Vape news

The following are the main news developments in the e-cigarette sector since 2026, sorted by topic.

Crackdown on "upgrading" e-cigarettes involving drugs
In 2026, cases of criminals mixing veterinary anesthetic trampolimine powder with e-cigarette oil to produce and sell e-cigarette cartridges for profit occurred frequently. Trampolimine has strong analgesic and hallucinogenic effects. Its abuse can lead to hallucinations, disordered consciousness, convulsions and seizures, severely damaging the central nervous system, and excessive use can suppress breathing and endanger life.

This substance was officially included in the "Non-Pharmaceutical Class I Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Catalog" on July 1, 2026. After being listed, the illegal sale of "upgrading" e-cigarettes containing trampolimine is dealt with as a drug-related crime, and the consumption and possession are treated as drug violations. Public security organs in Tongcheng, Jingbian and other places have investigated multiple related cases. Police in many places have warned the public not to purchase or consume "upgrading" e-cigarettes of unknown origin.

China: Capacity control and cancellation of export tax rebates
Capacity control: In February 2026, the State Tobacco Monopoly Administration issued a notice, clearly prohibiting the construction of new e-cigarette projects and strictly controlling capacity expansion, and comprehensively rectifying the "competitive over-expansion" in the industry. E-cigarettes were classified as restricted industries, and all enterprises were not allowed to invest in new projects, and relocation or restoration projects were not allowed to increase capacity. The regulatory authorities will implement capacity assessment management and reduce the assessed capacity for enterprises with long-term low capacity utilization or violations. They will also include such enterprises in key supervision.

Cancellation of export tax rebates: Starting from April 1, 2026, China officially cancelled the 13% value-added tax export tax rebates for e-cigarette products. The original rebate rate was a key factor for enterprises to offset costs and maintain international pricing advantages. The cancellation of the rebate means that enterprises need to bear the full VAT cost directly, which directly reduces the profit margin. Analysts believe that this policy aims to accelerate the elimination of small domestic production capacity and is beneficial to leading compliant enterprises.

Export data: In the first half of 2026, the core export value of e-cigarettes in China was approximately 4.875 billion US dollars, with a year-on-year increase of 3.1%. However, the export value in April decreased by 20.9% year-on-year and 23.2% month-on-month, and the impact of the cancellation of tax rebates began to be apparent.

United States: Major shift in FDA regulation
First flavored e-cigarettes approved: In May 2026, the FDA approved the sale of e-cigarettes with fruit flavors (mango, blueberry) for the first time, marking the official launch of the compliance process for flavored e-cigarettes. Previously, flavored e-cigarettes were banned during Trump's first term due to the sharp increase in their use by teenagers.

Adjustment of law enforcement priorities: At the same time, the FDA released new law enforcement priorities, allowing some flavored e-cigarettes and higher nicotine content oral nicotine products to remain on the market during the pre-authorization review period. The FDA can exercise "law enforcement discretion" over products in the review stage and some large tobacco companies may be allowed to sell new tobacco products before obtaining final authorization.

Juul approved to sell upgraded e-cigarette devices with age verification: In August 2026, Juul Labs obtained federal permission to sell upgraded e-cigarette devices with optional age verification systems, aiming to prevent minors from using them.

Shopify completely banned sales: In June 2026, under the pressure of 25 state attorneys general, the e-commerce platform Shopify announced a complete ban on the sale of e-cigarette products on its platform. The illegal e-cigarette market in the United States is approximately 9 billion US dollars, and the FDA has only authorized 45 e-cigarette products, and the vast majority of online sold e-cigarettes are regarded as "counterfeit" products.

United Kingdom: Implementation of the Tobacco and E-Cigarette Act in phases
The "2026 Tobacco and E-Cigarette Act" of the United Kingdom was approved by the Royal Assent in May 2026 and entered the phased implementation stage. Key milestones include:

October 1, 2026: The electronic cigarette consumption tax officially comes into effect. Retailers must sell out their existing inventory by April 2027. Selling untaxed products thereafter is illegal.

October 29, 2026: The minimum age for purchase is 18 years for all consumer-grade nicotine products (including nicotine pouches and zero-nicotine electronic cigarettes); electronic cigarette vending machines are prohibited; free distribution of electronic cigarettes and nicotine products is also prohibited.

January 1, 2027: The "Smoke-Free Generation" law comes into effect, prohibiting the sale of tobacco to individuals born on or after January 1, 2009.

In addition, the UK is conducting public consultations on seven new restrictions, including plain packaging, restrictions on device colors, and limitations on in-store display locations.

The UK Electronic Cigarette Industry Association (UKVIA) calls for moderate regulation, including accelerating the implementation of the electronic cigarette retail licensing system, increasing penalties for illegal vendors, retaining adult-oriented flavors for electronic cigarettes, and conducting a review and assessment of the new electronic cigarette product tax.

Other countries: One-time electronic cigarette ban spreads
Mexico: Since January 16, 2026, electronic cigarettes are completely banned for sale, including commercialization, importation, and sales. This covers all types of electronic smoking devices such as one-time use, nicotine-free, and single-use. Those who violate the ban can face up to 8 years in prison.

Germany: Legislation is being proposed to ban one-time electronic cigarettes, with reusable devices not included in the ban.

Poland: The government has decided to prohibit the sale of one-time electronic cigarettes (including nicotine and nicotine-free ones).

Azerbaijan: The parliament has passed a bill to completely ban electronic cigarettes, covering importation, exportation, production, storage, wholesale, retail, and use.

California, USA: Legislation prohibits one-time nicotine electronic cigarettes, banning manufacturing and importation as of January 1, 2027, and sales or distribution as of January 1, 2028.

Health research: Disrupting the "harm reduction" narrative
3,000 genetic abnormalities, 67% of which are caused by flavors and devices: A study published in Frontiers in Oncology in June 2026 by the University of Southern California, which sequenced the full transcriptome RNA of 83 subjects' oral mucosal cells, found that 3,124 genes in electronic cigarette users showed significant expression abnormalities. The core finding was that over 72% of the gene changes could not be explained by the use dose but were determined by the product flavor and device type. Users of fruit-flavored e-liquid had 31% of the abnormal genes significantly changed, and those who mixed multiple flavors had this proportion as high as 64.3%; the third-generation devices represented by high-power oil-injecting "box cigarettes" were associated with 55.9% of the abnormal gene changes. The conclusion was that the harm of electronic cigarettes goes far beyond nicotine; the design and formulation of the product itself are the more critical driving factors.

Mint and tobacco flavors themselves cause lung damage: A study published in Toxicol Rep in February 2026 found that common components in mint and tobacco-flavored electronic cigarettes (even without nicotine) can induce lung inflammation, epithelial barrier dysfunction, and lung damage. The mechanism involves the regulation of nicotinic acetylcholine receptors.

The CHEST research statement points out the regulatory scientific gap: In May 2026, the American Thoracic Society journal CHEST published a research statement, stating that there is a significant gap in the scientific evidence needed for effective regulation of electronic cigarettes, and calls for the inclusion of known markers for cardiovascular stress, systemic inflammation, and carcinogenic effects in studies on the population health impact of reduced-nicotine products.

Market dynamics: Growth of international tobacco companies' electronic cigarette business
British American Tobacco (BAT): In the first half of 2026, the revenue from e-cigarettes increased by 5.3% year-on-year (at a fixed exchange rate), with the revenue from e-cigarettes in the US market increasing by 19.8% and the sales volume increasing by 14.9%. The compliant market share of the Vuse brand in the US increased by 4.1 percentage points to 55.9%. The company plans to launch several selected flavored Vuse products for adult consumers in the second half of 2026.

Philip Morris International (PMI): In the second quarter of 2026, the quarterly shipment volume of the e-cigarette brand VEEV exceeded 1 billion equivalent units, and the sales volume increased by nearly double compared to the previous year. The sales in Italy, Romania, Germany, the United Kingdom, France, Spain, and Indonesia were particularly outstanding. According to Nielsen data, VEEV ranked first among the closed-loop refillable e-cigarette categories in Europe's 19 countries in terms of terminal sales, tied with its core competitor.

Philip Morris International enters South Korea: In August 2026, Philip Morris International launched the liquid e-cigarette brand VEEV in PRIME in South Korea, further expanding its product portfolio centered on smokeless products.

Youth protection: Global common challenge
7%, and it is estimated that over 40,000 teenagers are e-cigarette users. The number of campus notification cases involving the carrying or use of e-cigarettes has increased by 7 times in the past three years, reaching a cumulative total of 1,692 last year.

Chinese mainland: Although the online sales of e-cigarettes have been completely banned and the sale of flavored e-cigarettes other than tobacco flavors has been prohibited, e-cigarettes still circulate in the online space under new trendy names such as "milk tea cup" and "cola cup", posing a serious threat to the physical and mental health of teenagers. The number of people aged 15 and above using e-cigarettes is approximately 10 million, with the 15-24 age group having the highest usage rate.

Age verification technology commercialization: Charlie's Holdings plans to test the first age-verified (Age-Gated) flavored disposable e-cigarette in the United States in the third quarter of 2026, using AI and blockchain technology to prevent the device from activating before the user's identity and age are confirmed in real time.

In summary, in 2026, the global e-cigarette sector shows a trend of comprehensive regulatory tightening, continuous accumulation of health evidence, and concentration of the market towards the leading compliant enterprises. If you want to delve deeper into any of these directions, further discussion is possible.