The government asked police to investigate companies that advertised and sold "high-concentration nicotine solution" products for e-cigarettes through online sites.
The Ministry of Finance and Economy said on the 4th that it asked the Daejeon Metropolitan Police Agency and the Gyeonggi Nambu Provincial Police Agency to investigate three companies on suspicion of violating the Tobacco Business Act.
The companies are said to have sold the products by advertising that consumers could easily mix and dilute the nicotine solutions and inhale them for e-cigarette use.
Under the revised Tobacco Business Act that took effect on the 24th of last month, products manufactured to be smoked, sucked, or inhaled as vapor using nicotine as a raw material, as well as leaf tobacco, are all considered "tobacco" under the law. To manufacture such tobacco, one must obtain a tobacco manufacturing license from the Minister of Finance and Economy, and failure to do so is subject to punishment.
Also subject to punishment are selling tobacco to consumers without being designated by the government as a "tobacco retailer," or selling via mail order or electronic transaction methods.
The ministry said, "The three companies referred for investigation this time were suspected of not having a tobacco manufacturing license or designation as tobacco retailers, and the fact that they sold online was also a problem," adding, "High-concentration nicotine solution can lead to safety accidents such as skin contact, ingestion, and misuse when ordinary consumers handle, mix, and dilute it directly without professional safety facilities or protective equipment."
The ministry plans to file complaints with investigative agencies if similar suspected violations of the law are identified in the future.