Chinese vape conglomerate Smoore announced this week it will police the names, flavors and appearance of vape products that use its atomizers and other parts. The company says it will end business partnerships with manufacturers that continue to sell products Smoore says are “attractive to children.”
The decision follows a related move by disposable vape manufacturer Elf Bar, which announced last week it would eliminate flavors based on popular soft drinks, candy and desserts. Anti-vaping groups say those flavors are designed to lure children into nicotine use.
Both actions come just before a British consultation on changes to vape regulations closes this week. In October, UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak proposed changes that could include taxes, limits on flavors, and even a full ban on disposable vapes.
Smoore has made a list of flavors it finds unacceptable, including cotton candy, donut, gummy bear, bubblegum, and ice cream, along with “reindeer and Dr Reptile.”
Smoore is one of the oldest Chinese vape manufacturers. Founded in 2006, Smoore owns the Vaporesso, CCELL, FEELM, Revenant and Renova brands, among others. But it also does contract manufacturing, and supplies product parts and components to other companies, including the manufacturers of many of the world’s most popular vape brands.
Smoore says each of its companies has been ordered to conduct a review to ascertain that “none of its products or those of its customers on the OEM and ODM side of its business could be seen as appealing to children.”
Smoore has made a list of flavors it finds unacceptable, including cotton candy, donut, gummy bear, bubblegum, and ice cream, along with “reindeer and Dr Reptile.” In a press release from Smoore’s UK offices, the company announced it would set up “a vape flavour detection squad to monitor the market” for new flavors that “could be considered as being appealing to minors.”
The company also says it wants to eliminate “stealth products which could be hidden inside a teenager’s pencil case and product designs which look like toys, soft drinks or cartoon characters.”
Nearly all flavors accused of being aimed at youth users were actually developed by adult vapers in the early days of vaping, when many users who had recently quit smoking discovered that sweet and candy-like flavors were helpful in eliminating the craving for cigarettes.
Because of declining cigarette sales, state governments in the U.S. and countries around the world are looking to vapor products as a new source of tax revenue.
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