A judge in Ohio has ruled that the state law that prohibits cities from banning flavored tobacco is unconstitutional.
Franklin County Common Pleas Judge Mark Serrott’s Friday ruling allows bans in Columbus and other cities to stay in effect.
Columbus City Attorney Zach Klein said in a statement that he applauded the decision, according to media reports.
He said, “While we know this may not be the end of the fight, this decision is a significant win for both the city of Columbus and for the health and safety of children and families.”
Columbus, Cleveland, Cincinnati and 11 other cities sued the state back in April.
Colombian President Gustavo Petro approved new legislation on May 15 regulating the use of e-cigarette devices, according to the Colombian media outlet El Nuevo Siglo.
The law, labeled by lawmakers as Anti-Tobacco Law 2.0, prohibits the direct or indirect sale of e-cigarettes and e-cigarette devices to minors within the country.
The law went into effect on May 9. It amended the Anti-Tobacco Law No. 1335 of 2009 to address the emerging use of e-cigarette devices and electronic nicotine delivery system (ENDS) products.
Vaping products are now subject to the same regulations as traditional tobacco products.
The law prohibits the sale of these products to minors and mandates the Department of Health and Social Protection to run educational campaigns on the health risks of vaping.
There is a transition period to allow the industry to adjust to the new regulations.
The Prime Minister of Vietnam, Pham Minh Chinh, has requested that authorities take various measures to manage the country’s illegal e-cigarette market.
Chinh has requested that the Ministry of Health communicate more about the harmful impacts of e-cigarettes and propose solutions to restrict the market.
The Ministry of Finance would instruct customs to manage the transportation of e-cigarettes through the border and to tackle smuggling, according to media reports.
The Ministry of Industry and Trade needs to manage the domestic market and fine individuals and organizations that sell e-cigarettes.
This move is strange because last month, the Ministry of Industry and Trade was assigned the task of presiding over and coordinating with ministries and ministerial-level agencies to develop appropriate regulations to manage the products.
In a recent study published in Thorax, researchers found associations between the use of social media platforms and the risk of combustible cigarette smoking and vaping among youth.
The study is based on a survey of almost 11,000 young British people ages 10 to 25 who were tracked from 2015 through 2021.
Overall, 8.5 percent said they currently smoked, 2.5 percent said they vaped and about 1 percent did both, according to media reports.
How much time they spent on TikTok, Instagram, and other social media platforms tracked well with their odds of smoking or vaping, the study found.
Just 2 percent of people who reported no social media use engaged in cigarette smoking, but that rose to 17 percent among those who said they were on social media seven-plus hours per day.
Similarly, less than 1 percent of those who avoided social media vaped, compared to 2.5 percent of those who used it seven or more hours daily.
Dr. Graham Wheeler, honorary senior lecturer at the Imperial Clinical Trials Unit, Imperial College London, and statistics director for Statistical Innovation in Specialty and Primary Care at GSK, said the results of this large study are similar to the findings of other research into the association of social media use and smoking habits.
“However, the researchers didn’t record the social media platforms used, or how the users interacted with friends on these platforms. For example, are stronger associations seen amongst users of TikTok or Instagram compared to Whatsapp?
“Social media use is self-reported, so may not be an accurate record of actual use.
“The researchers also assessed how the interaction of social media use and variables such as age, household income and sex were associated with cigarette and e-cigarette use. However, they did not report the interaction of social media use with parental use of cigarettes and e-cigarettes, which is one of the strongest variables associated with children’s smoking habits. We don’t know if this trend of higher odds of being a smoker increasing with social media usage changes when comparing children of parents who are smokers and children of parents who are not smokers.
“This survey reports responses given at a single point in time, rather than following non-smokers over time to see if the likelihood of them taking up cigarette smoking or e-cigarette use is associated with increasing levels of social media use.”
RLX Technology reported net revenues of RMB551.6 million ($76.4 million) in the first quarter of 2024, up from RMB188.9 million in the same period of 2023. Gross margin was 25.9 percent, compared with 24.2 percent in the 2023 period. U.S. GAAP net income reached RMB132.6 million, compared with U.S. GAAP net loss of RMB56.3 million in the same period of 2023.
“We started 2024 with a steady first quarter,” said Ying (Kate) Wang, co-founder, chairperson and CEO of RLX Technology in a statement. “Our international business is developing positively as we refine our regional strategies. Despite challenges posed by regulatory changes across various regions, we continue to identify opportunities and leverage our core strengths to prudently enter potential markets.
“Domestically, we are encouraged by the positive impact of China’s recent regulatory crackdown on illegal products, but much progress remains to be made. We remain committed to collaborating with regulators and advocating for a well-regulated and healthy e-vapor industry. As a trusted e-vapor brand for adult smokers, we are dedicated to optimizing our product portfolio with premium, compliant, and innovative products that meet our users’ needs and drive growth in this evolving industry.”
The first quarter marked RLX Technology’s fifth consecutive quarter of sequential revenue growth, according to Chief Financial Officer Chao Lu. “With our resilient business model, effective regional strategies, and consistent strong execution, we are confident of sustaining this growth trajectory and delivering sustainable value to our stakeholders,” he said.
ADS[2] were RMB0.166 (US$0.023) and RMB0.159 (US$0.022), respectively, in the first quarter of 2024, compared with non-GAAP basic and diluted net income per ADS of RMB0.139 and RMB0.136, respectively, in the same period of 2023.
Vaping prevalence in Malaysia has surged 600 percent in 12 years, reports the New Straits Times, citing a recent study.
The 2023 Global Adult Tobacco Survey (GATS) found that some 5.8 percent of Malaysian adults are e-cigarette users compared with only 0.8 percent in 2011.
GATS is a nationally representative household survey conducted in more than 30 countries globally.
The report also revealed an increase in the percentage of people who used both tobacco and e-cigarettes, from 0.8 percent in 2011 to 3.9 percent last year.
The 15–24 age group had the highest prevalence (8.6 percent) compared with 7.1 percent for those between 25 and 44.
The top 3 reasons cited for using e-cigarettes were flavors, the perception of lower risk compared to smoking, and more enjoyment.
Costa Rican authorities have announced their intent to prohibit vaping, e-cigarette and other tobacco products containing synthetic nicotine in the country.
A proposed resolution will prohibit the “sale, use, commercialization, advertising, promotion, and sponsorship of vaping liquids containing synthetic nicotine and cannabinoids,” the Ministry of Health wrote in a statement.
It will also affect products that “have incorporated cannabinoid-type liquids” because they “represent a health risk,” according to the statement.
The provision will be in effect while the government prepares to reform the law regulating next-generation tobacco products and electronic nicotine delivery systems.
The National Anti-Tobacco Network (Renata) reacted positively to the decision in a statement, highlighting that it “applauds” the government for the new regulation.
“Costa Rica could be on the verge of experiencing a next epidemic of vaping patients,” they argued.
Retailers call the proposal an “injustice,” said Michael Araya, owner of the La Pegona chain of smokers’ stores, according to a media report.
“I’m totally frustrated,” he said. “A lot of people are going to be out of work; continuing in a smoke shop without selling smoking products doesn’t make sense, a very hard blow to all the investment,” Araya added.
The government of South Korea aims to regulate synthetic nicotine as tobacco, reports the Yonhap News Agency.
The Ministry of Health and Welfare and the Ministry of Economy and Finance want to revise the Tobacco Business Act to include synthetic nicotine in the definition of tobacco.
Tobacco in South Korea is governed by the National Health Promotion Act, under the jurisdiction of the health ministry, and the Tobacco Business Act governed by the finance ministry.
The current rules define tobacco as a product “manufactured in a state suitable for smoking, sucking, inhaling steam, chewing or smelling, by using tobacco leaves as all or any part of the raw materials.”
That language fails to capture e-cigarette liquids made with synthetic nicotine, which is created in a laboratory rather than from tobacco leaves. As a result, vapes are not subject to product requirements, such as health warning labels, age restrictions and tobacco taxes, in South Korea.
The push for new legislation follows an announcement by British American Tobacco that it is mulling the launch of a new synthetic nicotine product in the country. South Korea is reportedly the only nation where the tobacco giant is considering a synthetic nicotine product.
“We have decided to push for the revision of the Tobacco Business Act when the 22nd National Assembly opens,” an official at the health ministry was quoted as saying. “We will provide necessary materials to the finance ministry and there is already an abundance of evidence proving that synthetic nicotine is tobacco.”
The consumption of e-cigarettes has been rising steadily in South Korea, reaching 16.9 percent of tobacco sales in 2023.
Knowledge Action Change (KAC) has released a briefing paper on the rapid fall in cigarette sales in Japan following the introduction of heated-tobacco products (HTP).
Titled “Cigarette Sales Halved: Heated-Tobacco Products and the Japanese Experience,” the paper explores some of the social and cultural factors that have made Japan particularly suited to HTP and provides a case study showcasing the potential of tobacco harm reduction through the adoption of safer nicotine products.
As well as referencing a number of peer-reviewed science papers, the briefing paper, available in 12 languages, also includes some new Global State of Tobacco Harm Reduction research, which compares up-to-date sales figures that emphasize the changing nature of cigarette and HTP consumption.
According to KAC, the success of HTP in Japan offers significant hope of their potential to reduce cigarette sales in other similar countries.
“The speed and scale of the change in Japan shows just how quickly things can improve when those people already consuming nicotine are given access to a safer alternative,” said KAC Director David MacKintosh in a statement.
“This is not the result of a specific government policy or initiative, yet the benefits to individuals and society are significant. There are lessons to be learnt from Japan by all those who wish to see the use of combustible tobacco consigned to the history books. Harm reduction is about giving people the opportunity to improve their own health and the health of those around them. Given the chance, most people will do just that.”
John Verbeten is the new director of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration Center for Tobacco Products’ Office of Compliance and Enforcement.
Verbeten has more than 20 years of experience leading field operations, compliance and enforcement, and national-level program management. In his latest role within Office of Import Operations, Verbeten served as the principal advisor to the Office of Regulatory Affairs’ (ORA) leadership on import operations and enforcement activities, and oversaw the FDA’s field import operations, which includes a staff of more than 700 people.
He also provided leadership in the development, implementation and evaluation of new laws, regulations and policies related to ORA’s global and national programs and activities.
Most recently, he led the agency’s development of a memorandum of understanding between the FDA and U.S. Postal Service (USPS), which established a framework that provides a basis for the development of bilateral data exchange and provides the FDA access to the USPS advanced electronic data for imported mail shipments.
