Vaping products being displayed in a tabacco shop. Photo: Rudaw/Screengrab
ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - Although the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) has restricted the sale of tobacco and vaping products to minors, shops have nevertheless found ways to avoid penalties associated with the sale of e-cigarettes to minors by exploiting loopholes at government level.
Rudaw's Payam Sarbast on Monday spoke to several minors who are frequent buyers of vaping products as well as shopkeepers selling them the product despite the regulations prohibiting it.
A 17-year-old told Rudaw that since he and his 14-year- old friend started smoking e-cigarettes a year ago, they never had faced a problem in purchasing vapes.
None of the interviewees wanted their face to be shown or their name to be disclosed.
"I started vaping with my friend a year ago. Vapes are available for sale at markets and sometimes I buy them at shisha shops. I mostly buy vapes at shops that only sell shisha and vapes,” he said, adding that when he buys them at markets the products are just as easy to obtain. “ I easily get them and no one is questioning me. I just get them," added the teen.
The owner of a shop that has been selling vaping products since 2007 stated he makes around 2,000,000 Iraqi dinars a month out of the sale of vaping products, with many of his customers being minors.
"I swear to God and bet if the entire Regional Government [KRG] could prohibit the sale of these vaping products, I would shave my hair because there are no controls on such products when they enter here through the crossings and the airport," said the shop owner on the condition of anonymity.
"Women have plenty of times come to my shop asking me to sell vapes to their children for them to calm down,” he added, specifying that children themselves have also come to his shop asking him to speak to their mothers, after which the women told him to go ahead and sell the children the products.
"Many teachers have come to me, buying vaping products and selling them off to students at school,” said the shop owner.
"We make higher profits out of the sale of vaping products to minors than to adults because adults know how to spend their money,” he added, commenting that "the government is not ready to send people to every single shop to know to whom we sell products."
Vaping products available in the Kurdistan Region markets are imported from China, Turkey, and Iran and the prices range from 1,000 dinars to nearly 100,000 dinars. One does not have to go to a vape shop to buy an e-cigarette, as many supermarkets have vapes displayed both behind and in front of the cashier.
"Sometimes minors who are seven or eight years old come to buy vapes, but I do not give it to them. I know two students who come here twice a week to buy vapes and take them to school," said a supermarket owner who spoke to Rudaw about the growing trend of teen vaping in Erbil on condition of anonymity.
With Australia planning to ban disposable vaping early next year, and New Zealand having already announced a detailed plan to ban both cigarettes and vapes, a global campaign against tobacco and e-cigarettes seems to be on the horizon.
Rudaw's Payam Sarbast on Monday spoke to several minors who are frequent buyers of vaping products as well as shopkeepers selling them the product despite the regulations prohibiting it.
A 17-year-old told Rudaw that since he and his 14-year- old friend started smoking e-cigarettes a year ago, they never had faced a problem in purchasing vapes.
None of the interviewees wanted their face to be shown or their name to be disclosed.
"I started vaping with my friend a year ago. Vapes are available for sale at markets and sometimes I buy them at shisha shops. I mostly buy vapes at shops that only sell shisha and vapes,” he said, adding that when he buys them at markets the products are just as easy to obtain. “ I easily get them and no one is questioning me. I just get them," added the teen.
The owner of a shop that has been selling vaping products since 2007 stated he makes around 2,000,000 Iraqi dinars a month out of the sale of vaping products, with many of his customers being minors.
"I swear to God and bet if the entire Regional Government [KRG] could prohibit the sale of these vaping products, I would shave my hair because there are no controls on such products when they enter here through the crossings and the airport," said the shop owner on the condition of anonymity.
"Women have plenty of times come to my shop asking me to sell vapes to their children for them to calm down,” he added, specifying that children themselves have also come to his shop asking him to speak to their mothers, after which the women told him to go ahead and sell the children the products.
"Many teachers have come to me, buying vaping products and selling them off to students at school,” said the shop owner.
"We make higher profits out of the sale of vaping products to minors than to adults because adults know how to spend their money,” he added, commenting that "the government is not ready to send people to every single shop to know to whom we sell products."
Vaping products available in the Kurdistan Region markets are imported from China, Turkey, and Iran and the prices range from 1,000 dinars to nearly 100,000 dinars. One does not have to go to a vape shop to buy an e-cigarette, as many supermarkets have vapes displayed both behind and in front of the cashier.
"Sometimes minors who are seven or eight years old come to buy vapes, but I do not give it to them. I know two students who come here twice a week to buy vapes and take them to school," said a supermarket owner who spoke to Rudaw about the growing trend of teen vaping in Erbil on condition of anonymity.
With Australia planning to ban disposable vaping early next year, and New Zealand having already announced a detailed plan to ban both cigarettes and vapes, a global campaign against tobacco and e-cigarettes seems to be on the horizon.
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