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Vietnam Continues to Seek Ban on Vapes, HnB

A vape shop in Vietnam.
E-cigarettes and heated tobacco products were the focus of a question-and-answer session in the National Assembly (NA) of Vietnam on Monday, during which the health minister proposed a ban on these products. Vietnam has been seeking to ban vaping products for more than a year.
In response to a query raised by a deputy from the Central Highlands province of Lam Dong on solutions to vapes and heat-not-burn ((HnB) products, which are a danger to human health, Minister of Heath Dao Hong Lan said that the use of these products is rapidly increasing and poses potential health and safety risks, especially for young people.
She cited the results of a survey conducted in 34 provinces and cities in 2020, which showed that the rate of e-cigarette use among adults aged 15 and over increased 18 times. It went from 0.2% in 2015 to 3.6% in 2020, with the highest concentration in the age group of 15 – 24.
The minister proposed amending the Law on Prevention and Control of Tobacco Harms to address this issue. She said it should include provisions to ban vapes and HnB products, and the ministry’s stance is “to prohibit these products,” hoping the government will take stronger measures against vaping, according to media reports.
Feedback from various ministries and agencies showed that most of them highly support the proposal that the Government recommends to the NA on solutions to ban the use of novel nicotine products. The Ministry of Health has conducted impact assessments as scientific evidence and has also made public the harmful effects of heated tobacco products and e-cigarettes, she said, adding that these measures are key solutions to provide evidence and a legal basis for the Government to decide on measures to prevent the harms of these products.
Responding to an inquiry by a deputy from the northern province of Quang Ninh on solutions to manage e-cigarettes and heated tobacco products, the minister said her ministry has submitted a report to the government to propose that the NA Standing Committee release a resolution on the issue. The draft Law on Special Consumption Tax presented at the 8th session also includes content on taxes for novel nicotine products.
The official said that Vietnam has participated in the World Health Organisation’s (WHO) Framework Convention on Tobacco Control. Regarding support for smoking cessation, Lan said that by implementing the Law on Prevention and Control of Tobacco Harms, the Government established a tobacco control fund with a network to help people quit smoking.
November 12, 2024
Study: ‘Switchers’ See Improved Respiratory Health

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People who switch from smoking to vaping see improved respiratory health, but people who begin consuming electronic cigarettes while continuing to smoke regular cigarettes do not report improved respiratory symptoms, according to a new paper in Nicotine and Tobacco Research, published by Oxford University Press.
Adults increasingly use electronic cigarettes to try to quit smoking because of the perceived reduced risk. But while vaping reduces exposure to toxic chemicals, it has been unclear whether switching from cigarettes to e-cigarettes results in a reduction of the respiratory problems—like wheezing and coughing—common in regular cigarette smokers.
Researchers used data from the Population Assessment of Tobacco and Health (PATH) study, a national longitudinal measure of tobacco use in the United States performed by the National Institutes of Health. The investigators here observed adult participants between 2013 and 2019 who reported smoking cigarettes exclusively at the beginning of the investigation and reported a baseline cough or wheeze.
The researchers divided the subjects into four groups: those who transitioned from exclusive cigarette smoking to quitting nicotine altogether, those who switched from cigarette smoking to vaping exclusively, those who continued to smoke cigarettes only, and those who kept smoking and also began vaping.
Completely switching from cigarettes to e-cigarettes led to a moderate increase in the resolution of wheeze symptoms compared with persistent smoking. However, there were lower rates of respiratory symptom resolution among those transitioning to vaping while maintaining or increasing their smoking.
Among 5,210 subjects with a baseline cough, 3,362 (65 percent) saw their coughs go away. Of the 5,367 people who reported a baseline wheeze, the researchers observed that 2,862 (53 percent) saw improvements. Switching from cigarettes to e-cigarettes exclusively resulted in significantly reduced wheezing but not cough resolution. Transitioning to both smoking and vaping (versus just continuing to smoke cigarettes) was not associated with respiratory improvement overall or even among participants who reduced their cigarette smoking intensity.
The researchers note that the rates of symptom resolution were 14 percent lower (for cough) and 15 percent lower (for wheeze) among those who switched to dual use and maintained or increased their smoking intensity; those who started using electronic cigarettes while continuing to smoke the same number of regular cigarettes saw their wheeze and coughing get worse.
Switching from smoking cigarettes to quitting nicotine altogether was, perhaps unsurprisingly, associated with the best improvements in both coughs and wheezing.
November 12, 2024
Ispire Technology Net Losses Widens to $5.6 Million

Credit: Andrii
Ispire Technology reported revenue of $39.3 million for the first quarter of 2025, down from $42.9 million in the comparable 2024 quarter. Gross profit increased 13.2 percent to $7.7 million. Net loss was $5.6 million as compared to net loss of $1.3 million in the fiscal first quarter of 2024.
“Our results from the fiscal first quarter of 2025 reflect our commitment to our growth strategy of becoming the leading innovative vaping technology and precision dosing solutions company worldwide,” said Inspire Co-CEO Michael Wang in a statement.
“While our financial results were slightly impacted due to the strategic shifts we have made in our U.S. business to focus on high-quality customers and to improve payment terms and gross profit, I am pleased with our team’s overall performance given the challenging macroeconomic environment and look forward to the remainder of fiscal 2025 and the opportunities that lay ahead.”
According to Wang, Ispire continues to make progress with its point-of-use age gating technology. He also expressed excitement about the recent expansion of Ispire’s global reach through a five-year master distributor agreement with ANDS for the Middle East and North Affrica region and global duty-free markets
“The results from our fiscal first quarter were in line with our internal projections as we shifted our U.S. strategy while we also had a few delayed shipments which impacted our quarterly results,” said Ispire Chief Financial Officer Jim McCormick.
“As we head into the remainder of fiscal 2025, we are confident that we are well-positioned to continue delivering value to our shareholders as we advance our mission of becoming a global leading provider of innovative vaping technology and precision dosing solutions.”
November 12, 2024
Ondato Launches Age-Verification System

Image: Ondato
Ondato has launched a reusable age-verification solution, called OnAge.
The technology is designed to streamline age-restricted access and ensure user anonymity for digital platforms. Combining AI device recognition with biometric algorithms, the system enables companies to determine the ages of their users with 98.7 percent to 100 percent accuracy and use the results of the verification for subsequent visits, eliminating friction in granting users repeat access, according to Ondato.
Because the system retains only the user’s age eligibility status after verification, it complies with the strictest privacy and security standards. In addition, OnAge can be implemented into any website or app without requiring additional downloads from users.
“We’re excited to launch OnAge as a response to both regulatory needs and user demands for a more seamless, secure age-verification solution,” said Liudas Kanapienis, CEO and co-founder of Ondato.
“Our OnAge solution combines cutting-edge AI and biometric technology to ensure age compliance in a way that doesn’t compromise user experience or data privacy while keeping verification costs lower than other similar solutions. By introducing reusable verification, we’re making it easier for companies to protect minors while offering users a smoother, faster process.”
One of the advantages of OnAge is reusable verification, which allows businesses to save costs and spares customers the hassle of repeated verification each time they want to access restricted content or services.
After verifying their age once, users can create a four-digit PIN to access age-restricted content for a specified period, as set by the platform.
November 12, 2024
Study: Online Vape Sellers Fail to Comply With Rules

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Online vape product retailers are not consistently adhering to California laws aimed at preventing the sale of the products to minors, including regulations on age verification, shipping methods and flavor restrictions, report researchers at the Herbert Wertheim School of Public Health and Human Longevity Science at University of California San Diego.
In a study published online on Nov. 11, 2024, in JAMA, researchers asked 16 people to purchase flavored vape products online and have them delivered to their homes in the County of San Diego, then analyzed the results of these attempted purchases. Of 156 attempted transactions 73% were processed and 67% were delivered.
As of March 21, 2024, sale restrictions on flavored tobacco have been enacted in eight U.S. states and 392 cities or counties, but some of these do not cover e-commerce. For example, the 2022 California Senate Bill (SB) 793 prohibited the sale of flavored tobacco products but left e-commerce restrictions ambiguous.
Due to the ambiguity in California law, the researchers aimed to test differences in compliance with local tobacco e-commerce ordinances. Eight buyers were from the City of San Diego, where an ordinance restricts the sale of flavored tobacco products, including online sales. The other eight were from other County of San Diego communities, which do not have the same restrictions. Delivery did not differ significantly between buyers in these two jurisdictions.
In addition to violations of flavor restrictions, the online purchases violated the Preventing Online Sales of E-Cigarettes to Children Act, a federal law prohibiting the use of the United States Postal Service (USPS) to ship vaping products and requires both age verification and scanning identifications upon delivery.
November 11, 2024
New York City Files Suit for Illegal Online Vape Sales
New York City Mayor Eric Adams and New York City Acting Corporation Counsel Muriel Goode-Trufant announced that the City of New York has filed a federal lawsuit today against a major distributor of disposable flavored e-cigarettes,
The defendant – Price Point Distributors, Inc., based in Farmingdale, Long Island – is accused of distributing e-cigarettes with flavors such as snow cone, strawberry shortcake, and Hawaii Punch to retail stores and directly to consumers in New York City and around the country through online sales, violating nearly every applicable federal, New York state, and New York City law governing the sale of such products.
The lawsuit seeks to block Price Point Distributors, Inc., from further sales of these illegal items, seeks both monetary damages and fines, and marks the latest effort by the Adams administration to curb illegal sales of flavored e-cigarettes, which are appealing and addictive, especially to teens, according to media reports.
“Part of protecting public safety means protecting the health of New Yorkers, including our most vulnerable – our children, who are more susceptible to nicotine addiction, especially when products are flavored to make the taste less harsh,” said Adams. “Protecting young New Yorkers means stubbing out illegal vape and e-cigarette sales that target them.
“Today’s lawsuit alleges that Price Point Distributors knew it was breaking laws by selling flavored cigarettes to New Yorkers, and even took measures to conceal these illegal sales from federal, state, and local authorities. This lawsuit, as well as our continued efforts to shut down illegal smoke shops, go hand-in-hand with the work our administration is doing to bring down overall crime in our city.”
November 11, 2024
Mexico: Top Court Strikes Down Vape Import Ban

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Mexico’s ban on imports of e-cigarettes and related products is unconstitutional, the nation’s top court ruled, reports Meganoticias.
The First Chamber of the Supreme Court of Justice of the Nation determined that the prohibition imposes excessive restrictions on commercial freedom of Philip Morris Mexico.
The ruling is limited to Philip Morris Mexico and does not affect similar products that could be brought to market in the future.
It protects Philip Morris Mexico from future restrictions and sets a legal precedent that could influence future litigation. The judgment specifies that this protection will be maintained until the government amends its General Import and Export Taxation Act.
According to the Mexican government, an estimated 938,000 teenagers have tried electronic nicotine delivery systems, and about 160,000 use them regularly
Despite the import ban, vaping has spread rapidly. In 2023, there were an estimated 2.1 million e-cigarette users in Mexico, compared with 975,000 in 2019.
The Philip Morris Mexico case stems from an October 2022 Supreme Court ruling that deemed some prohibitions on ENDS unconstitutional and allowed certain groups to apply for permission to continue the import and sale of these products.
November 11, 2024
Sales, Profits See Massive Growth at Turning Point

Stoker’s MST continued to grow share while FRE sales more than quadrupled versus last year’s quarter.
Turning Point Brands (TPB) announced financial results for the third quarter ended Sept. 30, 2024.
Total consolidated net sales increased 3.8 percent to $105.6 million compared to the third quarter of 2023. Zig-Zag product net sales increased 5.5 percent during the same period. Stoker’s product net sales increased 12.1 percent. Creative Distribution Solutions net sales decreased 17.4 percent.
Gross profit increased 4 percent to $53.7 million compared to 2023. Net income increased 14.3 percent to $12.4 million. Adjusted net income increased 9.8 percent to $15.9 million. Adjusted EBITDA increased 11.3 percent to $27.2 million.
“We were pleased by our third-quarter results,” said TPB president and CEO Graham Purdy in a statement. “We believe Zig-Zag is on a sustainable growth trajectory. Stoker’s MST continued to grow market share while FRE sales more than quadrupled versus year-ago and grew 26 percent sequentially as we continue to expand our national footprint.”
November 8, 2024
Haypp Group Reports 23% Growth in 3rd Quarter

Image: Haypp Group
The Haypp Group reported net sales of SEK944.2 million ($87.98 million) for the third quarter of 2024, up 23 percent over the comparable 2023 period. At constant currency exchange rates, net sales increased by 25 percent.
Gross profit increased to SEK134.8 million, while adjusted EBIT for the third quarter increased to SEK33.1 million. In terms of volume, the company’s nicotine pouch business grew 42 percent.
“Haypp Group retained its strong business momentum in the third quarter of 2024 with net sales growth of 23 percent, the highest rate over the last two years driven by strong performances from all three divisions,” said Haypp Groups CEO Gavin O’Dowd in a statement.
“Moreover, the Insights business continues to develop as brand owners leverage Haypp Group’s unique and powerful consumer data.”
The company’s third quarter report is here.
November 8, 2024
Oregon Measure to Ease Path to Cannabis Union

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In Oregon, Measure 119, which would allow cannabis workers to form unions, passed on Tuesday with a vote of 55% to 45%.
The measure will require cannabis businesses to enter “labor peace agreements,” promising to stay neutral when union organizers communicate with their workers.
After lawmakers declined to pass a similar law last year, union representatives brought the measure to voters, arguing the agreements were needed because of uncertainty over how federal labor law applies to cannabis workers, media reports.
While the measure faced no organized opposition, business interests and attorneys for the Legislature previously argued that the agreements could conflict with federal labor laws.
November 7, 2024