SEOUL, May 27 (Korea Bizwire) — South Korea will be conducting a component analysis of products from Juul, America’s most popular electronic cigarettes, to provide citizens with information about harmful substances included in the new cigarettes soon to be introduced to the country.

“Juul is now available in the local market, and we are going to ask the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety (MFDS) to conduct the analysis,” said Chung Young-ki, head of the health promotion department at the Ministry of Health and Welfare.

E-cigarettes normally contain nicotine, glycerin, propylene glycol, and other spices, but detailed information on how much they contain, and what substances are contained in the smoke is not clear.

“E-cigarettes contain only 5 percent of the harmful substances that normal cigarettes contain,” says Juul Labs Inc., manufacturer of Juul.

A recent study led by Harvard University, however, argues that the spices included in e-cigarettes can harm the cilium located in the respiratory tract, raising controversy over the safety of e-cigarettes.

There are currently no reliable studies or other information concerning Juul’s safety. Juul Labs also has yet to publish a research paper on harmful substances contained in the companyès products.

The MFDS plans to design original methods to analyze harmful substances contained in e-cigarettes and disclose them to the public.

The ministry announced that it will measure 20 substances included in e-cigarettes, the results of which may spark heated debate over Juul.

In accordance with World Health Organization (WHO) regulations, cigarette manufacturers or importers are advised to give information on the substances contained in the product and the smoke to government authorities, and the government should disclose them to the public.

National Assembly is currently discussing possibilities to amend legislation related to cigarettes and health to obligate cigarette manufacturers and importers to disclose information on harmful substances to the government, share the information with the public, and ban sales of cigarettes that violate set standards.

H. M. Kang (hmkang@koreabizwire.com)