Author: Timothy Donahue

  • Marlyland Schools Get $2 Million From Juul Labs

    Marlyland Schools Get $2 Million From Juul Labs

    Credit: Andriano CZ

    Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS) in Maryland will receive $2 million to purchase vape detection devices after the Montgomery County Council voted unanimously Tuesday to transmit settlement money from the Juul e-cigarette company to the school system.

    The funding comes from a state grant created after the Juul vape company was ordered to pay $7.5 million to the state for marketing its products to minors, media reports.  

    The settlement included more than 5,000 lawsuits from schools, states, and counties. In 2019, the county joined a state lawsuit against Juul for marketing its products to youth.

    According to MCPS officials, the school system plans to use the funds to install vape detectors in high school bathrooms. The school board voted at its Aug. 20 meeting to move forward with the plan, provided the council approved the funding.

  • England: Rich Kids More Likely to Vape, Use Drugs

    England: Rich Kids More Likely to Vape, Use Drugs

    VV Archive

    Vaping, illegal drug use, and drinking alcohol are more common among English children from better-off families compared to poorer households, a new study suggests.

    The data showed that a more significant proportion of children aged 11 to 15 from affluent backgrounds in England self-reported their experience of each than those from the least affluent backgrounds.

    The Social Mobility Commission said its analysis of National Health Service (NHS) digital data showed that almost a third (32 percent) of young people from wealthier backgrounds had consumed alcohol in the previous month.

    This compared to less than a fifth (19 percent) of those from poorer households, suggests media reports.

    Some 13 percent of more affluent kids had vaped, compared with 10 percent in the least advantaged group, while almost a quarter (23 percent) had taken drugs compared with 17 percent from poorer groups.

    The authors suggested access to alcohol might be easier for children from higher socioeconomic backgrounds.

    However, the researchers said they don’t believe this explains the broader findings, and called for further research “to explore these worrying trends.”

  • Imperial Brands Boosts Share Returns, Vapes Boom

    Imperial Brands Boosts Share Returns, Vapes Boom

    VV Archives

    Imperial Brands said on Tuesday that the nicotine company would boost shareholder returns to 2.8 billion pounds ($3.7 billion) in its new financial year, as it reported strong growth in vapes and other nicotine alternatives, sending its shares higher.

    The maker of Blu vaping products has benefited from hiking tobacco prices to offset a decline in volumes, as well as rising demand for next generation products (NGPs) including vapes, e-cigarettes and oral pouches.

    The company said it planned to buy back 1.25 billion pounds of shares in the year ending September 2025 and pay out cash dividends of about 1.5 billion pounds. That would be up from 2.4 billion pounds of shareholder payouts in fiscal 2024.

    Imperial forecast 20-30 percent growth in NGP net revenues at constant currencies for fiscal 2024, ahead of some analyst expectations, but said overall results would be in line with guidance, with a stronger pound holding back its adjusted operating profit, according to Reuters.

    Shares of the Bristol-headquartered firm were up 4.2% at 2,239 pence in morning trade, the biggest gain on London’s benchmark FTSE index.

    “Imperial Brands is managing to drive growth not only in its fledgling next generation brands but also in ‘legacy’ tobacco products which still make up the lion’s share of the business,” said Derren Nathan, head of equity research at Hargreaves Lansdown.

  • French Vape Organization SOVAPE to Shutter Doors

    French Vape Organization SOVAPE to Shutter Doors

    Credit: Zoran Milic

    French consumer vaping organization SOVAPE announced this week it will dissolve. The group has been active since 2016.

    Best known for organizing three Vape Summits in France between 2016 and 2019, SOVAPE also co-founded the European Tobacco Harm Reduction Advocates (ETHRA) umbrella organization. Since 2019, the group has commissioned annual surveys of French public opinion on vaping and nicotine conducted by major market research firm BVA.

    However, this year BVA notified SOVAPE that it could no longer participate due to a health industry client’s contract prohibiting BVA from also working with nicotine-associated organizations, according to media reports.  

    The abrupt cancellation of the survey followed other recent blows, including news articles accusing SOVAPE and other consumer groups of connections to the tobacco industry, and attacks on scientists and health professionals who supported SOVAPE’s mission.

    In an Oct. 6 website post, SOVAPE explained it can no longer carry out its mission due to the current climate of “censorship, threats, lies, denigration and slander, to which can be added the dissemination of fake news and the denial of scientific data.”

    “Dialogue in this context is impossible,” SOVAPE wrote, “and clearly, it is now even ‘forbidden’ to provide information, such as a banal survey, on reducing the risks of smoking in France.”

    SOVAPE will donate the balance of its funds equally to the Pasteur Institute and fellow vaping groups AIDUCE and La Vape du Cœur. SOVAPE has paid to keep its website available for 10 years, and maintains videos of Vape Summit proceedings on its Youtube channel.

    “We regret that we are no longer able to cultivate a dialogue to promote the risk reduction approach against the main cause of preventable diseases and premature deaths in France,” SOVAPE said in its post. “We do not regret having tried, but must acknowledge that it is no longer possible for us to lead this fight that is dear to us, and which has nevertheless contributed to saving lives!”

  • Canadian Trade Group Supports Flavored Vapes

    Canadian Trade Group Supports Flavored Vapes

    Photo: DD Images

    The Canadian Vaping Association (CVA) has expressed concern over recent attempts by tobacco control lobbyists to convince the government to ban vape flavors nationwide. According to the trade group, such a ban would have negative public health consequences and undermine Canada’s goal of reducing smoking rates to less than 5 percent by 2035.   

    “We must acknowledge and not ignore that more than 1.5 million adult vapors in Canada use flavored vaping products to stop smoking,” the CVA wrote in a statement.

    “We agree underage youth should not vape; however, more needs to be done through education and providing the necessary tools for parents, teachers, coaches and community members, to understand the underlying issues as to why youth are vaping and providing solutions to solve their nicotine dependence.”

    According to the CVA, Canada already has some of the best vape regulations globally, covering labeling, packaging, marketing, promotions, reporting and nicotine concentration limits. The group also urged the tobacco control lobbyist to consider the risks of the illicit market.

    “The bullying tactics of anti-harm reduction lobbyists pressuring Minister Saks and Health Canada to act quickly, will only help grow the black market of vaping products,” the CVA wrote. “This will make vaping more accessible to youth, at much lower prices and greater risk to their health.”

  • JT Group Completes Vector Group Acquisition

    JT Group Completes Vector Group Acquisition

    Image: somchaij

    The JT Group completed the acquisition of Vector Group (VGR) on Oct. 7, following a tender offer, initially announced on Aug. 21.

    The tender offer period, initiated on Sept. 4, 2024, expired at one minute after 23:59 Eastern Daylight Time, on Oct. 4, 2024. The conditions of the tender offer having been satisfied, the JT Group has accepted all such tendered shares, and, following a statutory merger on Oct. 7, 2024, VGR became a wholly owned subsidiary of the JT Group and was delisted from the New York Stock Exchange on Oct. 7, 2024.

    In a statement, the JT Group said it expects the acquisition to improve the company’s return-on-investment in combustibles by significantly increasing the group’s presence and distribution network in the U.S, the second largest tobacco market in net sales and one of the most profitable.

  • Ispire Inks 5-Year Distributor Agreement With ANDS

    Ispire Inks 5-Year Distributor Agreement With ANDS

    Ispire Technology Inc., a company that develops and commercializes vaping technology products, announced a five-year master distributor agreement with ANDS, a Dubai-based distributor in the Middle East, North Africa (MENA) region specializing in combustion-free nicotine delivery solutions.

    The partnership marks a significant step in Ispire’s global expansion strategy, enabling the company to bring its Hidden Hills Club nicotine portfolio to the MENA region and Global Duty-Free markets.

    Under the agreement, Ispire and ANDS will commercialize the Hidden Hills Club brand across 20+ MENA markets, leveraging ANDS’ extensive partnerships with major duty-free operators, providing access to more than 45 airports, cruise ships, airlines and diplomatic facilities, according to an emailed press release.

    “This collaboration is a pivotal moment for Ispire as we continue to expand our global footprint at a time when consumers are looking for harm-reduced products to transition away from combustible cigarettes,” said Michael Wang, Co-Chief Executive Officer of Ispire Technology. “By partnering with ANDS, we gain access to one of the fastest-growing regions in the world, where smoking rates remain high, but there is a significant demand for harm-reduced products.

    “With ANDS’ robust regulatory, legal, compliance, brand building, sales and distribution expertise as well as local market insights, we are well-positioned to bring the Hidden Hills Club nicotine portfolio to new markets, offering consumers innovative, harm-reduction alternatives to combustible cigarettes.”

    The MENA region is one of the fastest-growing markets for alternative nicotine products, where harm reduction is becoming increasingly important, the release states. Through the partnership, Ispire and ANDS will offer a comprehensive range of products, including vape devices and nicotine pouches, tailored to meet local demand and preferences.

    “We are thrilled to collaborate with Ispire to bring the Hidden Hills Club nicotine products and their marketing power to the MENA region and Global Duty-Free markets,” said ANDS Co-Founder and CEO Fadi Maayta. “With Ispire’s cutting-edge products and our extensive reach and expertise, we are confident that this partnership will provide consumers with innovative nicotine delivery solutions that will bring potentially reduced-risk products to adult smokers. Together, we aim to meet the evolving needs of consumers in the region while ensuring compliance with local laws and regulations.”

  • ‘Never Smoker’ Ill-Defined in Recent Study: UKVIA

    ‘Never Smoker’ Ill-Defined in Recent Study: UKVIA

    Photo: Tobacco Reporter archive

    A recent study suggesting there are more vapers without a history of smoking in England improperly defines “never smokers,” according to the U.K. Vaping Industry Association (UKVIA).

    “This new research talks about ‘never-regular-smokers’ vaping, their definition for this being people who have not smoked for more than a year,” said UKVIA Director General John Dunne in a statement.

    “This definition is problematic as it does not exclusively include what most people would define as nonsmokers. As the study authors also point out, it is impossible to say if their cohort, whether experimenting with cigarettes already or not, would not have become smokers were it not for vapes.

    “The authors themselves also note that some people have genes and circumstances leading them to like nicotine products; traditionally, they ended up smoking, but some are now discovering vaping without becoming smokers first. If vaping did not exist, they would be smoking.

    “Vaping should only be for smokers looking to quit, but we also need to ensure that those smokers continue to have access to what they need in order to quit.”    

  • Supreme Court to Hear Avail, Reynolds ‘Venue’ Case

    Supreme Court to Hear Avail, Reynolds ‘Venue’ Case

    The Supreme Court of the United States has agreed to consider another case involving federal approval of vapes at the request of the Biden administration on Friday.

    The case arose after the FDA denied R.J. Reynolds Vapor Company’s request to introduce three flavored vapes on the market. The FDA said the company failed to meet federal requirements concerning tobacco products’ marketing, but the company contends the decision was arbitrary and capricious.

    Reynolds is based in North Carolina, and the federal appeals courts located there and in D.C. already had precedent on the books unfavorable to the manufacturer.

    Under federal law, companies can challenge the U.S. Food and Drug Administration denying of a marketing order for a new tobacco product in Washington, D.C., or where the company’s principal place of business is located, reports The Hill.

    The 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals has been more sympathetic to the industry, making it an attractive place for companies to contest their products being denied.

    The 5th Circuit’s rule effectively enables it to host any tobacco company’s challenge, so long as its lawsuit is joined by a convenience store or other retail seller within the 5th Circuit’s borders — which spans Louisiana, Mississippi and Texas.

    The companies instead filed its challenge in the 5th Circuit alongside Avail Vapor Texas and the Mississippi Petroleum Marketers and Convenience Stores Association. The federal government attempted to move venues, but the 5th Circuit said the additional challengers meant the case was properly brought.

    No matter which way the justices rule, they are not expected to address the merits of the FDA’s denial. The Supreme Court only took up the question of whether the 5th Circuit was a proper venue.

    “There is no circuit conflict over the meaning of this venue provision. And other vehicle problems abound,” the company wrote in court filings urging the justices to turn away the appeal.

    The U.S. Supreme Court agreed in July to hear the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s defense of the agency’s rejection of two companies’ premarket tobacco product applications (PMTAs) to sell flavored vape products that it has determined pose health risks for young consumers.

    The justices took up the FDA’s appeal filed after a lower court ruled that the agency had failed to follow proper legal procedures under federal law when it denied the applications to bring their nicotine-containing products to market.

  • ‘Ireland’s Vape Tax Puts Smokers’ Lives at Risk’

    ‘Ireland’s Vape Tax Puts Smokers’ Lives at Risk’

    Photo: Taco Tuinstra

    Ireland’s new tax on e-cigarettes is a setback in the fight against tobacco, condemning thousands of smokers to unnecessary premature death, according to international health experts.

    This week, the Irish government announced a levy of €0.50 per ml of e-liquid as part of its annual budget, adding €1.23 to the cost of a typical vape. This tax is far above the European average of €0.10 to €0.30.

    “Sweden is on the brink of achieving smoke-free status as a result of its progressive approach to safer alternatives like vaping. This contrasts sharply with Ireland’s approach, where smoking rates remain four times higher,” said Delon Human, leader of Smoke Free Sweden, in a statement.

    “Sweden’s successful policies, including lower taxes on safer nicotine alternatives, have helped reduce smoking and smoking-related deaths. In stark contrast, Ireland’s new levy will discourage smokers from switching to less harmful options, potentially keeping them addicted to cigarettes and condemning them to unnecessary premature death.”

    According to a recent Irish public consultation, only 10 percent of respondents supported increasing taxes on vaping above the EU average, while 39 percent warned that higher prices would push consumers to source products abroad.

    Through the promotion of safer alternatives like snus, nicotine pouches and vapes, Sweden has reduced its smoking rates by 55 percent over the past decade, resulting in a staggering 44 percent fewer tobacco-related deaths compared to the rest of the European Union.

    “By raising taxes on safer alternatives, Ireland jeopardizes its hopes of reducing smoking rates,” Humans said. “If Ireland truly wants to cut smoking and save lives, it should follow Sweden’s lead in promoting harm reduction, not penalize smokers for trying to quit.”