Author: Staff Writer

Australian Retail Group Shames Medical Group With Award
The National Retail Association (NRA) has created the inaugural ‘Dirty Mirror Award’ and bestowed it on the Australian Medical Association (AMA) for its “breathtaking hypocrisy in public affairs”. NRA CEO Dominique Lamb said the AMA deserved the award for its efforts to protect the monopoly over nicotine vaping enjoyed by doctors and pharmacists.
Credit: Belyay
“Doctors are set to make a lot of money from prescribing nicotine products for vaping, and then sending customers on to pharmacies so they can get a slice of the vaping action,” Lamb said, according to Convenience and Impulse Retailing.
“The only businesses in the equation who are not making money from nicotine vaping are Australian retailers. So, it’s understandable that in its public positioning the doctors’ union has sought to protect that monopoly at all costs.
“In doing so, they have attacked mum and dad retail businesses who would like to transition away from selling cigarettes and move to vaping, which has been recognised by the World Health Organisation as a less harmful alternative to smoking.
“So, for using anti-tobacco day to stop Australian businesses reducing their reliance on tobacco; for happily agreeing that GPs and chemists should take money for vaping but no-one else; and for all-round extraordinary hypocrisy, we happily nominate the AMA for the Dirty Mirror Award.
“In fact, the self-interest is so breathtaking, we wonder if the AMA has taken a Hypocritic Oath.”
June 1, 2021
Harm Reduction Advocates Ready for World Vape Day
May 30 is World Vape Day. The theme for 2021 is “Go The Extra Mile” which is meant to encourage vapers to go just a little bit further to support and promote vaping. World Vape Day is a celebration of vapers making the choice to make the switch to a healthier, smoke-free lifestyle.
“On World Vape day we’re gathering vapers from around the world to celebrate this amazing innovation that changed our lives for the better,” said Michael Landl, the director of the World Vapers’ Alliance (WVA). “We’re doing it under the motto ‘Go The Extra Mile’ because I can’t think of a single person who took up vaping who didn’t benefit from it, go further and improve their lives in the process.”
The World Vape Day website is operated by the International Network of Nicotine Consumer Organisations (INNCO)—an alliance of dozens of vaping and tobacco harm reduction (THR) organizations around the world. The site is packed with THR information, resources, testimonials from vapers and other nicotine users, as well as a list of events vapers can take part in on May 30. Samrat Chowdhery, president of INNCO and founder-director of Association of Vapers India (AVI) said World Vape Day is important to promote the harm reduction offered by reduced risk products.
“Smoking disproportionately affects the disadvantaged. Vaping helps address these inequalities by giving those who can least afford medical treatment a means to prevent harm. In India where access to public healthcare is low, a 100 million people smoke, of whom a million die from smoking-related causes every year, harm reduction is vital,” he said. “And yet, sale of vaping products was banned last year. On World Vape Day, about a million of us vapers in India will celebrate our win over smoking and also demand our and smokers’ rights to health and choice.”
May 29, 2021
Review of 10 Years of Vaping Science Published by BAT
A comprehensive review of the scientific evidence for vaping products, their potential health effects and their role in tobacco harm reduction by BAT as World Vape Day sets to be celebrated on May 30.
Credit: Coloures Pic
This review shows that, over the past decade, the number of people who incorrectly believe vaping is as harmful or more harmful than smoking conventional cigarettes has risen in the UK, Europe, and the U.S., according to a press note. This is despite several scientific reviews published in the same period showing that vaping products manufactured in accordance with quality standards present less risk to health than combustible cigarettes.
According to population modelling studies cited in the review, a significant reduction in premature deaths could be achieved if current smokers switched exclusively to vaping rather than continuing to smoke. These modelling studies use population data and simulations to project the health-related outcomes associated with the long-term risks of smoking versus vapour use over time.
David O’Reilly, Director of Scientific Research at BAT, said the paper is a comprehensive summary of more than 300 peer-reviewed scientific papers and other evidence published by an estimated 50 institutions over the past decade.
“The scientific evidence is clear – but consumer misperceptions remain. In England and the United States, only one in three adults is aware that there is scientific evidence available, including from leading public health authorities, that supports the conclusion that vaping is less harmful than smoking,” O’Reilly said. “The reality is that many leading public health authorities have reported that vaping is less harmful than smoking, and that this harm reduction potential can be maximized if those smokers who would otherwise continue to smoke switch exclusively to using vapor products.”
The review highlights that vaping products can effectively compete with combustible cigarettes by providing nicotine and the sensorial enjoyment sought by smokers, according to the press note.
May 28, 2021
BAT: Vuse First Global Carbon Neutral Vape Brand
Photo: BAT
Vuse has become the first global carbon neutral vape brand, according to BAT.
Vuse’s carbon neutrality has been delivered through carbon offset through reforestation projects. This includes a project in Uruguay to plant trees across 21,298 ha, where intensive cattle grazing has eroded soil and degraded land. As well as removing carbon dioxide and delivering better soil quality and biodiversity, the project will also result in increased availability and quality of employment opportunities, BAT noted.
The carbon neutrality of Vuse has been independently validated by Vertis based on product life cycle assessment data provided by an independent third party.
“Vuse becoming the first global carbon neutral vaping brand is a significant milestone,” said Kingsley Wheaton, chief marketing officer at BAT, in a statement. “It is testimony to BAT’s deep and longstanding commitment to being a responsible business and reducing our impact on the environment.”

Vuse becoming the first global carbon neutral vaping brand is testimony to BAT’s deep and longstanding commitment to being a responsible business and reducing our impact on the environment.”
Kingsley Wheaton, chief marketing officer, BAT
According to BAT, Vuse’s carbon neutrality status is part of a bigger ambition to become an environmentally sustainable vape brand with initiatives including:
A global device and pod collection scheme, with approximately 200,000 pods collected since the start of the pilot in 2020
Cutting single use plastics from packaging, which has saved 100 tons of plastic or the equivalent of four million plastic bottles in 2020
Transitioning from air to sea freight through changes to the distribution chain. Vuse aims to have 80 percent of international shipments transported by sea by the end of 2022
BAT says it is also reducing its carbon footprint by improving the energy efficiency of factories by upgrading to more efficient and lower-impact equipment, and by increasing the use of renewable energy through renewable energy purchases and on-site energy generation.
Today’s announcement by BAT coincides with the opening of the 100th Vuse Inspiration Store. Vuse Inspiration Stores are now operating in the U.K., Canada, Poland, Germany, South Africa and the U.S
May 28, 2021
5 More FDA Warning Letters for Illegal E-liquids
Five more vapor companies have received warning letters from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for illegal e-liquids. The regulatory agency issued the letters on May 21 and posted them to its website on May 27. Companies that received the latest round of letters have a combined 96,960 products registered with the FDA. The agency has now issued 120 letters to vapor companies for marketing vapor products without having submitted a premarket tobacco product application (PMTA) by Sept. 9, 2020.
Credit: Jon
Nicfixed d/b/a Good Karma Vapor-received letter on May 27 – (1,400 registered products), Soul Vapor (2,100), Nelson Endeavors d/b/a Liberty Vape Co. (60), Premium eJuice USA d/b/a Vapor Lab (92,000) and Capitol Hill Vapor Co. (400) all received letters for illegal e-liquids.
Last week, the FDA released its list of products that are legal for sale in the U.S. A total of 360 companies filed more than 6 million PMTAs. The FDA stressed it has not independently verified the information provided by applicants about the marketing status of their products. In addition, the list excludes entries of products from companies that did not provide information on current marketing status of their products to the FDA so that the agency could determine whether the existence of the application could be disclosed.
The FDA often only lists a few products that a company is selling as illegal in the letter. It then states that there may be more, but it is impossible to know if the warnings encompass all the company’s registered products. The agency states that it is the responsibility of the company to only sell products with a submitted PMTA. Companies have until Sept. 9, 2021 to sell product unless the agency makes a decision on the PMTA approval or grants an extension.
Companies that receive warning letters from the FDA have to submit a written response to the letter within 15 working days from the date of receipt describing the company’s corrective actions, including the dates on which it discontinued the violative sale, and/or distribution of the products. They also require the company’s plan for maintaining compliance with the FD&C Act in the future.
May 28, 2021
Smoke-Free World Foundation Urges Smokers to Quit/Switch
Photo: auremar
Ahead of World No Tobacco Day (WNTD) on May 31, The Foundation for a Smoke-Free World (FSFW) is urging smokers to quit or switch to harm-reduction production
The fact that more than 1 billion people still smoke and 8 million annual deaths are attributed to tobacco use proves that health policies and actions have been inadequate, according to the FSFW.
“The challenges that smokers face when trying to quit have been largely ignored,” the foundation wrote in a press note. “The calls by the World Health Organization (WHO) for smokers to quit using fairly ineffective interventions suggest we need new approaches. Technology innovation, in the form of harm reduction, offers a new way forward for smokers that complements classic cessation efforts.”
“Since my involvement in the first WNTD in 1988, we have focused narrowly on cessation often without engaging smokers in developing ways they feel work best. Too many efforts have failed because they have not addressed the fact that while many smokers want to quit, they are not being presented with options that appeal to them,” said Derek Yach, President of FSFW.
“There is growing evidence that a range of harm-reduction products, including e-cigarettes (vapes), snus, nicotine pouches, and heated tobacco products, can help smokers quit or at least substantially reduce their harmful exposure to combustible cigarettes. The WHO, supported by heavily funded Bloomberg Philanthropies grantees, continues to blindly ignore scientific evidence, vilifying these products instead of promoting their use to save lives.”
The FSFW cites a study published this week in The Lancet, in which the authors say the current level of tobacco control policy implementation is insufficient in many countries around the world and that evidence-based policies are needed to reduce smoking. According to the foundation, the study ignores the role for tobacco harm-reduction (THR) products as part of tobacco control policy.
“This study was funded by Bloomberg Philanthropies, which does not support the use of THR products as cessation aides,” said Yach. “This is likely one reason why they were not included in the report. Denying the value and benefits of THR products is irresponsible and blatantly discounts the research showing they can help smokers quit.”

There is growing evidence that a range of harm-reduction products, including e-cigarettes (vapes), snus, nicotine pouches, and heated tobacco products, can help smokers quit or at least substantially reduce their harmful exposure to combustible cigarettes.
Derek Yach, president, FSFW
By contrast, The U.K. Royal College of Physicians (RCP) believes THR products should play a prominent role in tobacco control. In a recently released report, “Smoking and health 2021: A coming age for tobacco control?” the RCP estimates that if the harm-reduction policies it advocated for in 1962 were adopted, smoking would have ended in the United Kingdom by now. The new report calls for doctors to play a more active role in helping their patients who smoke. “We argue that responsibility for treating smokers lies with the clinician who sees them, and that our NHS [the U.K. National Health Service] should be delivering default, opt-out, systematic interventions for all smokers at the point of service contact,” the report’s authors write. The RCP also recommends that the U.K. government invest in media campaigns to urge smokers to switch from tobacco to e-cigarettes, which are less harmful. Governments and doctors worldwide should heed their advice.
A new report by BOTEC Analysis, a public policy research and consulting firm, finds that the availability of regulated alternative nicotine delivery systems (ANDS) like e-cigarettes and heated tobacco products (HTPs), combined with traditional tobacco control efforts such as tobacco taxes, smoke-free laws and cessation services, have helped to lower smoking rates in several countries. Titled, “Investigating the drivers of smoking cessation: A role of alternative nicotine delivery systems?” the report examines the policies in five countries that have long been considered international leaders in tobacco control: The United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, South Korea, and Japan.
According to the FSFW, BOTEC’s key findings presented interesting results per country, including:
United Kingdom: A leader in tobacco control, the country has proactively helped smokers switch to e-cigarettes, which have been shown to be 95 percent safer. While the country has some of the highest tobacco prices in the world, the government has chosen not to tax e-cigarettes as tobacco products, making them less costly. Access to regulated e-cigarettes appears to also support smoking cessation services.
Canada: Following the introduction of e-cigarettes in 2018, there has been a significant decline in conventional tobacco sales. As stringent regulations and higher prices apply more to traditional cigarettes than e-cigarettes, smoking rates and tobacco purchases have collapsed, especially among young Canadians. Still, the country may be poised to reverse these successes with proposed regulations that would implement a new tax on e-cigarettes and cap the nicotine content of e-liquids.
Australia: The country succeeded in driving cessation with a combination of health warnings, tax increases, and effective publicity campaigns. The government has implemented de-facto bans on harm-reduction products, but many Australians continue to use smuggled and unregulated e-cigarettes, reporting a desire to quit or reduce smoking as a primary motivation.
South Korea: The country has more than 250 public health centers that provide comprehensive clinical services, including counseling, prescription medication, nicotine replacement therapy, and text/email follow-ups. Over six months, more than 800,000 adult male smokers used these clinics with an estimated 46.8 percent quit rate. Despite the South Korean government’s disapproving stance toward ANDS, both e-cigarettes and HTPs appear to be aiding cessation.
Japan: Although Japan has imposed an excise tax on cigarettes and banned e-cigarettes containing nicotine, HTPs are widely available and increasingly popular. Moreover, the uptake of HTPs appears to be causally associated with a reduction in demand for combustible cigarettes. However, a lack of regulatory distinction between HTPs and combustible cigarettes appears to limit the numbers of smokers who shift to exclusive HTP use, so their effect on cessation may be muted, thus reducing HTP’s potential to aid smoking cessation.
BOTEC Analysis is one of several Foundation for a Smoke-Free World Foundation grantees who are spearheading research to uncover new solutions to combat this global health epidemic. The FSFW collaborates with other nonprofit, advocacy, and government organizations to advance smoking cessation and harm-reduction science. The FSFW also supports the development of alternative products and methods that may reduce a smoker’s health risks and help them to stop smoking entirely.
“In light of the billion smokers that remain, one may assume that the world has made little progress since the first WNTD three decades ago,” the FSFW concluded in its press note. “Yet, from a scientific and technological perspective, we have seen profound change. As a result of transformational research and development, we now have harm-reduction products that could end death and disease from tobacco. Still, innovation translates into saved lives only when smokers have access to the full range of cessation and harm-reduction options. Thus, in the same way that the Foundation calls on smokers to quit, it also calls on policymakers and physicians to embrace the tools that will help them do so.”
May 28, 2021
Oregon Governor Set to Sign Online Vapor Sales Ban
The Oregon Senate approved House Bill 2261 on Wednesday, a move that supporters said will limit Oregon’s youth from accessing nicotine products by closing loopholes that have allowed those underage to purchase vaping products. The legislation passed the Oregon House on April 10. It now goes to the governor for her signature, which she has said she will sign.
Credit: Vlad
“The use of vaping products by our youth is shocking,” said State Sen. Kathleen Taylor. “No matter how diligent our retailers are, there is still significant access to these products online.” Oregon prohibited the online sale of cigarettes and other tobacco products from taking place online in 2017. Oregon brings vaping products in line with that policy.
E-cigarettes started to be taxed for the first time in Oregon beginning Jan. 1 after voters overwhelmingly approved Measure 108 in late 2020.
In 2015, Taylor championed House Bill 2464 to make certain access and use laws around inhalant delivery systems aligned with that of other tobacco products. The bill added age restrictions on purchasing and defined where the use of vape products is allowed, according to KTVZ.com.
“Vaping is harmful to our youth. Not only is it habit forming, the nicotine contained in these products can have lasting effects on kids’ still-developing brains,” said Taylor. “The use of these products continues to rise, and they contain products and chemicals that are highly addictive. Oregon’s licensed retailers have agreed to do the right thing, protect our kids, and sell only to those of legal age. Ensuring a face-to-face exchange is required for purchasing these products, we remove a loophole that may be used that can result in lifelong addiction and negative health outcomes.”
May 27, 2021
FDA Continues Warning Letter Blitz for PMTA Offenses
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) continues to be adamant about removing illegal e-liquids from the market. On Tuesday, the regulatory agency issued two more warning letters for companies selling e-liquids without having filed a premarket tobacco product application (PMTA). The total now stands at 115 companies that have received notice since Jan.1 of this year.
Credit: Hurricane Hank
Adirondack Juice d/b/a Adirondack Vapor & Co. and Blue Eyed Vapor (BEV) received the letters from the FDA on May 14, however the agency didn’t post the letters to its website until May 25. Adirondack and BEV both were accused of selling or marketing multiple e-liquid flavors. The companies have 5,800 and 20 products registered with the FDA, respectively.
Last week, the FDA released its list of products that are legal for sale in the U.S. A total of 360 companies filed more than 6 million PMTAs. The FDA stressed it has not independently verified the information provided by applicants about the marketing status of their products. In addition, the list excludes entries of products from companies that did not provide information on current marketing status of their products to the FDA so that the agency could determine whether the existence of the application could be disclosed.
The FDA often only lists a few products that a company is selling as illegal in the letter. It then states that there may be more, but it is impossible to know if the warnings encompass all the company’s registered products. The agency states that it is the responsibility of the company to only sell products with a submitted PMTA. Companies have until Sept. 9, 2021 to sell product unless the agency makes a decision on the PMTA approval or grants an extension.
Companies that receive warning letters from the FDA have to submit a written response to the letter within 15 working days from the date of receipt describing the company’s corrective actions, including the dates on which it discontinued the violative sale, and/or distribution of the products. They also require the company’s plan for maintaining compliance with the FD&C Act in the future.
May 27, 2021
Judge Says RJR Vapor Products Infringe Fuma Patents
A North Carolina judge has ruled that R.J. Reynolds Vapor Co.’s (RJR) Vuse Solo and Ciro e-cigarettes infringe patents owned by Medina, Ohio-based e-cigarette maker Fuma International. U.S. District Judge Catherine Eagles in Durham found Monday that RJR’s products infringed parts of both patents covering Fuma’s electronic-cigarette designs, but that one infringement question was best left for trial.
Fuma lead counsel Dirk Thomas of said in an email that the company is pleased with the ruling and “looks forward to presenting the rest of the case, including its damages claims, to the Judge and the jury,” a Reuters story states.
RJR spokesperson Kaelan Hollon said in an email that the company “looks forward to proving at trial that the Fuma patents are invalid” and that Solo doesn’t infringe the part of the patent still at issue. Fuma sued RJR in 2019 for infringing two of its patents that outline types of e-cigarettes made of a cartridge and power source.
According to Fuma’s complaint, RJR copied Fuma’s designs after meeting with Fuma about its e-cigarette technology in 2010. RJR introduced the Vuse Solo in 2013 and the Vuse Ciro in 2017. Vuse is one of the most popular e-cigarette brands in the country.
The parties only disputed whether Solo and Ciro included three relevant elements of the patents. Eagles found that the products included two of the disputed elements and infringed both patents, but that the question of whether they included the third element should go to trial.
The Vuse Solo has one of the patents’ “electrically conductive portion” that couples the cartridge to the power source, and the Vuse Ciro has a type of airflow passageway featured in both patents, Eagles said. However, remaining factual issues justified a trial on whether the Solo has the “electrically conductive threaded portion” from a Fuma patent. RJR provided enough evidence to show that the relevant part of its device may not be “threaded” under the patent’s definition, Eagles said.
May 27, 2021
My Freedom Smokes Confirms Closure Due to PACT Act
In an email to subscribers, My Freedom Smokes (MFS) announced Monday that it would be closing its doors due to the current regulatory climate of the vaping industry. In business since 2008, MFS has been a longtime staple in the business of vaping.
Credit: MFS
“Due to ongoing compliance requirements and new regulations of the e-cig industry, it has become nearly impossible for a shop like MFS to function without turning into something completely different,” the email states. “This was never the goal for MFS as we always prided ourselves on being able to offer customized products and service at great prices. So unfortunately, we will be shutting our doors at the end of the month.”
The MFS website states that the company is run by vapers, for vapers and is a one-stop website for everything from e-cig starter kits and cheap e-liquids to the most advanced cloud competition ready box mods and RDAs available. Based out of Charlotte, North Carolina, MFS was founded by Chris Yelton.
The company cited the inability to use the U.S. Postal Service due to the soon-to-be-implemented requirement that vapor products comply with the Prevent All Cigarette Trafficking (PACT) Act. As well as premarket tobacco product application (PMTA) requirements enforced by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
May 26, 2021