Today (February 10), a bill in South Korea that includes liquid-type electronic cigarettes in the legal definition of “tobacco” did not pass the Economic and Financial Subcommittee of the National Assembly. Some members raised concerns about the credibility of the government’s findings, noting that synthetic nicotine is harmful, similar to existing tobacco products, and opposed the bill. There were also arguments that decisions should be deferred considering the survival rights of the liquid tobacco industry.
The main point of the amendment is to expand the definition of “legal tobacco” to include liquid-type electronic cigarettes that use synthetic nicotine as a primary ingredient. Under current law, tobacco is defined as “the leaves of the tobacco plant.” Electronic cigarettes containing synthetic nicotine are not classified as legal tobacco.
The issue, critics say, is that liquid-type electronic cigarettes have a similar addictive quality to existing tobacco products and are effectively used as tobacco, however, because of the legal definition question, they escape various regulations and taxation.
Last December, the Economic and Financial Subcommittee held a public hearing related to the amendment of the Tobacco Business Act where both ruling and opposition party members reached a consensus that liquid-type electronic cigarettes should be regulated legally as if they were tobacco. However, in a closed-door meeting later that day, differing concerns were raised regarding the government’s findings.
“There is a consensus among ruling and opposition party members to define and regulate liquid-type electronic cigarettes as tobacco,” one of the members of the Economic and Financial Subcommittee said. “However, additional discussions are needed on how to flexibly apply the Tobacco Business Act considering the survival rights of sales vendors.”
