German Electronic Cigarette Industry Association: 75% of hookah shops are involved in illegal e-cigarette sales, with teenagers as the main target group

German Electronic Cigarette Industry Association: 75% of hookah shops are involved in illegal e-cigarette sales, with teenagers as the main target group

A survey by the German Electronic Cigarette Industry Association (VdeH) shows that about 75% of hookah shops sell illegal e-cigarettes. Illegal e-cigarettes usually contain too much nicotine and excessive filling oil, which many consumers are not aware of, and these products are mainly aimed at teenagers. Oliver Pohland, general manager of VdeH, said that the law itself leads teenagers to smoke. Due to poor supervision and low fines, the illegal market is rampant.

 

According to tagesschau on August 7, a survey by the German Electronic Cigarette Industry Association (VdeH) showed that about 75% of hookah shops sell illegal e-cigarettes, while the proportion of night markets and convenience stores is lower, but it also reaches 20%.

 

It is reported that the association has taken legal action against violations of current laws many times, and relevant departments and institutions have been informed of these problems many times, but the situation has not improved fundamentally so far.

 

Oliver Pohland, general manager of VdeH, said that association members clearly oppose illegal product transactions and the sale of e-cigarettes to minors. He criticized the relevant law enforcement agencies for their poor enforcement, which contributed to the prosperity of the illegal market.

Illegal e-cigarettes often contain too much nicotine and too much refill oil. Many consumers are unaware of this, and these products are mainly aimed at teenagers. Oliver Bollard pointed out:

 

"The law itself leads to smoking behavior among teenagers. Due to poor supervision and low fines, the illegal market is rampant."

 

Since April 2016, German law prohibits the sale of e-cigarettes and e-hookahs to teenagers and prohibits people under 18 from using these products, regardless of whether they contain nicotine. However, the latest 2023 National Center for Health Education (BZgA) Drug Affinity Study shows that disposable e-cigarettes are particularly popular among teenagers.

 

According to the study, 6.7% of teenagers aged 12 to 17 are currently using disposable e-cigarettes, and 17% of teenagers have tried this product.

Stephanie Eckhardt of the National Center for Health Education pointed out that,

 

"Disposable e-cigarettes are the most tried nicotine product by teenagers. E-cigarettes are particularly targeted at teenagers, are cheap and mask the harm of the product with sweet taste, so they have become the focus of educational activities."

 

Although traditional e-cigarette advertising has been restricted by law, e-cigarette advertising is everywhere, especially on the Internet through bloggers, music videos, movies and TV series. Stephanie Eckhardt said,

 

"The display of nicotine consumption on social media has a negative impact on the development of adolescents, especially the risks and negative consequences of consumption are not mentioned, but the positive side of consumption is shown."

 

Burkhard Blienert, the German drug policy commissioner, called for a complete ban on disposable e-cigarettes, saying that these products are highly addictive and extremely harmful to the environment, which can easily lead teenagers to fall into long-term nicotine dependence.