Pokémon e-juice, a new low in vaping by Matt Rowland

Following on the heels of the rumored Hello Kitty tobacco cigarettes comes the very real, soon-to-arrive-at-a-vape-shop-near-you, Pokémon e-juice (a.k.a. Pokéjuice), a new low for the vaping industry. The product comes from Malaysia but is being sold in vape shops around the world, including those owned by our friends across the pond, which shall remain nameless. But the ripple effect of possible negative legal ramifications can be felt in every nation around the globe.

The United States is in the midst of a years-long campaign promoted by such well-funded power mongers as the FDA, the CDC, and the American Cancer Society, a marketing campaign that is essentially trying to paint the entire vaping industry as a pedophilic institution out to lure young children into e-cig addiction. The UK and 20 other nations of the European Union (EU) are facing a similar battle abroad.

The United States has the FDA deeming regulations. The EU has the controversial Tobacco Products Directive, otherwise known as the TPD. Nearly every country around the world is under fire from their national governments to “tone it down, or we’ll shut it down.”

(Related Article: CLIVE BATES: TPD ARTICLE 20 IS ‘DEFACTO PROTECTION’ FOR BIG TOBACCO)

Then some moronic retailer releases Pokéjuice, complete with the jaw-dropping, ridiculously obscene packaging decorated with the whole range of famously cartoonish creatures…that kids just happen to love!

Pokémon e-juice: Stupid is as Stupid does.

Forrest Gump’s mother, although a fictional character, was wise beyond her years when she stated this simple phrase to her mentally challenged son. Mr. Gump could even recognize how deviously offensive this Pokémon e-juice truly is.

Even if the vaping industry could possibly forgive a merchandiser or a vape shop for marketing a brand of e-liquid that essentially proves the point of every anti-vaping activist group in the world, the legality of this product is almost certainly suspect. According to the Facebook page of a UK vape shop currently selling the Malaysian e-liquid, a 60ml bottle of Pokéjuice sells for £15. Unfortunately, this bottle size is illegal in the eyes of the TPD.

(Related Article: WILL EU’S TOBACCO PRODUCTS DIRECTIVE KILL EUROPEAN VAPING?)

Furthermore, one has to wonder if the Japanese creators of the Pokémon characters even know about their intellectual property appearing on an obscure brand of Malaysian e-liquid. Surely, some additional copyright or international trade laws are being broken along the way. Or does this small-time e-juice warehouse have the large sums of cash that it would take to legally license the Pokémon brand to hawk their kid-friendly product line around the world? In the words of our British mates, “Not bloody likely!”

So there you have it!

Pokémon e-juice intentionally released with cartoon imagery designed to attract children.

Pokémon e-juice intentionally released without the expressed permission of the cartoons’ creators (most likely).

Pokémon e-juice intentionally released without following the legal packaging requirements of the host nation’s governing regulations, in this case, the UK’s TPB.

And several vape shops willing to sell this nasty stuff in their brick and mortar stores and online.

When a member of the vaping industry, regardless of their nation of origin, publicly goes against everything that the entire community has been fighting for, they must be held accountable. When a merchandiser releases a new product without following the necessary government regulations or that has the appearance of targeting young children with its advertising and marketing campaigns, it hurts each and every one of us. Federal public health organizations around the world are just itching for a reason to shut down the vaping industry completely and permanently. And idiotic products like Pokémon e-juice simply don’t help.

(Related Article: FBI LAUNCHES PROBE INTO INDIANA VAPING LAWS OVER POSSIBLE CORRUPTION)