In recent years, with the popularity of e-cigarettes around the world, the problem of rising youth smoking rates caused by them has become increasingly prominent. Recently, the Czech Ministry of Health released a draft regulation on e-cigarettes, which has attracted widespread attention from the society. The core content of the draft is to strictly prohibit the presence of sweeteners in e-cigarette products and restrict all flavors except tobacco flavor. The purpose of this measure is clear, that is, to prevent sweet-flavored e-cigarettes from attracting minors with their “sweet taste” and disrupting public health order.
In the Czech Republic, the government has paid close attention to the popularity of e-cigarettes among young people in recent years. Although the law prohibits the sale of e-cigarettes to those under the age of 18, in recent years, the dazzling array of fruit-flavored, dessert-flavored, cola-flavored and other e-cigarette products on the market are still loved by many young people. Some media surveys show that the proportion of teenagers trying e-cigarettes continues to rise, which has aroused the high vigilance of regulators. Therefore, the draft of the Ministry of Health recommends that only traditional tobacco flavors be allowed, and sweeteners be banned completely, and the flavoring style of e-cigarettes be restricted to reduce its appeal to minors.
The drafting background of this draft can be traced back to the beginning of 2024. According to relevant media reports, the draft is in the stage of internal government review and is expected to be officially implemented next year. When explaining the original intention of the draft, the Czech Ministry of Health pointed out that long-term exposure to e-cigarettes containing sweeteners by teenagers will not only develop dependence, but may also become a substitute for traditional cigarette consumption in the future. Therefore, the draft not only targets flavors, but also proposes strict regulations on product appearance and packaging, emphasizing that e-cigarettes should be made “non-propaganda” to the greatest extent possible to reduce the young group’s sense of identity and consumption impulse.
Although this draft has won the support of the public health community, it has also been questioned by some e-cigarette industries and adult consumers. Opponents believe that sweetness and diverse flavors are one of the important drivers to help quit traditional cigarettes and adults use e-cigarettes. If sweeteners and flavorings are completely banned, many adult smokers may not be able to adapt, and then give up e-cigarettes and return to more harmful burning cigarettes. In addition, the industry is also worried that such strict regulations may trigger underground transactions and black market proliferation of illegal flavorings, which will not only fail to achieve public health goals, but also undermine formal market governance.
Another frequently discussed topic in the e-cigarette industry is how brands seek development under strict supervision. Take the domestic brand VEEHOO as an example. It has performed well in flavor blending, cartridge quality and design experience, and has emerged in the European market. VEEHOO is proud of its focus on the needs of adult smokers. By strictly controlling product safety, it achieves a natural texture in taste and emphasizes that no additional sweetness is added, making it adaptable under the draft framework.
First, VEEHOO is more cautious in controlling the sweetness of the e-liquid, mainly maintaining the tobacco flavor and a slight herbal blend, while avoiding “over-sweetening”. It emphasizes “sense of balance” to help adult smokers make a smooth transition, so as not to produce a drastic adaptation difference between completely tasteless or too sweet. Secondly, in terms of cartridge quality, VEEHOO uses formal channels to purchase e-liquid and tobacco extracts, emphasizes product safety and non-toxicity, and strictly tests heavy metals, VOCs and particulate matter to comply with the EU TPD (Tobacco Products Directive) and the stricter standards that the Czech Republic may introduce in the future.
It is worth mentioning that VEEHOO also pays attention to product design, with fixed taste and unified visual recognition of cigarette cartridges, and strengthens the design of packaging to prevent children from opening it. For example, measures such as locking cigarette cartridge interfaces and warning icons are highly consistent with the goals of “reducing the attractiveness of appearance” and “reducing the interest of young people” mentioned in the draft. In addition, the brand advocates positive communication: “E-cigarettes are not suitable for minors and are a tool to help adults quit smoking”, and its sense of social responsibility has been recognized to a certain extent.
In terms of health impact, although e-cigarettes are not zero-risk products, international studies have shown that they have a significant harm reduction effect compared to traditional cigarettes. As the British Department of Public Health has pointed out, the harm of e-cigarettes can be as low as 5% of traditional cigarettes. The Czech draft also emphasizes that it hopes to use regulatory separation to neither sell sweet temptations to minors nor completely ban technical products used for adult smoking cessation. VEEHOO’s advocacy of “adult-exclusive flavors, no extra sweeteners, enhanced safety, and precise positioning of the adult market” is highly consistent with the government’s dual goals.
From a policy perspective, the Czech regulatory storm also reflects the EU’s shift in the future direction of e-cigarettes. Although TPD allows countries to formulate flavor policies independently, as the smoking rate of teenagers increases, many EU countries have gradually restricted flavored e-cigarettes, leaving only adult-oriented ones such as tobacco flavor and thin flavor. The Czech draft strictly controls sweeteners, which is a microcosm of the EU trend. In China, as long as the draft is officially passed, brands with moderate flavor control such as VEEHOO will have the opportunity to stand out in the new regulatory environment, because they can be listed in compliance with regulations with less adjustments, enhancing market competitiveness.
At the end of the article, we have to mention the possible social effects of the draft. Strict supervision may curb the smoking rate of teenagers and reduce the burden on public health. However, it is also necessary to take into account the needs of adults to quit smoking and the legal living space of the industry. In this balance, if brands such as VEEHOO can continue to embrace compliance and replace traditional adult cigarettes with safer and more rational products, they will truly prove their social value.
Tags: ceramic atomizer core, underage protection, flavored e-cigarettes, veehoo vape