Behind the smoke: the rise, carnival and regulatory dilemma of e-cigarettes

E-cigarettes are popular all over the world

In the subway car in the early morning, a young man took out an exquisitely shaped e-cigarette from his pocket, took a light puff, and then exhaled a cloud of blueberry-scented mist. Such scenes are already common in today's cities. E-cigarettes, a technological product known as "traditional cigarette substitutes", are integrating into modern life at an alarming rate. According to statistics from the World Health Organization, there are more than 80 million e-cigarette users worldwide. However, behind this seemingly harmless white smoke, a fierce debate about public health is quietly unfolding.

The evolution of e-cigarettes

The technological evolution of e-cigarettes is like a miniature history of science and technology. In 2003, Chinese pharmacist Han Li invented the first commercial e-cigarette, "Ruyan", to help his father quit smoking. This device, which produces inhalable aerosol (commonly known as steam) by heating e-liquid, quickly went from China to the world. Today, e-cigarettes have evolved into a variety of forms: there are disposable e-cigarettes that mimic traditional cigarettes, and there are complex modular devices with adjustable power. The flavors of e-liquids have also expanded from the original tobacco and mint to tens of thousands, covering fruit, dessert and even beverage flavors.

The rapid development of e-cigarettes

The rapid evolution of e-cigarette categories is not accidental. Market research shows that the global e-cigarette market size has reached US$22.8 billion in 2022, and is expected to exceed US$47 billion by 2027, with huge commercial interests hidden behind it. Data from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) show that from February 2020 to June 2024, with a statistical cycle of 4 weeks, the sales of e-cigarettes in physical retailers increased from 15.7 million units to 21.1 million units, a growth rate of 34.7%. Although the e-cigarette market continues to expand, the supervision of various countries has become increasingly strict. The United States has implemented a partial ban on flavored e-cigarettes, and the European Union has included e-cigarettes in the tobacco product regulatory system.