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Investigatese-cigarettesVAPES HAVE RAPIDLY become part of our lives, with stands promoting the products in almost every corner shop.
But where do they come from?
The Journal Investigates took to the streets of Dublin recently and found vapes were available in newsagents, phone repair shops, vending machines… they were often displayed at our eye line, easy to pick up from cabinets at the checkout.
We bought some of the more common disposable vapes that line shop shelves.
The vast majority that we picked up had one resounding origin in common — China. Shenzhen in China to be exact. This city is in the southeastern region and is the third largest city in the country.
A number of the popular brands we bought — Lost Mary, Elfbar and SKE — have Shenzhen listed as their manufacturing location on their packaging.
The company behind Aspire and Geekvape Aegis products are also based there.
Shenzhen is a hub for the vape industry. So much so, Chinese authorities have smoothed the way in recent years for overseas shipping, with certain Chinese vaping companies at the city’s airport requiring fewer export inspections, according to a Reuters report.
This includes Heaven Gifts, the company behind Elf Bar and Lost Mary.
That is despite China cracking down on e-cigarettes at home, with a ban of flavoured products in force since 2022.
A report by the Associated Press (AP) in December 2023 highlighted how some Chinese companies were flooding the United States with flavoured vapes that were not approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
The US agency has not allowed flavoured products to taste like fruit, dessert or sweets in recent years.
The AP report stated that products worth hundreds of millions of dollars were imported to the US from China, with manufacturers repeatedly dodging customs and avoiding taxes and import fees.
The Irish government is also set to ban disposable vapes and restrict flavours in the coming term. Colours and imagery on packaging and devices will also be restricted under the new legislation.
Only tobacco-flavoured vapes will be initially allowed under the Nicotine Inhaling Products Bill, which received cabinet approval in September.
Speaking at the time, Minister for Health Stephen Donnelly said that the State will be banning around 16,000 flavours of disposable vapes, adding that flavourings such as bubble gum is a “very deliberate and cynical” targeting of children.
A number of other e-cigarette products are also made in China but by non-Chinese companies.
IVG is a brand by Acme Vape Labs, based in the UK. At least some of the IVG range is imported from China, including an IVG 2400 product our team purchased last month.
We also bought a number of Vuse vapes which were imported from China by tobacco company PJ Carroll, which is part of the British American Tobacco group.
In Ireland, there are a number of companies sell their own vapes and e-liquids.
This includes one of Ireland’s largest vape distribution and manufacturing companies, Hale Vaping, which has a liquid manufacturing facility in Bagenalstown, Co Carlow.
Mark Curran, owner of the vape shop Vintage Vape Room and e-liquid manufacturer DRS Distro told The Journal Investigates that their liquids are manufactured in the UK.
This morning, we reported that tobacco companies operating in Ireland are increasingly looking to vaping to make up for falling cigarette sales. Read now >>
Reporter & Editor (The Journal Investigates): Maria Delaney • Additional Research: Conor O’Carroll • Editor (The Journal): Sinéad O’Carroll • Social Media: Sadbh Cox • Main Image Design: Lorcan O’Reilly
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Just totally ban all flavoured vapes it’s out of control with kids using them
@M G: Yes let’s make Ireland a nanny state where the government will do the job of parents.
@J B: Good for Milan. Now why exactly do I care about a city in Italy I’ve never been to?. I personally believe the government should ban smoking, vaping, drinking, fast food, junk food, sugary drinks and all the other things that are bad for us as a species. once everything bad is banned parents don’t have to be afraid to use the word NO.
@Ger Whelan: parents don’t parent anymore
@Shane O Mac: oh I’m well aware of that fact
@Ger Whelan: Are you enjoying your latest whinge Ger?
@J B: it’s also the most congested Italian city with poor air quality from traffic. But yeah, ban smoking outdoors for “health” reasons.
@Ger Whelan: unfortunately the government would not be competent to act as parents. Vapes should be prescription only.
@normally go through toll twice a day (M50), that w: how about making cigarettes prescription only and providing smokers with easier access to harm reduction?
The Chinese. A great bunch of lads
Puffing like steam engines. What a sad lot.
@JP: Disposable Income becomes Disposing of Income.
@JP: far far sadder to remain as smokers.
@Comments Section Closed: cottage cheese?!? Do you mean the debunked popcorn lung misinformation? Lots of research out there. https://www.nhs.uk/better-health/quit-smoking/ready-to-quit-smoking/vaping-to-quit-smoking/vaping-myths-and-the-facts/
Talking about Shenzhen in China, did we ever get our money back for the gammy gear they sold the HSE during the pandemic?or is that more millions down the drain?
Here comes the tax, prep work
@MN: it’s here already…well you know they’re not getting there usual windfall from cigarettes now they’ll turn their attention to vaoes, tax the hell out of them, which will achieve nothing besides the government filling their pockets and you won’t hear about it again.
@damien leen: it will also keep smokers smoking which is an income they don’t want to lose.
Lol! The Chinese have already banned flavours to comply adjust and adapt to markets that have yet to do so!! Impressive how fast they move. It’s like the opposite of Ireland. Looks like they will overtake the yanks in the next few decades as the largest global economy.
@Thesaltyurchin: years rather than decades, I suspect. If Trump goes ahead with his isolationist policies, it won’t take long at all.
I want to try every one and write about them. I want to be a Vapour Back Writer. ; – )
How about we get parent to be parents. Adult like flavours too!!!. Why not ban alcohol, that does more damage than smoking or vaping ever will.
Vaping was to help get off cigs, but people who never had cigs went straight to vapes,
@Shane O Mac: who may otherwise have smoked as in my generation. Nicotine was never the issue. Combustible tobacco and tar is. Nicotine as you no doubt know is not a carcinogen and is relatively benign. You wouldn’t know that from the journals shock horror anti vaping pieces mind.
Breaking news. Consumer products manufactured in China. More anti vaping nonsense from The Journal. I’m beginning to wonder if they’re not sponsored by the tobacco industry? As for Donnelly’s deluded flavour ban proposal, the vast majority of adult smokers who successfully quit smoking, do so by vaping fruit flavours. The last thing you want when quitting tobacco is a tobacco flavour yet this is that they propose?! Along with tax of course. You’d be forgiven for thinking they’re trying to keep people smoking. Idiocy.
@Enoch Kochwomble: excuse me?
Yes nanny Irish government. Please coddle us with another flavours ban. I personally will love the regular spin up the M1 to Newry to buy my e-juice cheaper than present Dublin prices. ….. Go on , do it.
@Des Daly: yeah I don’t like the flavors going down my throat. Thank you.
let me get this right …you heat up oil containing god only knows what chemicals made in China,who gave us covid by the way,and you suck it into your lungs and think it’s great…..fair play…
@William O leary: firstly, it’s not an oil. Vaping is highly regulated in the EU. 4 ingredients in the liquid that can be sold here. One I use is manufactured in Poland.
China cancer ingredients
Well when daddy vape and mammy vape really love each other you know the rest
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