Author: Staff Writer

China Vape Stocks Stumble After NHC,WHO Health Warning
E-cigarette stocks listed on the Stock Exchange of Hong Kong plunged in the afternoon session on Wednesday, following an official warning of that e-cigarettes can cause damage to consumer’s health. Shenzhen-based Smoore International, the world’s largest vaping device manufacturer, saw its shares slump nearly 20 percent on the exchange near the end of the afternoon session, before finishing down 17.1 percent.
Credit: Boonchok
By comparison, the benchmark Hang Seng Index gained 0.88 percent. China Boton Group, an vapor industry manufacturer also based in Shenzhen, lost 17.94 percent in Hong Kong trading, while Hong Kong-based Huabao International Holdings shed 7.69 percent, according to news in China’s Global Times.
The rout was triggered after the National Health Commission (NHC) on Wednesday unveiled a report on the health risks of smoking cigarettes, jointly with the World Health Organization’s (WHO) county office in China, which said that there’s sufficient proof that e-cigarettes are unsafe and harmful to health.
The country’s population of smokers has topped 300 million, with the smoking rate for those aged 15 and above standing at 26.6 percent and the percentage of male smokers hitting 50.5 percent, according to the report. Cigarettes claim the lives of more than 1 million people in the country per year. The annual number is estimated to rise to 2 million by 2030 and then to 3 million by 2050, assuming the absence of effective actions.
In 2016, a groundbreaking 200-page report that supports e-cigarettes as a tool to quit smoking and demolishes several vaping myths in the process was released by one of the world’s most prestigious medical organizations. The Royal College of Physicians (RCP), the most respected medical institution in the United Kingdom, concluded e-cigarettes are 95 percent safer than regular cigarettes and are likely to be hugely beneficial to public health.
Several other studies have found similar conclusions over the last five years since the RCP study was published. The WHO has long refused to see e-cigarettes as a harm reduction product.
Nonetheless, Hong Kong-traded BYD Electronic still posted a massive gain in the final hour of trading, soaring as much as 22.91 percent before ending up 11.73 percent, on reports that the company has finalized patenting its e-cigarette business, which is expected to begin mass production in June. Its parent company BYD closed up 2.39 percent in the Hong Kong market on Wednesday, while edging down 0.2 percent in the Shenzhen market.
May 26, 2021
Study Suggests Flavor Bans Boosted Teen Smoking
In 2018, San Francisco voters overwhelmingly approved a ballot measure banning the sale of flavored vaping products. Public health advocates celebrated the law that supporters say was justified because flavors attract youth to vaping. A new study suggests that law may have backfired and driven more kids to try combustible cigarettes.
Credit: YSPH
According to a new study from the Yale School of Public Health (YSPH), researchers say that after the ban’s implementation, high school students’ odds of smoking conventional cigarettes doubled in San Francisco’s school district relative to trends in districts without the ban, even when adjusting for individual demographics and other tobacco policies, according to press release.
The study, published in JAMA Pediatrics on May 24, is believed to be the first to assess how complete flavor bans affect youth smoking habits. “These findings suggest a need for caution,” said Abigail Friedman, the study’s author and an assistant professor of health policy at YSPH. “While neither smoking cigarettes nor vaping nicotine are safe per se, the bulk of current evidence indicates substantially greater harms from smoking, which is responsible for nearly one in five adult deaths annually. Even if it is well-intentioned, a law that increases youth smoking could pose a threat to public health.”
Friedman used data on high school students under 18 years of age from the Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance System’s 2011-2019 school district surveys. Prior to the ban’s implementation, past-30-day smoking rates in San Francisco and the comparison school districts were similar and declining. Yet once the flavor ban was fully implemented in 2019, San Francisco’s smoking rates diverged from trends observed elsewhere, increasing as the comparison districts’ rates continued to fall.
To explain these results, Friedman noted that electronic nicotine-delivery systems (ENDS) have been the most popular tobacco product among U.S. youth since at least 2014, with flavored options largely preferred. “Think about youth preferences: some kids who vape choose e-cigarettes over combustible tobacco products because of the flavors,” she said. “For these individuals as well as would-be vapers with similar preferences, banning flavors may remove their primary motivation for choosing vaping over smoking, pushing some of them back toward conventional cigarettes.”
The San Francisco study does have limitations. Because there has been only a short time since the ban was implemented, the trend may differ in coming years. San Francisco is also just one of several localities and states that have implemented restrictions on flavored tobacco sales, with extensive differences between these laws. Thus, effects may differ in other places, Friedman wrote.
Still, as similar restrictions continue to appear across the country, the findings suggest that policymakers should be careful not to indirectly push minors toward cigarettes in their quest to reduce vaping, she said.
May 26, 2021
Poda Patents Closed-Ended Heated Tobacco Device

Photo: Poda Lifestyle and Wellness
Poda Lifestyle and Wellness expects to receive patent protection for its Poda zero-cleaning heat-not-burn (HnB) technology in Europe and the United States soon.
The Poda system uses proprietary biodegradable single-use pods. The design prevents cross-contamination between the heating devices and the pods, eliminating cleaning requirements and providing users with a convenient and enjoyable potentially reduced-risk smoking experience.
The company’s says its pods are the first and only cigarettes to have a completely closed end. A closed-ended cigarette utilizing HnB heating technology allows for an ashless experience and provides for consistent quality each time a new pod is inserted into the heating device.
Poda Lifestyle and Wellness’ research and development commenced in January 2015. The Poda zero-cleaning technology was granted a Canadian patent in 2018 with patent entries filed in more than 65 additional countries.
“We have spent years of research and development with regards to our invention and are very pleased to see that our invention has been granted a patent in Canada,” said Poda CEO Ryan Selby in a statement.
“We have filed for patents in 65 other countries and expect USA and European patents to follow in short order now that we have received the Canadian patent.”
We have spent years of R&D and are very pleased to see that our invention has been granted a patent in Canada.
Ryan Selby , CEO, Poda
“This will protect our company for many years ahead as we launch Poda into the global marketplace as the first heat-not-burn system that allows users to experience maintenance-free heating of substrates such as tobacco or dried plant material with zero cross-contamination when switching from one substrate to another.”
May 26, 2021
Demand for Menthol Liquid up After Menthol Cigarette Ban

Photo: Max
A year to the day since menthol cigarettes were banned in the U.K. more than two thirds of vapor retailers are reporting a rise in sales of menthol flavored e-liquids according to a study by the U.K. Vaping Industry Association (UKVIA).
The ban last year, which also prevented menthol filters, papers and skinny cigarettes from being produced or sold in the U.K., followed a four-year phasing-out period which saw smaller packs of rolling tobacco and 10 packs of cigarette banned in 2017.
The study revealed that more than 70 percent of owners of bricks and mortar stores and online retail operations said they had seen an uptake in demand for menthol vape products.
And, while fruit e-liquids remained the customer favorite, menthol was the second most popular flavor according to the survey.
“What we have witnessed in the U.K. is that menthol as an ingredient in vape e-liquids has continued to increase following the combustible menthol ban and is now one of the most important components of all e-liquids,” said Tim Phillips, independent analyst at ECigIntelligence.

Menthol as an ingredient in vape e-liquids has continued to increase following the combustible menthol ban and is now one of the most important components of all e-liquids.
Tim Phillips, analyst, ECigIntelligence
UKVIA Director-General John Dunne said the survey results were a clear indication of the importance e-cigarettes have in helping smokers to quit their habits in favor of vaping which Public Health England acknowledges is far less harmful than combustible tobacco.
“Our survey of retailers clearly shows that, as menthol cigarettes were removed from sale, vape stores witnessed an increase in sales of the same flavor in e-liquid form,” he said.
“It is not unreasonable to surmise that the majority of menthol e-liquid sales above retailers’ baseline pre-ban were to those who would have previously smoked cigarettes.”
May 25, 2021
Revised Philippines Vaping Rules Heads to Senate
The House of Representatives in Philippines today approved on final reading a proposal that would regulate the manufacture, use, sale, distribution, and promotion of electronic nicotine- and non-nicotine-delivery systems (ENDS/ENNDS), as well as heated tobacco products (HTPs), according to a government release.
Credit: Craitza
With 192 affirmative votes, 34 negative votes, and four abstentions, the chamber passed on third reading House Bill 9007, otherwise known as the “Non-Combustible Nicotine Delivery Systems Regulation Act.” Rep. Sharon Garin, principal sponsor of the measure, said the bill seeks to address the unintended or potential adverse consequences on the use of HTPs and vaping products among Filipino consumers.
“We have included in this bill mechanisms on controlling safety risks and preventing youth uptake of all tobacco and nicotine products,” she said during the virtual session.

The bill provides protection to minors from accessing ENDS/ENNDS or HTPs by setting the minimum allowable age for the purchase, sale, and use of such products to 18 years old.

Retailers shall ensure that no individual purchasing these products are below 18 years old by verifying the age through presentation of any valid government-issued identification card exhibiting the buyer’s photograph and age or date of birth.

The sale and distribution of the products shall be prohibited within 100 meters from any point of the perimeter of a school, playground or other facility frequented by minors shall be prohibited.

Online trade through Internet websites or via e-commerce and other similar media shall be allowed provided that sellers ensure that access is restricted to persons 18 years old or older and that the internet website bears the signage required by the bill.

Advertisements of the products shall be allowed in retailer establishments, through direct marketing, and on the internet.
“These shall not be aimed at or particularly appeal to persons under 18 years of age. These should not undermine quit-smoking messages and should not encourage non-tobacco and non-nicotine users to use ENDS/ENNDS and HTPs. These should not contain any information that is untrue in particular with regard to product characteristics, health effects, risks, or emissions,” the bill states.
The use of ENDS/ENNDS or HTPs shall be prohibited in all enclosed public places, as well as in schools, hospitals, government offices, and facilities intended particularly for minors. However, there shall be designated vaping areas that should comply with standards specified in the proposed law.
The Department of Trade and Industry, in consultation with the Food and Drug Administration, the National Tobacco Administration, and other concerned agencies shall promulgate rules, regulations, and standards on packaging, ingredients, graphic health warnings, detailed information on the allowable nicotine-containing e-liquid, the strength of e-liquids, compliance with applicable electrical standards as well as with applicable industry standards for batteries, according to the release.
Existing industries and businesses affected by the implementation of the Act shall be given an 18-month transitory period from the effectivity of the implementing rules and regulations to comply with the requirements.
May 25, 2021
CAPHRA: Philippine’s 21 Age to Vape Rule ‘Nonsensical’
A new bill to regulate vaping products in the Philippines is supported by the region’s vapor advocacy groups. House Bill 9007, the proposed “Non-Combustible Nicotine Delivery Systems Regulation Act” is a “massive legislative achievement for tobacco harm reduction advocates” in the Philippines, says Nancy Loucas, executive coordinator of the Coalition of Asia Pacific Tobacco Harm Reduction Advocates (CAPHRA).
Clarisse Virgino and Peter Paul Dator of CAPHRA
“Nearly 90,000 Filipinos die from smoking-related diseases every year. This legislation will not only save thousands of lives, but the Philippines is now leading the way in the Asia-Pacific region with reasonable, risk proportionate regulation which will be very effective in curbing smoking rates,” said Loucas.
Consumer advocates in the Philippines promoted the regulation of e-cigarettes as a consumer product. They argued that the “age of majority” in the Philippines is 18 – they age to purchase combustible tobacco products, alcohol and get married – so the current age to purchase vaping products set at 21 was “nonsensical.” Supporting the minimum age for the purchase, sale and use of such products to 18 would bring vapor products in line with other “adult” activities and privileges.
At the same time, the advocates argued adult smokers keen to quit tobacco need reasonable access to safer alternatives and restricted advertising should be permitted. Product safety standards were also critically important to the consumer advocates.
Clarisse Virgino, the Philippine representative of CAPHRA, said she is “delighted that the country’s legislators have listened,” adding that the prospect of more Filipinos successfully quitting smoking is of historic significance given the country’s “stubbornly high” smoking rates for decades.
“The proposed Act will legitimize the market of vaporized nicotine products which means that consumers will have better protection. We hope that the Senate will also support this bill to provide millions of Filipino smokers with less harmful alternatives to combustible cigarettes,” said Virgino.
Consumer groups in the Asia-Pacific region have launched a petition that urges the World Health Organization (WHO) to respect consumer rights ahead of its next biennial meeting of the WHO Framework Convention of Tobacco Control (WHO FCTC) in November. They are asking for supporters to sign and share the petition at change.org/v4v-petition.
May 25, 2021
Humble Specialty Products Launches CBD Line
Humble Specialty Products announced its latest hemp-derived product line during the Tobacco Plus Expo (TPE) trade show held in mid-May. According to a press release, the full lineup features five product formats that allow for consumers to easily identify their best method of consumption. The CBD line joins Humble’s recently launched line of hemp wraps.
Humble CBD is available in five product formats: a balm, a chewable, a dropper, a softgel and a twist.
“We are excited to introduce our products to surfers, skaters, snowboard enthusiasts and beyond as an option to incorporate into their wellness regimens,” said Daniel Clark, CEO of Humble. “Now more than ever, people are embracing energetic routines that drive them to push further each day. We know sustaining a dynamic life requires dynamic solutions, which is why Humble CBD products are designed to boost focus and help relaxation and recovery.”
Humble’s CBD products include:

Balm
1,000 mg of CBD in a 1.67 oz bottle roll-on featured in a refreshing eucalyptus mint scent;

Chewable
750 mg of CBD in a 30-count container or 100 mg of CBD in a 10-count container in assorted flavors;

Dropper (tincture)
60 ML droppers in three CBD strengths (1,000 mg, 1,500 mg and 2,000 mg) and eight flavor options;

Softgel
900 mg of CBD in a 30-count bottle or 100 mg of CBD in a 10-count pack;

Twist
Six single-serve oil drops featuring 33 mg of CBD per serving; available in four flavor options.
Humble’s CBD products are lab tested, gluten free and made from industrial hemp grown in the U.S., according to the release. Humble CBD is available for purchase in select retailers and online at www.humblecbd.com. “Whether you prefer a topical, a chewable or a single serving dropper, Humble CBD is dedicated to helping you find the perfect product to fit your needs,” said Clark.
May 25, 2021
Researchers Study Nicotine’s Protection Against Covid-19

Photo: meryll
Researchers at the Pitie-Salpetriere hospital in Paris are investigating whether Covid-19 can be treated with nicotine, reports RFI.
The project is in response to an observation made by doctors in the first months of the pandemic that there were fewer smokers among their most serious Covid cases. The ‘smokers’ paradox’ was observed in China and in peer review studies around the world. A French study that found that out of 11,000 hospitalized patients, only 8.5 percent were smokers, compared to 25.4 percent of the general population.
Some suggest the nicotine in cigarettes could be slowing the virus. Many Covid-19 deaths are caused by an overreaction of the immune system. Scientists speculate that nicotine helps moderate such overreactions because it lowers the immune system’s activity.
Last year French researchers analyzed public health data of people who used nicotine substitutes, like patches or gum. They noticed that those people had less Covid than those who did not use them.
To test the hypotheses, Paris hospitals launched three clinical studies using nicotine patches. One of the studies, concluded in April, involved 220 patients in intensive care units for severe Covid. Half were given nicotine patches and the others given placebos. The data is being analyzed, and the first results should be out in June.
While the findings are interesting, Pitie-Salpetriere doctor Zahir Amoura warns people against taking up smoking to protect themselves from Covid. “Smoking is a scourge. It’s important to repeat that,” he told RFI.
May 25, 2021
Lawmaker Brings Back Bill for Vapor Usage Reporting
Utah Rep. Chris Stewart has joined two other members of U.S. Congress to reintroduce a bipartisan bill aimed at providing more accurate information regarding electronic cigarette use. Presently, electronic health records (EHRs) allow doctors to record whether a patient uses traditional cigarettes or cigars, however, there are no options for e-cigarette or other harm reduction products, according to a press release from Stewart’s office.
Credit: Lazy Llama
The bill, called the Accurate Reporting of Smoking Variants Act, would require the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology to ensure that the electronic health records include options for vapor products and other reduced harm variants, such as heat tobacco products.
According to the press release, the change would allow for health care providers and researchers to better understand the prevalence of e-cigarette usage, understand the long-term health impacts of these products, and develop strategies to curb vaping among young people.
“Young people in Utah and across the country are using e-cigs at alarming rates,” said Stewart. “I’m proud to reintroduce this bipartisan bill in an effort to take concrete steps to reverse this trend. There’s no denying it: This is a public health crisis that demands action. Let’s give health providers and researches the tools they need to ensure a healthier America for future generations.”
Co-sponsoring the bill along with Stewart are Reps. David Trone of Maryland and Raja Krishnamoorthi of Illinois.
May 24, 2021
Consumers to Celebrate ‘Safer Choice’ on World Vape Day

Photo: Aliaksandr Barouski
Consumer advocacy groups in the Asia-Pacific region under the Coalition of Asia Pacific Tobacco Harm Reduction Advocates (CAPHRA) are joining the celebration of World Vape Day on May 30, with a call on the World Health Organization (WHO) and governments around the world to provide smokers with a better choice and spare them from almost 50 percent mortality rate linked to smoking.
“The World Vape Day is a celebration of personal stories of smokers who have found a humane way out of smoking thanks to the advent of innovative smoke-free products such as e-cigarettes, heated-tobacco products and Swedish snus,” said Nancy Loucas, executive coordinator of the CAPHRA, in a statement.
This year’s World Vape Day highlights smoke-free products as “the better choice” to combustible cigarettes, which are linked to more than 8 million premature deaths each year among 1.1 billion smokers globally.
“We celebrate World Vape Day because it symbolizes hope for millions of smokers in Asia-Pacific and around the world who now have access to innovative nicotine products such as e-cigarettes and heated-tobacco products that were not available in the previous decades,” said Loucas.
“Vaping is the safer choice based on our experience and on the numerous independent studies published in peer-reviewed scientific journals. Along with heated-tobacco products, e-cigarettes are considered a part of tobacco harm reduction—a public health strategy which aims to provide alternatives to reduce risks caused by smoking cigarettes,” she said.
Loucas said these smoke-free nicotine products provide countries an opportunity to end the global problem of smoking. “We have an opportunity to save millions of lives by making the switch to better alternatives. It is also a reminder to governments and health authorities that smokers should be given the freedom of choice for their health and for their future,” she said.
Asa Saligupta, representative of Ends Cigarette Smoke Thailand, said that while World Vape Day is being celebrated in many countries, some nations like Thailand still prohibit the use of e-cigarettes and heated-tobacco products (HTPs).
“In several Asian countries, vapers continue to face imprisonment and fines for making the switch to e-cigarettes, which were found to be at least 95 percent less harmful than traditional cigarettes. It is a violation of consumer rights for safer alternative products and accurate information about e-cigarettes,” he said.
I believe that vaping can achieve what existing tobacco control policies failed to accomplish in many years—end smoking.
Peter Paul Dator, president, Vapers Philippines
“But we remain hopeful that authorities will listen to science and give tobacco harm reduction a chance to make a difference in the lives of smokers who represent a fifth of the population in Thailand,” he said.
Saligupta noted that Public Health England, in its 2018 independent evidence review, concluded that “e-cigarettes are around 95 percent safer than combustible cigarettes.”
Peter Paul Dator, president of Vapers Philippines, said more than 50 million smokers around the world have already switched to vaping, which means they have significantly reduced their exposure to toxins and carcinogens found in tobacco smoke.
“This is because unlike cigarettes, vapor products and HTPs do not burn organic matter at very high temperatures and therefore do not produce toxic fumes. I believe that vaping can achieve what existing tobacco control policies failed to accomplish in many years—end smoking,” Dator said.
Dator pointed to the dismal smoking cessation rate of 4 percent in the Philippines, which he said reflects the ineffectiveness of existing smoking cessation strategies such as the “quit-or-die” approach. “Smoke-free products can help 16 million Filipino smokers quit smoking or switch to these less harmful alternatives,” he said.
Mirza Abeer, the founder of the Association for Smoking Alternatives in Pakistan (ASAP), said he could attest to the effectiveness of vaping as a part of tobacco harm reduction.
We advocate the adoption of scientifically substantiated smoking alternatives among adult consumers and policymakers.
Mirza Abeer, founder, ASAP
“Quitting smoking is a tough challenge to surmount, but e-cigarettes helped me and other smokers quit. Switching to vaping after smoking for 13 years resulted in my improved health. This also saved me from asthma attacks, and now I feel much better. I hope to share this personal experience to more than 15 million smokers in Pakistan so that they, too, will have a choice,” he said.
“As head of ASAP, we advocate the adoption of scientifically substantiated smoking alternatives among adult consumers and policymakers to help significantly reduce smoking rates in Pakistan and positively impact public health as soon as possible,” said Abeer.
World Vape Day is celebrated a day before World No Tobacco Day on May 31. CAPHRA said that with more than 50 million vapers worldwide and growing, the campaign is expected to gain ground in more countries in the coming years.
May 24, 2021