Nicotine-like products expose blind spot in e-cigarette rules

Nicotine-imitation products are emerging as a regulatory blind spot in South Korea after rules on liquid e-cigarettes were tightened in April. The article says nicotine-free and nicotine-imitation liquids remain outside the Tobacco Business Act, even as some products have been found to contain actual nicotine. The government announced cautionary measures in June and plans to assess 6-methylnicotine this year.

The revised Tobacco Business Act took effect in April and extended the legal definition of tobacco to natural and synthetic nicotine.

Under the revised law, e-cigarette use is banned in schools, hospitals, government offices, and designated outdoor no-smoking zones.

A 2024 Korea Consumer Agency survey found actual nicotine in seven of 12 online products labeled as nicotine-free.

Of 15 e-cigarette liquids examined by the KCA, five had no warning label and nine had labeling that fell short of standards.

The Ministry of Food and Drug Safety plans to finish a hazard assessment of 6-methylnicotine this year and study how to prepare for new nicotine-imitation substances.

Published Sep 6, 2026 2:07 pm KST

Updated Sep 6, 2026 4:23 pm KST

A new regulatory blind spot is emerging around nicotine-free and nicotine-imitation products, following a law revision that brought liquid e-cigarettes under government oversight for the first time.

Nicotine-imitation substances have not been fully verified for safety, and actual nicotine has turned up even in products marketed as "nicotine-free," prompting calls for a comprehensive system to regulate such products.

In April, a revision to the Tobacco Business Act took effect extending the legal definition of tobacco from traditional leaf-based products to cover natural and synthetic nicotine.

Under the revised law, use of e-cigarettes is banned in facilities such as schools, hospitals and government offices, as well as in designated outdoor no-smoking zones. Online sales of e-cigarettes are banned, and health warnings including nicotine content and ingredient disclosures must appear on packaging. Sales to minors are prohibited, along with any promotional activities targeting them.

Korea brings e-cigarettes under tobacco law, banning online sales

But the Tobacco Business Act defines tobacco only as products made from tobacco leaf or nicotine, leaving nicotine-free and nicotine-imitation substances outside the regulatory net. Some unmanned shops and online retailers exploited that gap, shifting their offerings to nicotine-free and nicotine-imitation liquids.

Because these products escape advertising rules, sellers often market them with phrases such as "strong hit" or "intense coolness" that mimic nicotine's effects. Many nicotine-imitation products in circulation use 6-methylnicotine, which has a molecular structure resembling that of nicotine. It has been reported to show cytotoxicity, but its health risks have not been sufficiently verified yet.

Products on the market also carry false labeling. A 2024 survey by the Korea Consumer Agency (KCA) found actual nicotine in seven of 12 online products labeled as nicotine-free.

Age-based safeguards are failing as well. Nicotine-free and nicotine-imitation liquids are designated as harmful materials for minors under the Juvenile Protection Act, which bans sales to people under 19 and requires warning labels. Of 15 e-cigarette liquids examined by the KCA, five carried no warning label at all, and nine had labeling that fell short of standards.

In response, the government announced cautionary measures in June for liquid inhalant products marketed as nicotine-free.

The Ministry of Food and Drug Safety plans to complete a hazard assessment of 6-methylnicotine this year and study how to prepare for new nicotine-imitation substances.

Other agencies, including the Ministry of Finance and Economy and the Ministry of Health and Welfare, will keep monitoring such substances and review regulatory options based on the findings.

The National Assembly Research Service, in its 2026 audit issue analysis, said the government should examine whether a central coordinating body is needed to oversee the relevant ministries.

It also called for quickly adopting rules for advertising, vending machines and disclosure regarding imitation products, citing similar systems in Canada, the United Kingdom and the European Union.

自韩国4月份收紧电子烟液体的相关规定以来，尼古丁仿制品逐渐成为监管盲点。文章指出，尽管一些产品被发现含有真正的尼古丁，但不含尼古丁和尼古丁仿制品的烟油仍然不受《烟草经营法》的约束。韩国政府已于6月份宣布了相关警示措施，并计划在今年对6-甲基尼古丁进行评估。

修订后的《烟草商业法》于 4 月生效，并将烟草的法律定义扩大到天然和合成尼古丁。

根据修订后的法律，学校、医院、政府机关和指定的室外禁烟区禁止使用电子烟。

2024 年韩国消费者机构的一项调查发现，在 12 种标榜不含尼古丁的在线产品中，有 7 种含有实际的尼古丁。

KCA 检查的 15 种电子烟液中，有 5 种没有警告标签，9 种标签不符合标准。

食品药品安全部计划今年完成对 6-甲基尼古丁的危害评估，并研究如何应对新的尼古丁仿制品。

发布于2026年9月6日下午2:07（韩国标准时间）

更新于2026年9月6日下午4:23（韩国标准时间）

随着法律修订首次将液态电子烟纳入政府监管范围，无尼古丁和尼古丁仿制品领域出现了一个新的监管盲点。

尼古丁仿制品的安全性尚未得到充分验证，甚至在标榜“不含尼古丁”的产品中也发现了真正的尼古丁，这促使人们呼吁建立一个全面的体系来监管此类产品。

今年 4 月，《烟草商业法》的一项修订生效，将烟草的法律定义从传统的叶状产品扩展到涵盖天然和合成尼古丁。

根据修订后的法律，学校、医院、政府机关等场所及指定的室外禁烟区禁止使用电子烟。电子烟的线上销售也被禁止，包装上必须标明尼古丁含量和成分等健康警示。向未成年人销售电子烟以及针对未成年人的任何促销活动均被禁止。

韩国将电子烟纳入烟草法管辖范围，禁止网上销售。

但《烟草商业法》仅将烟草定义为由烟叶或尼古丁制成的产品，将不含尼古丁和尼古丁仿制品排除在监管范围之外。一些无人商店和在线零售商利用了这一漏洞，将产品转向不含尼古丁和尼古丁仿制品的液体。

由于这些产品不受广告法规约束，商家经常使用“强劲击喉感”或“极致清凉”等词语来宣传，以模仿尼古丁的效果。市面上许多仿尼古丁产品都使用6-甲基尼古丁，其分子结构与尼古丁相似。据报道，6-甲基尼古丁具有细胞毒性，但其健康风险尚未得到充分证实。

市面上的产品也存在虚假标签的情况。韩国消费者振兴院（KCA）2024年的一项调查发现，在12种标榜不含尼古丁的线上产品中，有7种实际上含有尼古丁。

基于年龄的保护措施也未能奏效。根据《青少年保护法》，不含尼古丁和尼古丁仿制品的电子烟液被认定为对未成年人有害的物质，该法禁止向19岁以下的人销售此类产品，并要求贴上警告标签。在KCA检查的15种电子烟液中，有5种完全没有贴警告标签，9种的标签不符合标准。

对此，政府于6月宣布对以不含尼古丁为卖点的液体吸入剂产品采取谨慎措施。

食品药品安全部计划今年完成对 6-甲基尼古丁的危害评估，并研究如何应对新的尼古丁仿制品。

包括财政经济省和卫生福利部在内的其他机构将继续监测此类物质，并根据调查结果审查监管方案。

国民议会研究服务处在其 2026 年审计问题分析中表示，政府应审查是否需要一个中央协调机构来监督相关部委。

报告还呼吁尽快制定有关广告、自动售货机和仿冒产品信息披露的规则，并援引加拿大、英国和欧盟的类似制度。