According to News1 on September 13, according to a survey conducted by the South Korean government in the first half of this year in April, there were only 11 unmanned vape stores at the time. However, as of the beginning of this month, the number has soared to 44, a four-fold increase in just about six months.
It is reported that with the sharp increase in the number of unmanned stores, the adult certification procedures of some stores have become lax. Some stores even accept expired ID cards or paper-printed ID cards for adult certification.
These stores mainly sell “electronic cigarettes”. Unlike traditional cigarettes, vape stores do not need to report to local governments as tobacco retail stores to operate, and various fruit and mint flavors of vapes are popular among young people. According to the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, between 2019 and 2023, about 3 in 10 adolescent smokers (32%) started to contact tobacco through vapes. In addition, 6 out of 10 teenagers (60.3%) who started with vapes now mainly smoke traditional cigarettes.
At present, vapes are not classified as “ordinary tobacco” in the current law and cannot be fully regulated. At the same time, these products do not need to be accompanied by warning icons or harmful copywriting, nor do they need to pay tobacco consumption taxes and other fees.
Experts believe that incorporating vapes into the current system and levying consumption taxes may effectively reduce the smoking rate of young people.
Lee Sung-kyu, director of the Korean Tobacco Control Research and Education Center, said: “Currently, vapes come in various forms such as watches, highlighters, car keys, AirPods, etc., which are difficult for parents to distinguish with the naked eye. If the same regulatory measures as ordinary tobacco are imposed on them as soon as possible, and taxes are levied, the purchase rate of price-sensitive teenagers will drop significantly.”
In addition, there is a view that adult authentication devices should be set up at the entrance of unmanned stores. Lee Sung-kyu emphasized: “The entrance of unmanned smoking stores needs to introduce adult authentication devices through mobile phone numbers, and the doors of many unmanned smoking stores are open.”
Therefore, for brands like Veehoo vapes that focus on compliance and innovation, they should attach importance to compliance with local regulations, actively support strengthening the supervision of the vape industry, ensure the legal and compliant sales of products, and also take the initiative to participate in social responsibility, help young people grow up healthily, and promote the sustainable development of the vape industry.
For a brand like Veehoo that focuses on compliance and innovation, it is crucial to address the issue of youth smoking. Here are some suggestions:
- Strengthen product positioning and publicity: Veehoo can clearly position its products for adult use, and emphasize the health advantages and smoking cessation assistance functions of the products in publicity, and avoid using advertising language and images that are too young or appealing to teenagers.
- Strictly implement sales policies: Ensure that all sales outlets and channels strictly implement the legal age verification procedures to prevent minors from purchasing vape products. A dual verification mechanism for physical stores and online sales channels can be adopted, such as requiring the presentation of valid identification documents or real-time age verification.
- Education and publicity: Carry out education activities on the hazards of smoking for teenagers, convey information about vapes to the public and parents, emphasize the harm of smoking for minors, and promote a healthy lifestyle.
- Support the ban on minors from entering stores: Work with retail partners to jointly support the ban on minors from entering vape sales outlets, and ensure that the product sales environment does not induce minors.
- Social responsibility advocacy: Actively assume social responsibility, participate in and support initiatives and related social activities to ban minors from smoking, and work with relevant government departments, non-profit organizations and social groups to work together to reduce the problem of smoking for minors.
Through the comprehensive implementation of the above measures, Veehoo vapes can effectively address the problem of youth smoking, ensure the healthy growth of minors, and at the same time maintain the reputation and sustainable development of the product brand.
Tags: Unmanned vape stores in South Korea，vape stores surge in South Korea，veehoo vape