Author: Taco Tuinstra

  • Canada Proposes New Vapor Disclosure Requirements

    Canada Proposes New Vapor Disclosure Requirements

    Photo: DD Images

    The Canadian government wants vapor product manufacturers to disclose information about their sales  and the ingredients used in their products.

    On June 17, Minister of Mental Health and Addictions and Associate Minister of Health Carolyn Bennett announced the launch of a 45-day public consultation period on the proposed rules.

    “Canada’s vaping market is evolving rapidly,” Health Canada wrote in a press release. “A large number of vaping substances are available across the country and new formulations are frequently introduced with new flavors. Health Canada is restricted in its capacity to properly track market trends due to limited access to information on vaping products sales and composition.”

    According to Health Canada, the proposed regulations are the first step of a gradual approach to introducing vaping product reporting requirements. Health Canada is considering additional reporting requirements for implementation in the future similar to those already in place for tobacco products. This could include reporting on information related to research and development as well as promotional activities. It could also include disclosing some information to the public which would increase industry transparency.

    “As the vaping market continues to evolve rapidly and entice Canadians, including young people, to use vaping products, we are taking action to better protect everyone in Canada by more fully understanding the impact of these products on their health,” said Bennett. “The proposed regulations will help us educate Canadians about the health harms while furthering research aimed at reducing the amount of people impacted by harms related to tobacco and vaping product use across the country.” 

    The proposed regulations have been published in the Canada Gazette. Stakeholders can submit comments to mailto:mpregs@hc-sc.gc.ca until Aug. 2.

  • CAPHRA Condemns Anti-Vaping Campaign

    CAPHRA Condemns Anti-Vaping Campaign

    “By stirring up anti-vaping hysteria, New Zealand’s Asthma and Respiratory Foundation will only send more minors back to smoking and put the country’s decade long Smokefree 2025 ambition in jeopardy,” says Nancy Loucas, executive coordinator of the Coalition of Asia Pacific Tobacco Harm Reduction Advocates (CAPHRA).

    Loucas’ comments follow the Asthma and Respiratory Foundation (ARFNZ) launching a video series titled, “Spotlight on Vaping.” The campaign claims New Zealand is experiencing an “epidemic” of youth vaping. Together with the Secondary Principals’ Association of NZ (SPANZ), it also claims over a quarter of students have vaped in the past week.

    “What these sensationalized numbers don’t take into account is, if 26 percent of school students had in fact vaped in the past week, many would only be trying it, and secondly, almost all of them would’ve been smoking deadly cigarettes a generation ago,” says Loucas.

    CAPHRA says while smoking-related illnesses kill around 5,000 New Zealanders every year, vaping has not reportedly caused one death in the country. In fact, vaping been widely attributed for positively contributing to New Zealand’s plummeting smoking rate. The overall adult daily smoking rate has fallen from 18 percent in 2006/07 to 9.4 percent in 2020-2021.

    “What ARFNZ fails to mention is [that] the 2021 ASH Year 10 Snapshot survey that they selectively refer to confirms that vaping is not hooking nonsmokers. In that survey, just 3 percent of those who vape daily have never smoked. What’s more, while many may try it, very few ever become regular vapers, particularly non-smoking students,” she says.

    Loucas says while ARFNZ attract headlines by alleging a “youth vaping epidemic,” University of Auckland researchers in 2020 came to a different conclusion: “Our findings do not support the notion of a so-called vaping epidemic in New Zealand or a large youth population dependent on vaping,” the researchers wrote

    “While no one wants youth vaping, we are not seeing an ‘epidemic’ as ARFNZ would have the public believe.

     

  • Kaivel and PMI Reach Global Distribution Agreement

    Kaivel and PMI Reach Global Distribution Agreement

    Photo: khwanchai

    Kaival Brands Innovations Group, the U.S. distributor of all products manufactured by Bidi Vapor, has reached an agreement with Philip Morris Products (PMP), a wholly owned affiliate of Philip Morris International, for the development and distribution of electronic nicotine-delivery system (ENDS) products in markets outside of the U.S., subject to market (or regulatory) assessment.

    The company’s recently formed wholly owned subsidiary, Kaival Brands International (KBI), entered into a licensing agreement with (PMP) on June 13, 2022. The agreement grants to PMP a license of certain intellectual property rights relating to Bidi Vapor’s premium ENDS device, known as the Bidi Stick in the U.S., as well as potentially newly developed devices, to permit PMP to manufacture, promote, sell and distribute such ENDS device and newly developed devices in international markets outside of the U.S.

    The parties believe this agreement promotes their joint vision of a smoke-free future.

    “We believe that in addition to the Bidi Stick having wide acceptance among legal-age nicotine users in the United States, Bidi Vapor’s numerous decisions around design; responsible adult-oriented marketing and stringent youth-access prevention measures; and sustainability bolstered its appeal to PMI,” said Niraj Patel, CEO of Kaival Brands, in a statement.

    “We, along with PMI and Bidi Vapor, share the vision of a smoke-free future. The Bidi Stick offers legal-age nicotine users a high-quality alternative to cigarettes that satisfies their taste preferences. Further, we, along with Bidi Vapor, are committed to prioritizing the appropriate regulation and responsible commercialization, inclusive of taking the necessary measures to make sure these products do not appeal to unintended audiences, including youth. By example, Bidi Vapor does not engage in direct online sales to consumers and requires age verification contracts with our distributors and retailers.

    “While Bidi Vapor continues to pursue the U.S. Food and Drug Administration premarket tobacco product authorization, cooperation with a major multinational company like PMI, a leader in scientifically substantiated smoke-free products, opens doors on a global scale. Kaival Brands looks forward to a long, productive relationship with PMI to accelerate the end of smoking.”

    “We have previously mentioned our intention to broaden our current smoke-free product portfolio for adults who would otherwise continue to smoke cigarettes or use other nicotine products. This agreement supports that vision and is another step toward accelerating the delivery of a smoke-free future. We are excited to start our agreement with Kaival Brands—led by CEO Niraj Patel—who shares the same vision as we do, to accelerate the end of combustible cigarette smoking,” says PMI President of E-Vapor Ashok Rammohan.

  • Experts Urge EU to Embrace Harm Reduction

    Experts Urge EU to Embrace Harm Reduction

    Photo: courtyardpix

    Medical and addiction experts called on the EU to embrace tobacco harm reduction during an event organized by the Centre for Economic and Market Analysis (CETA) in Prague.

    Debating how a tobacco-free generation—where less than 5 percent of EU-citizens use tobacco—can be achieved by 2040, they concluded that the objectives laid out in Europe’s Beating Cancer Plan cannot be attained under current circumstances and that a revised tobacco control policy based on scientific evidence is needed.

    “If the European Commission is serious about its plans to reduce the number of smokers and the impact of smoking, it must start considering the concept of risk reduction in the area of smoking,” said Czech National Drug Coordinator Manager Jindřich Vobořil, in a statement.

    “The Czech Government has committed itself to this approach in its program statement for the upcoming [EU] Presidency. I will also promote it in relation to the ongoing evaluation of the Tobacco Products Directive, which is an effective policy to achieve a real reduction in the number of smokers of conventional cigarettes,” he added.

    “The data show that the abstinence approach is inadequate. The solution for smokers is to switch to less harmful alternatives,” noted Ernest Groman, of the Vienna Nicotine Institute. The only European country close to the 5 percent target is Sweden. According to the experts, the low number of smokers is mainly due to the availability of less harmful alternatives.

    During the event, the CETA published a study ranking EU member states according to their ability to implement the concept of risk reduction. The Czech Republic finished second.

    The Czech government should use the upcoming EU Presidency to undertake a comprehensive review of tobacco dependence policies based on science rather than emotion, according to CETA Research Director Aleš Rod, who also sits on a Czech government advisory board.

  • U.K. to Consider Khan Proposal for Tobacco Control

    U.K. to Consider Khan Proposal for Tobacco Control

    Photo: Iakov Kalinin

    The U.K. government said it will consider the recommendations of a report on smoking and publish its own plan in due course, Health and Social Care Secretary Sajid Javid said in a written statement to parliament.

    “The independent review will help to inform our upcoming White Paper on Health Disparities, which we plan to publish this summer. To complement this, the department will also be publishing a new tobacco control plan in due course,” Javid’s statement said.

    Earlier this year, Javid commissioned an independent review into ways the government can help more people quit smoking and live healthier lives, led by Javed Khan, former CEO of children’s charity Barnardo’s.

    That review was published today. The key recommendations are:

    • Increased investment of an additional £125 million ($156.66 million) per year in smokefree 2030 policies, with an extra £70 million per year ringfenced for stop smoking services
    • Raising the age of sale from 18 by one year every year, until eventually no one can buy a tobacco product in this country
    • Promotion of vapes as an effective “swap to stop” tool to help people quit smoking
    • Improving prevention in the NHS so smokers are offered advice and support to quit at every interaction they have with health services

    Other interventions recommended in the report include a tobacco license for retailers to limit the availability of tobacco across the country; a rethink of the way cigarette sticks and packets look to reduce their appeal; and a mass media campaign to encourage smokers to quit.

    Creeping prohibition won’t stop young adults smoking. It will simply drive the sale of tobacco underground and consumers will buy cigarettes on the black market where no-one pays tax and products are completely unregulated.

    Simon Clark, director, Forest

    “My proposals are not just a plan for this government, but successive governments too,” said Khan. “To truly achieve a smokefree society in our great country, we need to commit to making smoking obsolete, once and for all.” The U.K. aims having 5 percent or fewer smokers by 2030.

    Smokers rights activists condemned the proposal to raise the age of sale of tobacco.

    “Creeping prohibition won’t stop young adults smoking. It will simply drive the sale of tobacco underground and consumers will buy cigarettes on the black market where no-one pays tax and products are completely unregulated,” said Simon Clark, director of the smokers’ group Forest.

    “Ultimately this is about freedom of choice and personal responsibility and ministers must think very carefully before they adopt prohibition and coercion as tools to achieve their smoke-free goal.”

    Mr. Khan unambiguously states that one of the critical ways the government can get its ambitions for a smoke free society back on track is through greater promotion of vaping.

    John Dunne, director general, UKVIA

    Tobacco harm reduction activists welcomed the report’s recognition of vaping as a tool to help smokers quit.

    “We couldn’t agree more with this report’s stark message for the government, which is that, without immediate action, it will miss its smoke free targets by seven years,” said John Dunne, director general of the U.K. Vaping Industry Association, in a statement.

    “The NHS [National Health Service] tells us that around 78,000 people in the U.K. die every year from smoking, with many more living with debilitating smoking-related illnesses, so the time for inaction is over.

    “Mr. Khan unambiguously states that one of the critical ways the government can get its ambitions for a smoke free society back on track is through greater promotion of vaping and the UKVIA, which represents vaping organizations including retailers, manufacturers and distributors, will do everything we can to support this.”

    Clark noted that encouraging smokers to switch to reduced risk products such as e-cigarettes is sensible “as long as it is voluntary and based on educating consumers about the relative risks of different nicotine products.”

    Illustration: Office for Health Improvement & Disparities
  • China: E-Cig Manufacturing Licensing Rules Explained

    China: E-Cig Manufacturing Licensing Rules Explained

    Photo: Taco Tuinstra

    The law firm Kelller & Heckman has published an article summarizing the requirements for obtaining an e-cigarette manufacturing license in China.

    The State Tobacco Monopoly Administration (STMA) has now published a rule outlining the process for Chinese e-cigarette manufacturers to obtain the required manufacturer license. This rule applies not only to manufacturers producing e-cigarettes for the domestic Chinese market, but also to the manufacturing of e-cigarettes solely for export.

    According to Keller & Heckman, manufacturers will have to prepare many materials for their license application. Among other information, they will have to provide proof of suitable funds, production and sales information, including the balance sheet, income statement, cash flow statement and production and sales statistics.

    E-liquid manufacturers will have to supply a license for operating dangerous chemicals and identify the sources of nicotine used in the past three years. Applicants for export must submit materials explaining the export business and the scale of export, including the customs declaration forms for the past three years

    Remarkably, the rules require companies manufacturing exclusively for export to obtain trademark registration in China. Although Keller and Heckman considers it unlikely that the STMA intended to impose the Chinese trademark registration requirement on exporters, the law firm advises clients to seek clarification from the authorities.

  • Study: 49% of Malaysians Vape to Cut Smoking

    Study: 49% of Malaysians Vape to Cut Smoking

    Photo: gesrey

    Nearly half (49 percent) of Malaysian smokers choose to vape to cut down on cigarette consumption or quit smoking completely, reports The New Straits Times, citing a 2021 survey of 500 people carried out by Kantar Group

    “This appears consistent with mounting scientific evidence that smokers prefer vaping and is effective to help them kick the habit,” said Delon Huma, president and CEO of Health Diplomats, a health, nutrition, and wellness consulting group.

    “Available evidence so far shows that most smokers want to quit the habit. For example, in the United Kingdom, around two-thirds of smokers, regardless of their social group, want to stop smoking, and vaping has become the method of choice to quit smoking in that country,” Human said. 

    The survey also found that 52 percent of Malaysian smokers perceive vaping to be less harmful than smoking cigarettes. Eighty-six  percent said that vaping should be made available to smokers as a less harmful product, and 90  percent believed that vaping should be actively promoted as a less harmful alternative to smoking cigarettes. 

    This study shows vaping in Malaysia has great potential to help the government reduce smoking prevalence as it is a popular tool used by smokers to cut down and quit smoking.

    Delon Human, president and CEO, Health Diplomats

    “Studies on the use of e-cigarettes have pointed to the fact that vaping is not risk-free but significantly less harmful than smoking cigarettes,” said Human. “Interestingly, the rate of Malaysian smokers understanding this fact is high compared to other countries,” he said. 

    In the U.K., by contrast, only 29  percent of smokers believe vaping was less harmful than smoking, despite the country’s adopting a harm reduction approach in encouraging cigarette smokers to switch to vaping, according to Human. 

    Malaysia is currently contemplating new rules for e-cigarettes.

    Most of the Malaysians surveyed support regulations for e-cigarettes and believe they should be regulated as consumer products instead of medicinal products.

    At the same time, 81  percent believe regulations must be put in place to ensure the products are not defective and meet product and quality standards and are not sold to minors or underage children. 

    “This study shows vaping in Malaysia has great potential to help the government reduce smoking prevalence as it is a popular tool used by smokers to cut down and quit smoking,” said Human. 

  • RELX Trains Saudi Officials to Help Fight Illicit Trade

    RELX Trains Saudi Officials to Help Fight Illicit Trade

    Credit: Negro Elkha

    RELX International concluded a training session with Saudi Customs Authority and Saudi Authority for Intellectual Property officials on May 25. The training aimed to complement Saudi officials’ efforts in fighting the illicit trade of contraband and counterfeit e-cigarettes in the kingdom.

    The training covered several key aspects: discerning legal products from illegal ones; raising awareness and educating people about the consequences of the illegal trade of e-cigarettes; sharing research and intelligence on identifying illegal trading activities; collaborating with government officials to track and confiscate counterfeit products; and developing and implementing product authentication, tracking and tracing technologies. To facilitate the effectiveness of the training, RELX International collaborated with leading intellectual property firm SABA IP.

    As part of RELX’s ongoing commitment to protecting the rights of legal e-cigarette users, and fighting the illicit trade if e-cigarettes under the Golden Shield Program, additional training sessions are planned in the United Arab Emirates, Egypt and Jordan.

    “As a responsible company, RELX frequently works with local authorities, investigation firms and e-commerce platforms to identify and remove contraband and counterfeit e-cigarette products from the market as part of the RELX Pledge,” said Robert Naouss, external affairs director, MENA & Europe at RELX International, in a statement.

    “We are pleased to have been able to complete an in-depth training session with relevant Saudi authorities and applaud their tireless commitment to ensuring consumers in Saudi Arabia have access to authentic and reliable e-cigarette products at fair prices.”

    RELX established the Golden Shield Program in August 2019 to help prevent the production and sale of the illicit goods. Since its establishment, the initiative has helped remove more than 550,000 fake products from the market, as well as over 77,000 websites.

  • RELX Stops Offering Flavored Vapes in Philippines

    RELX Stops Offering Flavored Vapes in Philippines

    Photo: Aliaksandr Barouski

    RELX International is no longer selling flavored vape products in its outlets throughout the Philippines, according to the Manilla Standard.

    Republic Act No. 11467 and Joint Memorandum Circular No. 003-2020 prohibit the manufacture, importation, sale, and distribution of vapor products with flavoring other than tobacco or menthol in the country.

    Signed by President Rodrigo Duterte on Jan. 22, 2020, the act increases the excise tax rates on alcohol, heated tobacco, and vape products to generate funds for the government to deliver quality and affordable health care services. 

    RELX said the move reflects its commitment to support important reforms that will benefit the collection of tax revenues while catering to legal-age adult smokers, preventing access of e-cigarette among minors, and ensuring responsible and standard-compliant e-cigarettes in retail points across the country. 

  • Macau Mulls More E-Cig Restrictions, Considers Ban

    Macau Mulls More E-Cig Restrictions, Considers Ban

    Credit: Jakarta Travel

    Macau’s executive council wants to ban the production, sale, distribution, import, export and transport of vapor products in the special administrative region (SAR), reports Macau Business. 

    Under changes proposed to the tobacco control law, violators would risk fines of MOP4,000 ($500).

    The current law defines an e-cigarette as any product, or component thereof, that can be used to inhale vapor, with or without nicotine, by means of a mouthpiece, including a cartridge, a reservoir, as well as the device without a cartridge or reservoir. 

    The sale of electronic cigarettes in the city has been restricted since 2017; the recently proposed amendment expands the scope of the restrictions. 

    Still, Health Bureau Director Alvis Lo said the measure was intended to protect public health. “The use of electronic cigarettes is harmful to health, namely, it causes harmful effects to pregnant women, children and adolescents, and also exposing non-smokers to nicotine and other harmful chemicals,” Lo said.

    Following years of antismoking campaigns, consumption of traditional cigarettes among people over the age of 15 in Macau dropped to 10.7 percent in 2019.