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Investigatese-cigarettesWhere do your vapes come from?
The Journal Investigates finds the vast majority of vapes on sale in Ireland had one resounding origin in common – China.
VAPES 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.
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Some dodging US ban on flavoured vapes
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.
Number of companies based in Ireland and UK
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.
The Journal Investigates
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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