Smoore Drops ‘Youth-Friendly’ Brands
Smoore will no longer partner with brands that use flavor names, packaging or product designs that are attractive to youth, the company wrote in a statement.
The announcement comes ahead of the Dec. 6 closure of the U.K. government’s consultation on e-cigarettes.
Smoore says it wants to help end the use of flavor names such as Cotton Candy, Gummy Bear, Watermelon Bubblegum and Blueberry Popsicle. Additionally, the company would like to see an end to the manufacturing and sales of “stealth products,” which are vaping products designed to mimic school supplies, toys, soft drinks or cartoon characters.
Smoore has created a list of flavors that it considers youth-friendly and is also creating a vapor flavor detection squad to monitor the market for new flavors that could be considered appealing to youth.
There is absolutely no place for any vaping product to look like a child’s toy, be shaped like a much-loved cartoon character or iconic children’s game or be filled with liquid called ‘Gummy Bear, Cotton Candy, Strawberry Milkshake or Starry Violet.
“The vape industry represents the best chance the world has ever seen to eradicate deadly cigarettes, and we cannot allow this opportunity to be squandered,” Rex Zhang, Smoore’s strategy director, said. “Vaping was invented for this very purpose, and we need to ensure that it is focused on the adult smoking market.
“There is absolutely no place for any vaping product to look like a child’s toy, be shaped like a much-loved cartoon character or iconic children’s game or be filled with liquid called ‘Gummy Bear, Cotton Candy, Strawberry Milkshake or Starry Violet.’”
Every company under Smoore’s umbrella has been ordered to undertake a root and branch review to ensure that none of its products or customers on the OEM and ODM side of its business could be seen as producing youth-appealing products.
The list of flavors so far includes Skittles, Rainbow, Cotton Candy, Donut, Gummy Bear, Bubblegum, Slushy, Starburst, Pink Pop, Ice Cream, Milkshake, Popsicle, Starry Violet, Reindeer, Snow, Christmas, Fruit Smash, Dr. Reptile, Sour Patch, Oreo and Jolly.
If the company finds brand owners with products that Smoore deems to be child-friendly, Smoore will work with the company to take immediate corrective action; however, if no action is taken, Smoore could ultimately discontinue all cooperation with the brand.
Smoore also suggests creating a “no-fly list” to be used by retail and distribution companies around the globe that lists the manufacturers of child-friendly products to prevent their products from being sold.
Smoore is also urging more standardization of product sizes and shapes. The company believes standardization will help create faster “disassembly at waste treatment sites, helping to increase recycling rates of vapes.”
The company is calling for every batch of disposable vapes and pre-filled pods to be randomly sampled for product compliance, with whole batches being rejected if any number of noncompliant products are identified.