Korea closes loophole allowing minors into unmanned vape shops
Minors will be barred from entering or working at unmanned e-cigarette stores, as the government moves to close a regulatory gap that has let them buy e-cigarettes unchecked. The Ministry of Gender Equality and Family said Monday that it will pre-announce legislation aimed at blocking the sale and distribution of e-cigarettes to minors at unmanned stores, during a notice period that will run…
The Korean government is closing a loophole that allowed minors to purchase e-cigarettes from unmanned vending machines, which have operated unchecked until now. The Ministry of Gender Equality and Family announced legislation on Monday, giving them six weeks to prepare before the new rules take effect. This regulation targets e-cigarette businesses that sell products through vending machines without any staff or store owner on-site.
According to Yoon Se-jin, director of youth policy at the ministry, these unmanned stores make it challenging to prevent minors from accessing e-cigarettes. To address this issue, businesses will be required to display signs prohibiting minors from entering or working at their locations, as well as implementing age verification measures to prevent individuals under 19 from purchasing the products.
The government's decision comes in response to increasing concerns about minors' easy access to e-cigarettes, even after the implementation of other regulatory measures.
Written by urgent.news from The Korea Times's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
This story
This is one outlet's version. Read the fullest account.
- Korea closes loophole allowing minors into unmanned vape shops koreatimes.co.kr
