China has banned the sale of flavoured e-cigarettes as part of a wide-ranging crackdown on the industry. The new rules mean vapes that have flavourings other than tobacco – such as those that taste fruity or sweet – cannot be sold on the domestic market.
But they can still be manufactured in China to be shipped around the world, including to the UK, where Chinese-made brands such as Elfbar, known for its range of flavoured disposable vapes, are popular.
The ban, which comes into effect this month, follows a tightening of other rules relating to e-cigarettes, including a ban on selling them online and an order for packaging to include warning labels that say they are harmful to health and must not be used by schoolchildren.
It comes in response to concerns about underage vaping in China and is likely to severely affect its domestic e-cigarette market, which had been growing rapidly.
Exports from China have also surged in recent years, reaching the value of 138.3 billion yuan in 2021, up 180% year-on-year, according to the China Electronics Chamber of Commerce.
Disposable vapes made by brands such as Elfbar are widely sold in the UK and online. They cost about £5 each and come in a wide range of flavours including banana ice, watermelon and strawberry ice cream.
While the number of young people who use e-cigarettes in the UK is relatively low, research suggests it is growing.
A survey by YouGov and the charity Action on Smoking and Health found that the proportion of children aged 11 to 17 who vape had risen from 4% in 2020 to 7% in 2022. The percentage of children who had tried vaping had also risen, from 14% to 16%.
More than half of the children who vaped said disposable e-cigarettes were their preferred product – up from 7% in 2020 – and the most popular brand was Elfbar. In July an Observer investigation found that Elfbar was flouting rules to promote its products to young people in Britain. The items were advertised in videos on TikTok by influencers who in some cases claimed to be paid for the promotions and benefit from free products. The videos – many of which showed influencers vaping on camera –were not age-restricted and were not always clearly marked as ads. Some have attracted hundreds of thousands of views on TikTok, which is used by half of eight to 11-year-olds and three-quarters of 16 to 17-year-olds.
In response to the findings, Elfbar said it was “very aware of the UK regulations” and would conduct “internal investigations” into the allegations.
The UK vaping market is worth more than £1bn a year. The Association of Directors of Public Health has called for tighter regulations to ban brightly coloured packaging and a review of flavours likely to appeal to children.
