Internet.
The author searched for keywords such as "milk tea cup" and found that someone had created a super topic on Weibo for it. At present, this topic has more than 2,000 fans and more than 2,000 posts have been published.
A buyer posted a post asking for a purchase, and received more than 30 comments within half a day. Most of the comments in the comment area left their contact information and price lists for e-cigarette merchants with IP addresses in Guangdong, Hunan and other places. These products include "milk tea cups", "coke Cans", "Planet Cup" and so on.
Although the names of the products are different, they are all disposable e-cigarette products, and the price ranges from 59 to 159 yuan; there are various flavors, including mung bean popsicles, raw coconut latte, strawberry ice cream, etc. Some popular flavors are specially marked as "out of stock" .
Its promotional posters are quite popular, with elements of the World Cup.
However, there is no Chinese logo on the pictures of these products’ outer packaging. Some micro-businessmen said that these products are “sources of foreign trade export” and emphasized that they are “factory direct sales”. quality problem.
For the identity and age of the buyer, Weishang did not verify it, but directly sent the payment code, and the seller said that the same city can be sent quickly, and "it can be received within two hours."
Some sellers said that those who are interested can also become "agents".
Although some courier companies have limited or no longer accept e-cigarette delivery, he said that "I have a network, and I can send out hundreds of orders every day, and I can send one by one, without the risk of hoarding goods." He also claimed that "many students are doing My agent, it's very easy to sell."
Disposable e-cigarettes with an agency price of around 30-60 yuan can usually be sold at a high price ranging from 59-159 yuan, and the profit margin can reach as high as 165%.
E-cigarettes that "vomit after taking a sip" have potential safety concerns
The "three noes" e-cigarette has a small shape and a lovable taste, which is very attractive to underage students on campus, but there are hidden safety hazards hidden behind it.
On the shell of a "three-no" e-cigarette, its production standard number is only displayed as the enterprise standard without any other description.
The "Measures for the Administration of Electronic Cigarettes", which will be officially implemented on May 1, 2022, emphasizes that "electronic cigarette products should meet the mandatory national standards for electronic cigarettes".
However, the "three noes" e-cigarettes lack safety marks such as production standards.
Xiaochen said that compared with the e-cigarettes produced by regular manufacturers, "this kind of (e-cigarette) tobacco rod battery is very unstable", and she has already charged several "milk tea cups".
Another Weishang reported that there are problems with the stability of this "three no" e-cigarette battery. "It is enough to charge for 1 hour each time."
The design flaws of this type of e-cigarette are not only reflected in the rod, but also the safety of the main body that is actually heated by atomization—the e-liquid is even less known.
Many "three-no" e-cigarette shells do not state the main components of e-liquid, but only write in English that "this product contains nicotine, and nicotine is an addictive substance." Consumers are not aware of these e-liquids with various tastes What ingredients are added to electronic cigarettes?
In Weibo Chaochao, many consumers exchanged bad experiences after purchasing low-quality "three noes" e-cigarettes, such as "vomiting after taking a sip" and "the taste is completely abnormal".
Some micro-businesses usually prevaricate the safety of e-liquids on the grounds that "everyone is smoking" and "the evaluation is all right". "What you breathe into your lungs, you get what you pay for."
A micro-businessman Yuanyuan (pseudonym) who claims to have a close personal relationship with e-cigarette manufacturers revealed that the reason why this type of e-cigarettes are all packaged in English is because after the implementation of the "E-cigarette Mandatory National Standard" in October this year, some e-cigarettes Manufacturers dare not produce products for domestic consumers anymore, but in order to meet consumers' still existing demand for fruity e-cigarettes, they began to continue to produce and sell related products under the guise of "foreign trade products".
Due to the large market demand, "in order to make profits, these e-cigarettes basically use the cheapest (raw materials), and most of the (e-liquid components) come from unknown sources."
The "profiteering" e-cigarette market is not a place outside the law
In recent years, regulatory authorities have become more stringent on the management of e-cigarettes, and relevant regulations have been continuously introduced.
"But there are policies and there are countermeasures, and there will still be some manufacturers that produce products that do not meet the national standards." Chen Zhong, an expert in the electronic cigarette industry, said: "It's too profitable, and everyone wants to get a piece of it."
In response to the fact that some manufacturers continue to produce fruity "three-no" e-cigarette products under the pretext of "exclusively for overseas" by playing "edge balls", Chen Zhong analyzed, "These enterprises do not have production license qualifications, and at the same time, according to my country's e-cigarette According to the regulatory regulations, whether it is selling domestic or export products, they must have production qualifications and indicate the name of the factory and the production license number. Such violations need to bear legal responsibility.”
Chen Zhong believes that the governance is similar to the "three noes" illegal e-cigarettes, and the key is to trace back to the source.
"The upstream manufacturers who illegally produce 'three noes' fruit-flavored e-cigarettes will be eliminated, and the downstream black market transactions will be reduced." In fact, the national regulators have already begun to take actions to block the "three noes" e-cigarette manufacturers. Black industry chain.
In Guangdong, where the e-cigarette industry is relatively developed, on November 3, the Dongguan Municipal Bureau of Industry and Information Technology issued a notice on the follow-up management of unlicensed e-cigarette companies, requiring all departments to conduct investigations in the city and found that the company has not obtained a license However, it is still producing and operating e-cigarettes, and will investigate and deal with multiple departments.
According to Qianlong.com, on November 2, the police in Dongguan, Guangdong destroyed a den suspected of selling "three noes" counterfeit e-cigarettes, and the amount involved was as high as 1.37 million yuan.
In the "three noes" e-cigarette sales chain, delivery service is an important link.
On November 23, the State Tobacco Monopoly Administration and the State Post Bureau issued the "Notice on the Limited Delivery of E-cigarette Products, Atomizers, E-cigarette Nicotine, etc." , Products sold in combination with pods and smoking accessories (including disposable electronic cigarettes, etc.), e-liquid and other atomized substances, and nicotine for electronic cigarettes, each person is limited to one item per day, and multiple items are not allowed.
Chen Zhong believes that restricting the express delivery of e-cigarette-related products will help reduce the circulation of illegal products, but this regulation requires strict enforcement by relevant departments and implementation.
For micro-businesses that publish e-cigarette sales information in violation of regulations, the online platform is obliged to take restrictive measures.
In this regard, Professor Liu Junhai of the Law School of Renmin University of China suggested that in order to further consolidate the responsibility of the network platform, technical means should be adopted to block some related words that may involve e-cigarettes, and strictly check whether the platform merchants have "black-box operations" and other behaviors. .
Social platforms should conduct more stringent investigations on information related to e-cigarettes and their associated words, promptly shut down illegal accounts that sell e-cigarettes, and take necessary restrictive measures for suspicious accounts to protect the healthy growth of minors.
"The market has eyes, the law has teeth, and the e-cigarette market is not a place outside the law." Liu Junhai believes that the sales of "three noes" e-cigarettes in vests have been banned repeatedly, and relevant departments need to form a normalized and strict supervision of new trends in the e-cigarette market , and effectively adopt legal means to regulate the development of the electronic cigarette industry.
Liu Yinheng, trainee reporter of China Youth Daily and China Youth Daily