Category: Next-Generation Products

Australian Regulator Rejects Heat-not-Burn Products

Photo: PMI
Australia’s Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) on June 10 in an interim decision rejected a request by Philip Morris Australia to adjust nicotine regulations in a manner that would allow the company’s heat-not-burn product (HTP) reach store shelves.
Currently, only combustible tobacco products such as cigarettes and cigars are permitted to be sold in Australia.
Philip Morris (PM) spokesperson Simon Breheny called the decision disappointing. “It puts Australia at odds with many other countries who have decided to regulate heated-tobacco and smoke-free alternatives,” he said.
“The right decision was made,” said Becky Freeman, a researcher from Sydney University’s School of Public Health. “They [HNB products] are not some miracle product that reduces smoking.”
While Breheny noted that PM will not challenge the interim decision, he maintained that a regulatory mechanism is the appropriate way forward. “People who are looking for these alternatives will continue to make the case for why they are important,” he said.
The TGA is scheduled to release its full final decision in August.
June 12, 2020
Estonia Mulls End to E-Liquid Taxes

Photo: Skypixel | Dreamstime.com
Lawmakers have submitted a bill to Estonia’s Parliament that would stop the collection of excise duty on tobacco e-liquids for two years.
The legislators hope the measure will help to control the border trade and black market.
In the draft explanation, the bill’s authors note that stopping the collection of excise duty will give entrepreneurs an opportunity to cut the price of e-liquids and encourage the sale of legal products.
If passed, the legislation will enter into force on Dec. 1, 2020.
June 8, 2020
Lil Hybrid 2.0 Goes Nationwide in Korea

Photo: KT&G
KT&G will expand the sales of its Lil Hybrid 2.0 heated tobacco cigarette to all cities in South Korea.
The product debuted in February in major cities, such as Seoul, and expanded to 37 metropolitan areas in April.
The expansion follows a series of inquiries from consumers in areas where the product had not yet been released, according to Lim Wang-seop, business director for next-generation products at KT&G.
“Since the launch of the product, we have continued to expand our sales outlets,” Lim said. “We will continue to lead the e-cigarette market by strengthening product competitiveness and enhancing customer satisfaction through technological innovation.”
Lil Hybrid 2.0 is equipped with a function that automatically warms up when a stick is inserted for the first time. An OLED display provides information on the battery charge, the cartridge level and the remaining number of puffs.
The recommended consumer price is KRW110,000 ($90.27).

June 4, 2020
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
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
WHO Launches Reports on New Products

Photo: WHO
The World Health Organization (WHO) has published three reports to inform countries on the current state of scientific knowledge and policy options available for novel tobacco products such as electronic nicotine delivery systems (ENDS), electronic non-nicotine delivery systems (ENNDS) and heated tobacco products (HTPs).
ENDS and ENNDS, commonly known as e-cigarettes, are available in more than 100 countries while HTPs can be bought in about 40 countries.
The WHO insists that many of the new products are harmful to health.
“HTPs expose users to toxic emissions similar to those found in cigarette smoke, many of which can cause cancer, while ENDS on their own are associated with increased risk of cardiovascular diseases and lung disorders and adverse effects on the development of the fetus during pregnancy,” the WHO stated in a press release.
Because of the damaging and addictive nature of these products, the WHO says regulation is crucial to protect populations, particularly youth.
The publication of the briefs coincides with World No Tobacco Day 2020 on May 31. This year’s theme is “protecting youth from industry manipulation and preventing them from nicotine and tobacco use.”
May 27, 2020