Health officials put up a notice banning indoor e-cigarette use at a PC cafe in the southwestern city of Gwangju, Thursday. Yonhap
Online sales of liquid electronic cigarettes made with synthetic nicotine will be fully banned starting this week and those products will be required to carry warning labels similar to those on conventional cigarettes, the finance ministry said Thursday.
The measures are part of comprehensive regulatory steps announced by the ministry a day before the revised Tobacco Business Act takes effect.
Under the revision, the definition of tobacco will be expanded to include both tobacco leaves and nicotine, whether natural or synthetic, bringing liquid e-cigarettes made with synthetic nicotine under the regulatory framework.
Accordingly, manufacturers and importers will be required to obtain approval from the finance minister and register with provincial governments before selling such products.
They will also be subject to taxes, including individual consumption tax, when distributed in the market. But a 50 percent tax reduction will apply for the next two years to mitigate the impact on the market, according to the ministry.
Online selling, sales to minors and promotional activities will all be banned. It will also be illegal to open products, add other substances and resell them, the ministry said, adding that the use of liquid e-cigarettes will be prohibited in no-smoking areas.
Manufacturers must attach warning images and labels to packaging and disclose ingredients, including nicotine content. They will also be required to conduct harmful substance testing every two years, and labeling flavoring substances will be banned.
To sell directly to consumers, vendors must be designated as tobacco retailers by local governments, the ministry stressed.
Separately, the government plans to promptly conduct safety assessments on "nicotine analog" products, such as 6-methylnicotine, which are not currently classified as tobacco but are used for inhalation, and to consider appropriate safety measures and regulatory responses.
Source: Korea Times News
