Author: Timothy Donahue

U.K. Pauses Tobacco Ban Talks Until After Election

Credit: Stock Pics
Britain’s proposed generational tobacco ban will not become law before the July 4 election announced by Prime Minister Rishi Sunak this week, reports Reuters.
The U.K. Tobacco and Vapes Bill aims to phase out the sale of cigarettes. It would make it illegal to sell tobacco products to anyone born on or after Jan. 1, 2009, after they turn 18. It would also provide powers to address vaping among young people.
The bill had passed its first parliamentary hurdle in April despite dozens of lawmakers in Sunak’s Conservative party voting against it.
However, the government failed to put forward the tobacco and vapes bill as part of the legislation to be passed in the “wash-up” period before parliament dissolves.
Unless ministers resuscitate the bill at the last minute with an emergency statement today, it will be up to the next government to re-introduce the smoking ban in a fresh bill. The Labour party is committed to the policy and could include it in its manifesto. “Our position hasn’t changed so if it doesn’t come through, then we will look at putting it in the manifesto and introducing a bill,” a Labour representative told The Guardian.
The U.K. Vaping Industry Association (UKVIA) welcomed the news that the bill would not be rushed through the legislative process. Earlier, the group had complained that the Department of Health and Social Care had failed to carry out any risk assessments into the health impacts of fewer people using vapes to quit smoking as a result of potential changes to flavor offerings, point of sale displays or packaging and product presentation.
“It is wrong to rush any legislation through parliament without proper scrutiny but with a bill like this, where lives are quite literally at stake, it is even more important that the correct checks and balances are in place when considering what new powers to introduce,” said UKVIA Director General John Dunne in a statement.
“We believe that properly drafted new measures to ban child-friendly designs and flavor names and ensure that products, backed up by a powerful and effective enforcement regime will continue to see smoking rates fall while ensuring that youth uptake rapidly comes down.”
Anti-smoking activists took the news in stride. “While the tobacco and vapes bill appears to be a victim of a snap election, all is not lost,” said Deborah Arnott, chief executive of Action on Smoking and Health. “This bill has the strong support of the chief medical officers of all four nations in the U.K. as well as the overwhelming majority of the public.”
May 24, 2024
Study Finds Illegal U.K. Vape Seizures on the Rise
Port of Dover in Kent, U.K. (Credit: Alan)
Vape Club, a U.K.-based online vape retailer, reports that the U.K.’s freight terminals, airports, and seaports are now the unexpected frontline in the battle against the surge in illegal vaping products, with enough seizures for three to be sold every minute.
The report states that major London airports, Manchester and the Port of Dover, are being used as supply routes to “further the U.K.’s illegal vaping epidemic.” The data suggests that these regions saw the highest number of illegal vaping devices seized in 2023, accounting for 42 percent of the U.K.’s total.
In 2023, over one and a half million illegal vapes were seized in the U.K., according to the 2024 Illegal Vaping Report. Kent, home to the Port of Dover, was the local authority with the highest number of illegal vapes seized in 2023 at over a quarter of a million.
Heathrow Airport’s local authority, Hillingdon, seized almost a quarter of a million illegal vapes last year, and Manchester Airport saw 158,434 illegal vapes seized. “The findings raise concerns about the potentially dangerous illegal vapes entering the U.K. at its borders,” the report states.
May 23, 2024
Agencies Urged to Remove Unauthorized Products

Credit: Elfbar
Seventy-eight U.S. public health and other organizations urged the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, the U.S. Department of Justice and the U.S. Customs and Border Protection to utilize all the enforcement tools at their disposal to clear the market of unauthorized e-cigarette products, including flavored products.
To date, the FDA has authorized the sale of only 23 tobacco-flavored e-cigarette products.
“This means that virtually the entire e-cigarette market consists of unauthorized, illegal products, including a wide variety of flavored products—largely disposables—that FDA has found to be highly appealing to youth,” the groups wrote in a letter addressed to all three agencies.
“This is a wholesale failure to enforce the Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act by FDA and other government enforcement agencies. There must be an intensified and coordinated, multi-agency federal effort to enforce the law against these illegal products in an effective and equitable manner.”
The groups urged the adoption of several concrete changes in tobacco enforcement policies and activities, including more frequent use of enforcement tools, such as civil monetary penalties; and prioritization of efforts to stop illegal importation of unauthorized products.
“The failure to adequately enforce the law against unauthorized products has real, and significant public health consequences. We urge FDA, DOJ and CBP to respond with an ‘all hands on deck’ strategy that will use all enforcement tools at their disposal to protect the public health, and particularly the health of our young people, from the flood of illegal, unauthorized e-cigarettes,” the letter writers concluded.
May 23, 2024
JTI Launches its H-n-B Ploom X Advanced in Italy

TR Archive
The Ploom X Advanced, Japan Tobacco Group’s most advanced heated tobacco device, has made its debut in Italy’s travel retail market at Milan Malpensa Airport in partnership with Avolta. The launch is supported by high-impact marketing aimed at driving traffic to the store, particularly with the influx of global travelers attending Milan Design Week.
The product, previously launched in duty-free stores in Japan and Switzerland, is available in a variety of device colors, sticks and accessories, according to a press release.
Japan Tobacco’s subsidiary Japan Tobacco International (JTI) noted that the Italy debut marks the brand’s continued expansion in the channel throughout 2024 and beyond, underlining its long-term commitment to travel retail and its partners.
Ploom X Advanced represents the group’s move to expand its portfolio by entering the reduced-risk product (RRP) category to cater to the needs of adult tobacco consumers and vapers while reaffirming its place among the most innovative global brands, JTI added.
“As an Italian myself, I was excited to see JTI’s premium offer in the RRP category taking off in Milan,” said Simone Mammi, JTI’s Global Travel Retail Sales director. “Our Ploom X Advanced device has been launched in Italy travel retail, alongside Camel heated tobacco sticks, available in four flavors and tobacco intensities (gold, bronze, burgundy, and teal).”
JTI noted that with Avolta as one of its long-standing retail partners at Milan Malpensa Airport, it optimized the premium front-of-category space to provide impactful showcasing that, when coupled with ongoing consumer engagement, “should deliver promising results.”
The Ploom X Advanced device was named the best product available in the heated tobacco category at the U.K. Product of The Year Awards 2024.
May 22, 2024
Singapore Police Seize $3.7 Million in Illegal Vapes
Credit: Sharaf Maksumov
More than S$5 million ($3.7 million) worth of vape products were seized during a warehouse raid at Woodlands Industrial Park on Apr 24 in Singapore.
It is the second-largest seizure of vaping products, coming a month after a record haul in March that was worth more than S$6 million.
Officers from the Immigration & Checkpoints Authority (ICA) were conducting an enforcement operation when they found more than 400,000 vaping products and alerted the Health Sciences Authority (HSA), according to an ICA statement.
Last year, Singapore authorities handled around 8,000 vaping-related offenses, a 43 percent jump from the 5,600 in 2022. A total of 7,600 offenses were recorded in 2021.
From Jan. 1 to March 31 this year, more than 2,200 people were caught possessing and using vaping products.
May 22, 2024
Cook Islands Bans Vapes, Smoking Age Raised to 21

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The Cook Islands is set to ban imitation tobacco products, such as e-cigarettes and heated tobacco products, and will raise the smoking age from 18 to 21.
Importing and distributing imitation tobacco products could result in a NZD$100,000 ($61,000) fine or up to three months in prison for an individual.
While businesses caught doing the same face a $1,000,000 fine, additionally, non-compliant businesses will incur a daily penalty of $100,000 for each day the violation continues.
The Tobacco Control Amendment Bill 2024 passed its third reading in Parliament last week, with most members of parliament supporting it, according to media reports.
Visitors over 21 will be exempt from the new rules and can bring one imitation tobacco device containing up to 30 milliliters of liquid.
Other restrictions include the prohibition of displaying tobacco products for sale and the ban on smoking in public places, with limited exceptions.
Businesses selling tobacco products will also need a license to do so.
Nick Dun, the manager of South Seas, a store in Rarotonga that sells e-cigarette products, said he thought vaping provided a better alternative to tobacco products.
“It means some people will unfortunately fall back into tobacco smoking, which may be harder to give up in the future and will impact them financially,” Dun said.
He said his business felt there was a need for alternatives to tobacco products.
“For a lot of people, they believed that they actually felt better, and when they started vaping [they] didn’t want to go back to tobacco smoking.
“For a percentage of our customers, vaping was basically them trying to give up smoking and kind of the stepping stone to giving up.”
May 22, 2024
Unconstitutional: Court Rules on Panama Vape Sales Ban

Credit: Alexey Novikov
The Supreme Court of Justice in Panama has ruled unanimously that Panama’s ban on the sale of all vaping products is unconstitutional.
According to several media reports, the ruling, announced last week, was in response to a lawsuit brought by the Asociación por la Reducción de Daños del Tabaquismo de Panamá (ARDT Panama), a vaping consumer advocacy group.
The court found that Law 315 violated parliamentary procedures spelled out in Article 170 of the Panamanian constitution, according to Panama America.
Law 315 prohibited the sale and import of all vaping and heated tobacco products, with or without nicotine. It also banned online sales, prohibited vaping in any place where smoking is not allowed, and gave customs authorities the right to inspect, detain, and seize shipments into the Central American country.
The law passed the National Assembly in 2021, and was given assent by Panamanian President Laurentino Cortizo nearly a year later, on June 30, 2022. Panama had previously prohibited vape sales under a 2014 health ministry decree.
The ARDT Panama lawsuit challenged the vaping ban on the basis that it violated the constitutional right to health (depriving people who smoke of a lower-risk substitute). Also, it alleged that the National Assembly violated technical parliamentary rules in passing the law.
According to El Capital Financiero, the legal challenge was also supported by the Association of Smokers and Families for a Smoke-Free Panama and the Medicinal Cannabis Association of Panama.
It’s unclear if the high court also weighed in on the health-based challenge.
May 21, 2024
Innokin Recalls All of its Kroma Nova Vape Systems
Kroma Nova
The China-based vaping brand Innokin has issued a product recall for its Kroma Nova vaping system. The recall covers its all production units.
“The Kroma Nova implements a unique charging solution with a specialized component supplied specifically for this model. Unfortunately, the supplier’s component appears to be defective and may pose a safety risk,” a press release states.
A spokesperson for Innokin stated that the recall was to “ensure the safety of our customers and maintain the high standards of our products, we have decided to initiate a precautionary recall” of the popular vaping system.
“Innokin prides itself on high safety standards and full transparency with customers,” the release states. “We encourage all Innokin customers to contact us whenever issues arise, so our team can implement resolutions in a timely manner.”
Customers should contact Innokin at support@innokin.com for further instructions on the recall process.
Business clients should contact their sales representative.
May 21, 2024
PMTA Filed for Njoy ACE 2.0 With Age Verification

Credit: Kristina Blokhin
Njoy, a subsidiary of Altria, submitted a supplemental premarket tobacco product application (PMTA) to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for the commercialization and marketing of its ACE 2.0 device.
The new device includes access restriction technology designed to prevent underage use. This is achieved through Bluetooth connectivity, which authenticates the user before unlocking the device. The company has also re-submitted PMTAs for blueberry- and watermelon-flavored pod products, which are exclusively compatible with the Njoy ACE 2.0 device.
“Altria’s Vision is to responsibly lead the transition of adult smokers to a smoke-free future. We’re excited to build on our existing FDA-authorized products,” said Shannon Leistra, president & CEO of Njoy. “Njoy ACE 2.0 includes critical technology features to prevent underage access to flavored Njoy products while also responsibly providing flavored options for adult smokers and vapers.”
The Njoy ACE is the only pod-based vaping product currently with marketing authorization from the FDA. In the first quarter of 2024, Njoy announced it had broadened distribution to over 80,000 stores and expects to expand to approximately 100,000 stores by year-end.
Njoy also continued the roll-out of the brand’s first retail trade program, which is designed to help achieve optimal retail visibility and product fixture space, according to a press release.
“Given the widespread illicit flavored e-vapor marketplace, this product offers the FDA a sound solution for balancing the known risk to youth with an opportunity to offer adults legal, regulated choices,” said Paige Magness, senior vice president of Regulatory Affairs of Altria Client Services. “We hope the FDA prioritizes the review and authorization of this application given its interest in device access restriction technologies to reduce youth access.”
Njoy had previously received marketing denial orders for its blueberry (2.4% and 5% nicotine strengths) and watermelon (2.4% and 5% nicotine strengths) pods, noting that “…Rather, for flavored Electronic Nicotine Delivery System (ENDS), only the most stringent mitigation measures – specifically device access restrictions – have such mitigation potential.”
Njoy stated that it believes these applications sufficiently address the FDA’s concerns regarding underage use by incorporating device age and identity-based access restriction and demonstrating that these restrictions are effective at preventing underage access in virtually all cases. Currently, the FDA has not authorized the marketing of any non-tobacco-flavored vaping product.
May 20, 2024
Executive Appointments Made at Ispire Technology

Photo: Ink Drop
Ispire Technology has appointed Jim McCormick chief financial officer. The company also announced the appointments of John Patterson as senior vice president of international nicotine; Dennis Lider as senior vice president of cannabis product sales; and David Hessler as senior vice president of operations.
McCormick has more than three decades of diverse leadership experience to his new role. He started his career in public accounting with KPMG Peat Marwick in 1989, transitioning to consumer goods with Mid-America Pepsi-Cola and later joining BAT’s associate company Brown & Williamson Tobacco in 1992. At BAT, he held various international general management and CFO positions across Europe, South America, Southeast Asia, Sub-Saharan Africa and Northern Africa.
Patterson has more than 25 years of extensive experience in the tobacco and next-generation nicotine categories, spanning both U.S. domestic and international markets, notably in the U.K. and the EU. Beginning his career at Altria, Patterson has since held pivotal roles across Europe for Philip Morris International, NJOY and most recently Juul Labs, where he served as senior director and country manager for the United Kingdom.
With more than 20 years of CPG sales leadership experience, Lider boasts over a decade of executive leadership in revenue management. Since 2019, he has held senior-level positions with publicly traded cannabis companies, overseeing wholesale, retail and distribution sales functions. Lider brings a wealth of experience in international market expansions, corporate business development, global sales management and channel diversification.
Hessler, senior vice president of operations, began his career in California’s shipping industry after graduating from Georgetown University’s School of Foreign Service. He went to Moscow in 1992, where he spent two decades in the global cigarette industry with PMI and JTI. Hessler led At JTI’s global supply chain organization’s customer service department in Geneva, managing operations across 190 markets with over 5,000 SKUs.
“We’re thrilled to announce this significant talent upgrade at Ispire as we gear up for rapid expansion both domestically and internationally,” said Ispire Co-CEO Michael Wang in a statement.
May 20, 2024