Category: News This Week

Taiwan Mulls Ban on Novel Tobacco Products

Photo: Taco Tuinstra
Taiwan’s Health Promotion Administration (HPA) wants to ban the sale of novel tobacco products such as e-cigarettes and heated tobacco products reports The Taipei Times.
On May 29, the agency announced draft amendments to the Tobacco Hazards Prevention Act (THPA) to cover products currently not covered by the act.
One amendment would raise the legal age for smoking and the minimum age for buying tobacco products from 18 to 20.
A recent survey found that smoking and vaping rates among young Taiwanese increased last year.
The smoking of cigarettes and e-cigarettes by junior high and high school students last year increased for the first time since the THPA took effect in 2009, HPA Tobacco Control Division Director Chen Miao-hsin said.
Physician Chen Mu-jung said that teenagers are less cautious when it comes to addictive substances and that flavors added to cigarettes could overpower the pungent taste of tobacco, making teenagers more curious and even leading some to believe that flavored cigarettes are somehow healthier.

June 1, 2020
Japan Tobacco to Launch Ploom S 2.0

Image: Japan Tobacco
Japan Tobacco (JT) is rolling out its Ploom S 2.0, an upgraded heated-tobacco device specialized for menthol. In addition, JT will launch two new menthol tobacco stick products under the Camel brand—Camel Menthol Red and Camel Menthol Yellow. These products will gradually be available at convenience stores and select tobacco retail stores across Japan beginning July 2, 2020.
Ploom S 2.0 is equipped with a new heating mode that lengthens the duration of the peak heating temperature compared to that of the current Ploom S. According to JT, this allows for a balance among the freshness of menthol, rich vapor and clear tobacco taste.
“The two biggest factors that influence the flavor of T-Vapor products are heating temperature and its duration,” explained Toru Takahashi, vice president of the marketing group product and brand division for reduced-risk products.
“Ploom S 2.0 is capable of tailoring the device to heat the sticks at an optimal temperature and for an optimal duration with respect to the different stages from the first inhalation to the last rather than heating at a steady temperature,” he said. “This is the key to delivering the best flavor in T-Vapor products.”

June 1, 2020
Massachusetts Flavor Ban Takes Effect

Photo: Tobacco Reporter archive
The sale of flavored tobacco products, including menthol cigarettes, has become illegal in Massachusetts as of today.
Massachusetts became the first state to approve such a ban when Governor Charlie Baker signed the bill in November.
The law applies to the sale of all flavored tobacco products in Massachusetts retail stores and online.
Cigar bars, hookah lounges and other licensed venues can continue selling flavored tobacco as long as these products are consumed on-site.
Massachusetts’ decision to extend the ban to menthol flavors has been contentious in part because studies have shown menthol cigarettes are consumed disproportionately by minorities, which activists have warned could lead to disproportionate police enforcement in the black community.
June 1, 2020
No Tobacco Day: WHO Criticized For ‘Backward-Looking’ Approach

Tom Miller | Photo: David Parker
Marking World No Tobacco Day, an international group of independent experts has criticized the World Health Organization (WHO) for its “backward-looking” approach to innovation and new technology, such as vaping products.
The experts say they are exasperated by the WHO’s “dogmatic hostility” towards new technology and fear the U.N. health agency will squander the opportunity to avoid millions of premature deaths that will be caused by smoking.
Iowa State attorney general Tom Miller said the WHO has lost its sense of mission and purpose. “It’s as if the WHO has forgotten what it is there to do—to save lives and reduce disease,” Miller said.
“We can do that by helping and encouraging consumers to switch from cigarettes to lower-risk products. This means being honest about the much lower risks and by using smarter regulation to make switching more attractive.”
The group of experts criticizing the WHO include David Abrams of the School of Global Public Health, New York University; Tikki Pangestu, visiting professor, Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy, National University of Singapore; John Britton, professor of epidemiology at the University of Nottingham; Rajesh Sharan, of North-Eastern Hill University, Shillong, India; David Sweanor, Centre for Health Law, Policy and Ethics, University of Ottawa; and Clive Bates, director of Counterfactual Consulting.
June 1, 2020
Trump Cuts U.S. Ties With WHO, Cites ‘China’s Control’

President Donald Trump said Friday that the U.S. will be terminating its relationship with the World Health Organization. He said that the UN agency failed to adequately respond to the coronavirus because China has “total control” over the global organization.
He said Chinese officials “ignored” their reporting obligations to the WHO and pressured the WHO to mislead the world when the virus was first discovered, according to an AP story.
He noted that the U.S. contributes about $450 million to the world body while China provides about $40 million.
The U.S. is the largest source of financial support to the WHO and its exit is expected to significantly weaken the organization. Trump said the U.S. would be “redirecting” the money to “other worldwide and deserving urgent global public health needs,” without providing specifics.
May 29, 2020
The Global Forum on Nicotine 2020 Moves Online

Photo: Rudy and Peter Skitterians from Pixabay
The Global Forum on Nicotine (GFN) will take place online June 11-12, 2020, following the cancellation of the face-to-face event in Warsaw due to Covid-19.
The conference is free of charge and open to everyone with an interest in nicotine science and policy.
During the conference, experts will discuss advances in nicotine science, the ethical arguments in favor of tobacco harm reduction and the human rights issues for all those who advocate for the right to health will be explored.
“As always, and perhaps even more so in this critical year, GFN is open to everyone with an interest in nicotine science and policy,” said Paddy Costall, co-director of the conference.
“It is open to everyone who wants to reduce the toll of tobacco-related death and disease worldwide. And it is open to everyone who recognizes that global tobacco control will fail without the strategic addition of tobacco harm reduction, in the form of widespread access to safer nicotine products. We look forward to welcoming you on the 11 and 12 June—and hope to see many of you in Warsaw, where we plan to meet again in June 2021.”
Participants can register now.
May 29, 2020
Despite Ban, E-Cigarettes Gain Popularity in Taiwan

Youth smoking is up for the first time in a decade, according to government figures. Photo: Taco Tuinstra
The number of young Taiwanese people smoking rose for the first time in a decade in 2019, reports Taiwan News, citing a report by the Ministry of Health and Welfare’s Health Promotion Administration.
Remarkably, considering that e-cigarettes are illegal in Taiwan, the popularity of vaping rose by half.
An estimated 81,000 young Taiwanese smoked combustible cigarettes last year, while 57,000 youths vaped, Central News Agency (CAN) reported.
The survey found that the proportion of junior high school students with a smoking habit rose from 2.8 percent in 2018 to 3 percent in 2019, and the proportion of senior high school students from 8 percent to 8.4 percent.
Four out of every 10 young smokers smoke flavored cigarettes, which are more popular with women, the study discovered. The most popular motivator to start smoking cited was curiosity, followed by “seeing other people smoke,” parents smoking and the desire to relieve pressure.
The popularity of vaping among young people surged from 2.7 percent in 2018 to 4.2 percent last year, with male senior high school students the most likely category to use e-cigarettes.
May 29, 2020
InterTabac Postponed, Organizers Working on Alternative Format

Photo: Messe Dortmund
The InterTabac and InterSupply trade fairs planned for Sept. 18-20, 2020, in Dortmund, Germany, will not be held in their customary formats this year due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
The traditional versions of both fairs will be postponed to Sept 16-18, 2021
The decision was taken by agreement between the organizer, Messe Dortmund and the partner associations representing the tobacco industry, tobacco product wholesalers and retailers.
The parties involved have agreed to work on an alternative format to take place in autumn 2020 leveraging the strengths of the trade fair for tobacco products and smoking accessories and of the trade fair focusing on the manufacturing process for tobacco products, e-cigarettes, pipes and shisha tobaccos.
“Even though there have been signs of relaxation in Germany in recent weeks regarding the Covid-19 pandemic, and local authorities have again made it possible to hold trade fairs with limited attendance while observing appropriate hygiene measures, we as organizers continue to pay particular attention to our responsibility to protect the health of everyone involved”, explained Sabine Loos, managing director of Westfalenhallen Unternehmensgruppe, the parent company of organizer Messe Dortmund.
“As a result, working closely with our partner associations, we have decided to jointly develop a new concept for this autumn, and to present it in detail shortly.”
May 28, 2020
UAE Defers Ban on Vapor Products Sans Tax Stamp

Photo: Vitaliy Purtov | Dreamstime.com
The UAE’s Federal Tax Authority (FTA) has announced the postponement of the implementation of the ban on supplying, transferring, storing, and possessing electronic cigarettes without digital tax stamps until to January 1, 2021.
The ban was previously scheduled to come into effect from June 1, 2020, in line with phase two of the ‘Marking Tobacco and Tobacco Products Scheme’, the FTA said in a statement on Tuesday, according to the official news agency WAM. The ban also includes water pipe tobacco.
“This extension on the timeline provides them with seven additional months to prepare for the mandatory implementation of the ban,” said FTA director-general Khaled Ali Al Bustani, according to a story in gulfbusiness.com.
“It also comes in response to the concerns expressed by stakeholders in the tobacco sector, and their requests for such an extension that would allow them to sort out any issues resulting from the current difficult circumstances and the necessary precautionary measures that were enforced to prevent the spread of the novel coronavirus. The decision provides them enough time to sell off any remaining tobacco products that do not carry the digital tax stamps.”
As part of the Covid-19 pandemic, restaurants and cafes across the country were temporarily closed and hence there is an existing stockpile of water pipe tobacco and electrically heated cigarettes in the UAE.
“The FTA has consulted all relevant business sectors, as well as the operator of the Scheme’s electronic system, and reassured all stakeholders that it fully understands the difficulties brought on by the current crisis, asserting its commitment to minimising the impact of the ban on businesses, and encouraging them to comply with tax procedures and legislation,” added Al Bustani.
The UAE banned the import of electric cigarettes and water pipe tobacco without ‘digital tax stamps’ from March 1.
May 28, 2020
Report: CBD Drink Sales to Reach $2.8 Billion by 2025

A recent report states that the global cannabis beverages market size is expected to reach $2.8 Billion by 2025 at a CAGR of 17.8 percent. The report by Grand View Research looked at alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages using either Cannabidiol (CBD) and Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC).
“By component, the market is segmented into Cannabidiol (CBD) and Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC). The demand of THC infused cannabis beverages is majorly driven by rising product demand from adult consumers for recreational purposes,” the report states. “Rising demand for the therapeutic effects of the component along with the euphoria it provides is expected to bode well for the growth of the segment in the forthcoming years.”
I contrast, the CBD infused cannabis drinks are registered the fastest growth in (prior years). Also, the demand is expected to witness a surge over the forecasted period owing to the non-psychoactive properties of CBD, according to the report. Lack of psychoactive effect in the CBD drinks is widening its scope for usage of the drinks in medical purposes.
Many consumers are considering CBD drinks as a wellness and anti-inflammatory products, such as kombucha-a probiotic drink. This drink can potentially be used for treating chronic pain, anxiety, substance use disorders and central nervous system diseases. These factors are expected to boost the adoption of the product, resulting in the growth of the segment.”
May 27, 2020