The newly revised Law on the Protection of Minors, which will take effect on June 1, 2021, makes remarkable progress in protecting minors from tobacco use. It forbids the sale of cigarettes, including electronic cigarettes, to the underage. Cigarette shops are not to be allowed near places where minors are present in large numbers, including schools and kindergartens.

It is the first time that electronic cigarettes have been included in a national law. Many minors are seen vaping e-cigarettes that harm both their growth and health, which made policymakers address the issue.

Besides reducing minors' exposure to cigarettes, the law is also a good start for other national laws and local regulations to ban e-cigarettes. It encourages people, companies and policymakers to reach a consensus on the harm caused by e-cigarettes.

Although the media has disseminated information about the harmful effects of e-cigarettes, people still use them, even though many products are substandard.

Other laws related to tobacco monopoly should be consistent with the Law on the Protection of Minors and provide more detailed and practical provisions. Local governments need to improve policies according to the revised law to ensure its effective enforcement.

Besides, economic policies should be adjusted accordingly. For example, the e-cigarette industry needs to control production and regulate marketing and promotional activities.

This is an edited excerpt of an article originally published in Beijing Youth Daily on November 4

(Print Edition Title: Protecting Minors From Tobacco)