The U.K.’s second-largest vape company, a Chinese government-owned entity, faced massive criticism and has reportedly deleted its TikTok account after distributing vapes in an online giveaway without implementing age verification measures.
What Happened: In a controversial move that has raised serious concerns about regulating vaping products, vape company SKE has been intensely scrutinized for its recent online giveaway.
The company, which has rapidly gained prominence in the U.K.’s vaping market, reportedly offered free samples of its Crystal Bar disposable vapes to participants on the Discord instant messaging platform. What makes the situation alarming is the lack of age verification during the promotion.
Participants were merely asked to declare that they were over 18, with no further steps taken to verify their age. This omission violates U.K. law, which strictly prohibits the sale of vapes to individuals under the age of 18, reported BBC.
Reporters from BBC investigated by entering the competition and obtaining the vapes without any age verification. This discovery prompted an immediate response from SKE, as they removed several of their social media accounts, including YouTube and TikTok, for a “review.”
Why It’s Important: SKE’s rapid ascent in the U.K.’s vaping market has primarily been attributed to its giveaways and aggressive marketing strategies. However, these tactics have come under fire for potentially targeting underage users.
Additionally, the disposal of electronic components within these disposable vapes has raised environmental concerns, as they are challenging and costly to recycle. SKE had also failed to register with recycling schemes but has now rectified this omission, the report noted.
Read Next: 8 Cannabis Vapes That Will Blow Your Mind – Because Vaping Doesn’t Have To Be Disappointing
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