Recently, according to South Korea's Dong-A Ilbo, South Korea's Ministry of Finance expressed opposition to the plan to amend the "Tobacco Business Act" on the 19th, namely the "E-cigarette Tax Evasion Defense Act."
The revision stipulates that e-cigarettes using synthetic nicotine as raw materials will be regulated on the same basis as traditional cigarettes. Although synthetic nicotine has been in a regulatory blind spot due to harmful ingredient disclosures and cigarette taxes, imports are increasing rapidly.
Currently, most liquid e-cigarettes are classified as "fake cigarettes" and will not be sanctioned even if they are promoted to teenagers on YouTube or sold in online malls.
In a report submitted to the South Korean National Assembly, the Ministry of Finance stated that although it supports "expanding the scope of tobacco raw materials in order to eliminate loopholes in tobacco supervision", it believes that "it is too early to regard synthetic nicotine as a tobacco raw material", thus essentially opposing "electronics". Tobacco Tax Evasion Defense Act.”
"This is because the government will allow synthetic nicotine to be circulated if it is identified as cigarettes while its toxicity and safety have not yet been verified," an official from the Ministry of Finance said.
