中国监管部门敦促停止网售电子烟
Citing health concerns for minors, a Chinese regulator and the state tobacco monopoly jointly urged manufacturers and sellers to shut down websites related to the marketing and sale of e-cigarettes, in what could amount to an effective ban.
上海——上周五,中国发布了有关电子烟最严厉的警告。中国国家烟草专卖局、国家市场监督管理总局发布通告,称为保护未成年人身心健康,敦促电子烟制造商和销售商关闭与电子烟营销和销售有关的网站。
The move could shut off one of the biggest markets for an industry that is facing scrutiny around the world. China has more than 7.4 million e-cigarette consumers, and it is the largest maker of e-cigarette products, according a study by Tsinghua University’s Public Health and Technology Supervision Research Group.
此举可能会关闭电子烟这个正面临全球审查的行业中最大的市场之一。清华大学公共卫生与技术监督研究小组的一项研究显示,中国拥有超过740万电子烟消费者,也是最大的电子烟产品生产国。中国还为电子烟行业提供了丰厚的机会。在上周于上海举行的电子烟博览会上,来自世界各地的250家公司进行了营销展示。
合元集团电子烟生产线上的烟盒。合元是中国电子烟产品最大的制造商之一。
It also comes just two weeks before one the world’s busiest online shopping days, Singles Day, a holiday invented by the Chinese e-commerce website Alibaba.
这一通告的发布正值全球最繁忙的网络购物节之一“双十一”的前两周,“双十一”是中国电子商务网站阿里巴巴发明的节日。
The Chinese authorities, like their counterparts in the United States and elsewhere, have been rethinking addictions to vaping. Last year, Beijing banned the sale of e-cigarettes to minors.
与美国和其他地方的政府部门一样,中国当局一直在反思电子烟成瘾问题。去年,北京市禁止向未成年人出售电子烟。
A top official at the tobacco regulator told the official Xinhua news agency on Friday that many e-cigarette companies target young people by advertising e-cigarettes with words like “young” and “fashion” to tempt minors. Many parents, the regulator said, were worried that their children can easily purchase vaping devices through websites.
烟草监管机构的一位高级官员周五对新华社表示,许多电子烟公司以年轻人为目标消费者,它们在广告上用“年轻”和“时尚”等字眼来吸引未成年人。监管机构称,许多父母担心他们的孩子可以通过网站轻松购买到电子烟设备。
To some, the notice, was as clear as a room filled with smoke. The vaguely worded statement, which was published on Friday on the websites of the State Administration of Markets and the State Tobacco Monopoly Administration, left open questions about whether it qualified as a ban and whether it would be enforced.
周五发布的公告措辞模糊不清,关于该公告能否成为有效禁令以及是否将被执行的问题目前尚且存疑。“中国目前尚无法律法规禁止在线销售电子烟,”中国电子商会电子烟行业委员会会长欧俊彪说。他还表示,他认为监管人员担心会失去销售电子烟带来的税收流。
“There is no law and regulation in China that forbids the online sale of e-cigarette yet,” said Ou Junbiao, head of the Electronic Cigarette Industry Committee of China. Mr. Ou said he thought that the regulator was worried about losing the tax revenue stream it gets from selling cigarettes.
尽管公告模棱两可,但一些行业参与者还是迅速采取了行动。公告发布后仅几个小时,三个在线平台就删除了其电子烟产品。周五晚间,中国最受欢迎的七个电子烟品牌在社交媒体上发表声明,称他们支持监管机构的决定。“RELX悦刻”是中国最受欢迎的电子烟品牌,拥有60%的市场份额,该公司在其社交媒体帐户上表示:“我们将全面付诸行动,终止悦刻在网上的一切销售和广告。”
Despite the ambiguity, some players moved quickly. Just hours after the notice was published, three online platforms removed e-cigarette products from their offerings.
阿里巴巴和京东这两个中国最大的电子商务平台均未回应置评请求。
Seven of China’s most popular e-cigarette brands put out statements on social media late Friday saying that they supported the decision by the regulator. RELX, the most popular brand in China with 60 percent market share, said it “firmly supports” the decision by the regulator. “We will fully act to terminate all sales and advertising on the internet,” it said on its social media account.
出于对青少年吸电子烟以及与电子烟相关的一系列严重肺部疾病的担忧,电子烟行业近来在世界各地都遭遇围困。美国一些州已对电子烟实行禁令,而美国食品和药物管理局也一直在考虑是否将调味的电子烟液体产品从市场上撤出。