"Top" electronic cigarettes actually contain synthetic cannabinoids
new drug prosecutor handling the Secret dressed in coat tide
□ Our reporter Ding Guofeng
□ Correspondent Shen Shuping
Although the potential harm of e-cigarettes has attracted more and more attention from the society, in recent years, e-cigarette products with many flavors and novel styles have emerged on the market, which have been favored by many young people.
Recently, a new type of e-cigarette product appeared on the market, claiming that "natural plant extraction" is "safe top", attracting many young people who are following the fashion trend to buy and smoke, and even some minors are also deeply involved.
As everyone knows, this "top" e-cigarette contains synthetic cannabinoids that are regulated by the country. It is essentially a new type of drug. It not only poses a serious threat to the physical and mental health of smokers, but also brings new ideas to the e-cigarette industry. The chaos.
Recently, the People's Procuratorate of Wujiang District, Suzhou City, Jiangsu Province has handled two cases of selling "top" electronic cigarettes, and the average age of the suspects involved is only 20 years old.
A reporter from the Rule of Law Daily interviewed the prosecutor handling the case.
Knowing that I'm breaking the law, I still try the law by my own body
Use emoticons to escape blows
"Post-00" Zhang Hua has a friend, Zhao Yu, who runs an e-cigarette experience hall. In a small chat in early 2020, Zhao Yu mentioned that he had tried "top" e-cigarettes, and said that "smoking this is more interesting than ordinary e-cigarettes". The more you suck, the more you get up."
In front of the "iron buddies", Zhao Yu didn't hide it either, and secretly told Zhang Hua that hemp extract was added in it.
Zhang Hua said immediately that he also wanted to try.
It didn't take long for Zhang Hua and Zhao Yu to smoke and sell "upper" electronic cigarettes.
In April of this year, when he learned that Zhao Yu had "stock" on hand, Zhang Hua bought from him and then resold it to others.
Within 3 months, Zhang Hua purchased 4 times, each time the e-cigarettes with "top oil" (ie synthetic cannabinoid oil) added at a price of 70 yuan per piece, and then sold to downstream at a price of 170 yuan per piece. Buyers.
According to the investigators, the suspects in this type of case are mainly young people around the age of 20, and many minors are also involved. Generally, they invite their friends to promote "top" e-cigarettes in bars, KTVs, hotels and other places. Smoking by others.
Suspects often earn doubled profits by reselling e-liquid. It is more common to sell and smoke. At the same time, they psychologically regard gathering crowds to smoke "top" e-cigarettes as a way to maintain friendship between friends.
In another case that occurred in July of this year, 22-year-old Qian Hao and 19-year-old Li Li were "old partners" selling cigarettes. They saw that the country would formally synthesize the whole class of cannabinoids on July 1 of that year. After the news that similar substances were listed as drugs for control, the two not only did not have the idea of "stopping", they also negotiated to increase the price and sell the remaining "top" e-liquid.
"After being controlled, the goods will not be so easy to pick up. Let's look at the market and we can raise the price." "I don't know how to sentence if caught, it doesn't matter if it is sentenced for a few months." According to regulations, the two still have a fluke mentality.
Li Li uses emoticons as a communication language during transactions. For example, using an upward arrow and a brain icon to refer to "upper", and a lightning icon to indicate flash delivery, meaning that there is an "upper" e-cigarette in hand, which can be delivered. After contacting the buyer, he quickly deleted the relevant information in an attempt to evade the police.
More addictive, more harmful
If abused or cause sudden death
Qian Hao confessed to the investigators that the "upper" electronic cigarette he sold was packed in a small transparent bottle with a very viscous texture. It could be changed into various colors and flavors by adding edible pigments to attract buyers.
"Upper" e-cigarettes are basically the same as ordinary e-cigarettes in appearance.
Synthetic cannabinoids are one of the nine types of new psychoactive substances. They are artificially synthesized chemical substances that do not rely on cannabis cultivation, are lower in cost, more convenient to obtain, and can produce stronger excitement and hallucinations. And other effects.
Regarding what is "upper", Zhang Hua said during questioning: "After taking a few sips, he felt dizzy, his eyes blurred, and his limbs were weak. Later, he felt very relaxed, and he was irritable if he didn't smoke for a few days." Qian Hao also mentioned. And "I became excited after smoking, my tongue was numb, and I felt ecstatic."
"I felt something was wrong after I inhaled, I felt dizzy, I felt cramps in my stomach, and felt a little vomiting." Wang Yu, the person involved in the case, felt unwell immediately after inhaling.
According to experts, the psychoactive properties of synthetic cannabinoids are generally 4 to 5 times stronger than that of ordinary cannabinoids, and some are even dozens to hundreds of times stronger. They are more addictive and harmful to the human body.
After inhalation, dizziness, vomiting, trance, and hallucinogenic reactions will occur. Abuse will lead to shock, suffocation and even sudden death. At present, it has caused several drug driving and deliberate injuries across the country that endanger public safety.
Transaction secrets are difficult to be included in supervision
Improve the recognition of new drugs
On August 28, 2018, the State Administration for Market Regulation and the State Tobacco Monopoly Administration jointly issued the "Notice on Prohibiting the Sale of Electronic Cigarettes to Minors", which clarified that various market entities shall not sell electronic cigarettes to minors.
In 2019, the formal implementation of the “online ban on sales of electronic cigarettes” further strengthened the market supervision of electronic cigarette products.
According to incomplete statistics, there are more than 1,200 physical e-cigarette stores in Suzhou, including e-cigarette specialty stores, supermarkets, and convenience stores, of which there are more than 230 in Wujiang.
The investigators found that although some e-cigarette operators posted slogans and advertisements "prohibiting the sale of e-cigarettes to minors" in their stores, they did not carefully verify whether the purchaser was an adult during the actual sales process.
In addition, it is more difficult for the transaction form of friend introduction and errand delivery to be brought into supervision.
Since the beginning of this year, underage users accounted for nearly 40% of e-cigarette smoking cases handled by Wujiang District.
Although the country has explicitly banned them, there are still cases of selling and smoking "top" e-cigarettes, and young people have become the main smoking group.
The reason is that, on the one hand, the persons involved in the case have a weak awareness of the rule of law, and on the other hand, it also reflects their lack of active and healthy life aspirations.
"I was curious at first, and I was fresh, and then I wanted to take two sips when I was bored." "Sometimes I feel bad, I just add some cannabis oil, and I feel a little happier after smoking." The investigator of the Wujiang District Procuratorate found a group of young people. It is a common situation for people to meet and smoke "top" e-cigarettes together at home or in a hotel room. Smokers regard smoking "top" e-cigarettes as a way of entertainment, regardless of drug hazards and legal restrictions.
The prosecutor handling the case reminded that new types of drugs are not a fashion trend. The majority of young people should be alert to "legitimate" scams, refrain from smoking, refraining from buying and selling, abandon fluke psychology, and resolutely stay away from drugs.
The prosecutor suggested that young people should be guided to abandon the blind pursuit of trends and cultivate a positive and healthy life interest; further increase publicity efforts to improve the public’s ability to identify new types of drugs; various departments should strengthen electronic cigarette market supervision and severely crack down on electronic cigarettes. The new type of drug trade under the cigarette package will curb the proliferation of "top" e-cigarettes.
(The persons involved in the case are all aliases)