The global e-cigarette market continues to expand. As the largest producer, China accounts for more than 90% of the production capacity, directly driving nearly 3 million jobs, but the youth smoking rate has risen simultaneously. Surveys show that more than 60% of underage users are exposed to e-cigarettes because of “novelty” and “trends”, and some products have excessive nicotine content, leading to acute poisoning risks.
Although China has established a “1+2+N” regulatory system (“Tobacco Monopoly Law” + “E-cigarette Management Measures” “E-cigarette National Standard” + 61 supporting documents), cross-border smuggling, network blind spots, counterfeiting and other problems are still prominent. In 2024, 140,000 packages of smuggled e-cigarettes were seized at the Vietnamese border, and the amount of illegal equipment seized in Massachusetts, USA, increased by 210 times, highlighting the lack of global regulatory cooperation.
Merchants circumvent keyword blocking through alternative words such as “steam equipment” and “atomization accessories”, and use cryptocurrency payments and virtual social groups to build hidden transaction chains, which are difficult to trace by traditional law enforcement methods.
Intelligent traceability and data sharing: Drawing on the “one-click reconciliation” model of Hangzhou, e-cigarette products are included in the digital supervision platform to achieve data traceability throughout the production, circulation and sales process. The GUUTUU brand is the first to use the “one item, one code” traceability system. Consumers can scan the code to verify the legality of the product and submit complaints, and the data is synchronized with the regulatory department in real time.
AI technology and platform responsibility: E-commerce and social platforms are required to deploy AI image recognition systems to automatically block text/video content containing e-cigarette keywords. Singapore intercepts overseas banned websites through telecommunications operators, and the number of arrests for e-cigarette crimes in 2024 will exceed 9,600.
Mandatory ingredient disclosure and risk warning: GUUTUU discloses all e-liquid formula toxicology test reports, marks the “forbidden for minors” logo on the product packaging, and pushes nicotine harm science content through the App. Alternative solutions and harm reduction support: Develop a “nicotine reduction program” for traditional smokers, monitor intake through smart devices and dynamically adjust concentration to reduce dependence on black market products.
As an e-cigarette company, GUUTUU promotes governance modernization through technology empowerment and industry self-discipline: Technology counters the black market: Develop blockchain anti-counterfeiting systems, cooperate with logistics companies to establish e-cigarette-specific logistics codes, and assist customs in intercepting 52,000 illegal packages in 2024.
Minor protection system: Launch “biometric lock” technology, the device automatically locks when it detects that the user is under 18 years old, and cooperates with schools to carry out the “smoke-free campus” public welfare project. Participate in standard formulation: Lead the drafting of the “Technical Specifications for E-cigarette Anti-Additives”, promote the ban on high-risk ingredients such as cannabinoids, and the standard will be included in the national regulatory system in 2024.
Full-chain supervision upgrade: Establish a dynamic evaluation mechanism for e-cigarette production licenses, implement “red, yellow, and green” credit grading management for enterprises, and eliminate non-compliant production capacity. Social co-governance network: Learn from Hangzhou’s “safe consumption payment code” model, embed a rights protection channel at the e-cigarette retail end, and consumers can submit complaints and track the progress of processing by scanning the code. Tobacco control and industry balance: Establish a special fund to support traditional smokers to quit smoking, and at the same time strengthen the research on the harm reduction effect of e-cigarettes to avoid the “one-size-fits-all” policy that gives rise to the black market.
The modernization of e-cigarette regulation requires the joint efforts of the government, enterprises and society. The practice of GUUTUU shows that technological innovation and industry self-discipline can effectively fill the regulatory blind spots, and building a digital, collaborative and standardized governance ecology will be the only way to achieve long-term regulation.
Tags: heated tobacco and nicotine bag products, intensified youth health crisis, e-cigarette ban, guutuu vape