Tag: e-cigarettes

Innokin Unveils New Disposables for Dubai Market

Credit: Innokin
Innokin unveiled a wave of new product launches at the World Vape Show Dubai taking place 21-23 June 2023 at the Dubai World Trade Centre.
“With a strategic focus on capitalizing on the rapidly growing Middle East vaping market, Innokin aims to introduce a range of innovative products specifically tailored to local tastes,” according to a press release.
The company is showcasing several products designed to meet the diverse preferences of the Middle Eastern vaping community. Innokins’s Innobar 6000 and Innobar V7000 are rechargeable, high-capacity disposable options, designed to provide a streamlined, user-friendly experience for vapers who require single-use devices, with flavors specifically tailored to the Middle East market.
For users of refillable vaping devices, Innokin has unveiled the Klypse Zip, an updated version of the global best-selling Klypse pod device. The Klypse Zip features a smaller form factor, and a new 1.2Ohm refillable pod, designed for longer vaping sessions and intense flavor production.
New pre-filled Klypse C1 pods are also showcased, allowing vapers to experience award-winning Klypse performance, without needing to learn how to refill a vaping device. All new pods are cross-compatible with the original Klypse device, giving existing customers a whole new range of options.
“In April, we adjusted all our flavors to suit the Middle Eastern market. First, we selected more single-fruit and mixed-fruit flavors, such as dragon fruit, grape, apple peach, and strawberry watermelon,” Innokin co-founder George Xia, stated. “Secondly, we adjusted the sweetness and cooling effects of each profile to match local tastes. Already, our new formulations are receiving high praise and have surpassed similar products from other brands.
“We are thrilled to unveil our latest range of products at World Vape Show Dubai. The Middle Eastern market is experiencing exponential growth, and we are confident that our tailored offerings and industry-leading support will allow Innokin to thrive. Our team has worked tirelessly to create exceptional vaping experiences, and we are looking forward to building relationships with distributors and retailers to serve vapers in the Middle East.”
June 23, 2023
U.S. FDA Warns Retailers for Elf Bar, Esco Bar Sales

Credit: Pastel Cartel
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration is continuing its crackdown on illegal disposable vape devices. The regulatory agency has issued warning letters to 189 retailers for selling unauthorized tobacco products, specifically Elf Bar and Esco Bars brands.
“The FDA is prepared to use all of its authorities to ensure these, and other illegal and youth-appealing products, stay out of the hands of kids,” said FDA Commissioner Robert M. Califf. “We are committed to a multipronged approach using regulation, compliance and enforcement action and education to protect our nation’s youth.”
The warning letters are the result of a nationwide retailer inspection blitz over the past several weeks cracking down on the sale of these unauthorized e-cigarettes.
The FDA continuously monitors the marketplace and took these actions as emerging marketplace data led to concerns over their appeal and risks to young people, according to an FDA release. More specifically, the agency’s ongoing surveillance efforts helped FDA identify Elf Bar and Esco Bars as being among the most popular brands in the United States and having high youth appeal.
“All players in the supply chain—including retailers—have a role in keeping illegal e-cigarettes off the shelves,” said Brian King, director of the FDA’s Center for Tobacco Products (CTP). “This latest blitz should be a wake-up call for retailers of Elf Bar and Esco Bars products nationwide. If they’re waiting for a personal invitation to comply with the law, they might just get it in the form of a warning letter or other action from the FDA.”
Last month, the FDA issued import alerts for all products under both the Elf Bar and Esco Bars brands. An import alert places these tobacco products on the red list, which makes them subject to Detention Without Physical Examination and allows the FDA to detain a product without physically examining it at the time of entry.
Elf Bar and Esco Bars products do not have the required marketing authorization from the FDA.
June 23, 2023
Maine Senate Votes to Move Flavor Ban to House

Image: Tobacco Reporter archive
The Maine Senate on Wednesday advanced a ban on flavored tobacco products, sending the bill down to the House for a potential vote today, reports WGME.
The bill, which passed 18-16, if passed by the House, will ban the sale of flavors like mint, vanilla, fruits and menthol in vaping products.
The ban does not include menthol combustible cigarettes.
However, the bill will not penalize the use, purchase or possession of flavored products, only the sale by tobacco retailers.
The ban seeks to make statewide prohibitions that are already in place in Portland, South Portland, Brunswick, Bangor and Bar Harbor have also voted for similar bans.
A similar statewide effort failed last year when lawmakers adjourned without taking up the bill.
June 22, 2023
FEELM Brings Max Ceramic Coil and Topower to Dubai

FEELM, the subsidiary of the world’s largest atomization technology company, Smoore, exhibited two innovations that have been developed to “raise product performance” across the disposable vape category during an industry event in Dubai.
The FEELM Max’s ceramic coil and Topower battery technology were created as part of a targeted effort to ‘level up the single-use sector’ and enhance consumer experience, according to a press release.
The pioneering advancements both earned attention from the industry and are already appearing in devices from globally recognized brands.
FEELM says each was designed to address a “pain point” of the industry.
FEELM Max’s ceramic coil has done away with super-absorbent cotton to reduce the amount of e-liquid that goes to waste and increase the puff count of TRPR- and TPD-compliant 2ml disposables in the UK by as much as 30 percent – a rise from 600 to at least 800 puffs.
It also reduces impurities by 78 percent during the heating process, produces air particles that are 55 percent smaller than mainstream solutions and uses a “constant power engine” that provides a vapor consistency of 95 percent and a 35 percent improvement in taste consistency.
The second notable innovation is FEELM’s Topower battery technology. This breakthrough increases the endurance of large e-liquid capacity vapes and can provide over 6,000 puffs without needing to recharge, which allows consumers to get rid of the hassle of charging.
Further, the compact power solution – which offers 30 percent more capacity – delivers a consistent output which FEELM says will counter the common issue of flavor reduction caused by voltage drop.
Topower also promises a longer shelf life, with 1 percent power attenuation over six months and 3 percent power attenuation over a year. This advancement effectively avoids the burning taste and assures a strong consistency of flavor.
Speaking on the developments, Rex Zhang, assistant president at FEELM, said the company prides itself on being the brand behind the brands and its technology has become to vaping what Intel Core processors are to laptops.
“We aim to elevate the disposable category to a whole new level through innovation– our ceramic coils and Topower battery solution represent two significant successes on this front,” he said, adding that technology will be a “critical metric” on which to measure the winners and losers of the industry moving forward. “The vape category is fuelled by the desire to help adult smokers switch away from cigarettes – but it is built on innovation.”

June 22, 2023
Keller and Heckman Files Amicus Brief with SCOTUS

Credit: Sean Pavone Photo
Eric Gotting and Azim Chowdhury, partners at Keller and Heckman, filed an amicus brief with the Supreme Court of the United States (SCOTUS) in support of Avail Vapor’s writ of certiorari petitioning the SCOTUS to review the 4th Circuit’s decision to uphold the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s marketing denial order of Avail’s premarket tobacco product application for its nontobacco-flavored e-liquids, according to a post on The Continuum of Risk.
The brief, filed on behalf of a group of public health experts, is intended to provide relevant scientific background on comparative health impacts of electronic nicotine-delivery system (ENDS) products with combustible cigarettes.
The brief argues that ENDS are, beyond a reasonable doubt, much safer than cigarettes; ENDS help adult smokers quit and can reach many adults who would not otherwise quit smoking; ENDS flavors are important to adults trying to quit smoking; youth vaping has declined markedly since 2019, with most youth vaping being infrequent, nonaddictive and temporary, and more frequent and intense vaping generally limited to adolescents who are otherwise likely to smoke.
Youth do not generally use the refillable tank devices sold in vape shops but instead use more mass-market products; claims that vaping is a gateway to smoking are based on a misunderstanding of the evidence; and because smoking and vaping are linked, measures like e-liquid flavor bans can cause more smoking or other damaging unintended consequences.
In its petition, Avail asks the Supreme Court to consider the lower court’s legal reasoning and decision.
Among other things, Avail argues in its petition that the FDA’s decisionmaking was arbitrary and capricious; that another court sided with a different petitioner against the FDA on the same basic arguments; and that the case is significant not only for Avail but for the entire industry and its customers.
The Supreme Court has not yet decided whether it will hear Avail’s case.
June 20, 2023
Police in Taiwan Seize $227,000 Worth of E-Liquids

Credit: Busara
Police in Taiwan have seized over 240,000 bottles of nicotine-containing e-liquid and nine barrels of semi-finished product with an estimated market value of over NT$7 million ($226,908). Police on Tuesday said the product was confiscated earlier this year.
The illegal product was discovered at stores in Kaohsiung and Tainan, according to police, and it had been imported from China. Legislative amendments passed in March make the sale of vaping and heated tobacco products illegal in Taiwan, according to Taiwan News. The new rules introduced fines of up to NT$10,000 for users and NT$50 million for importers, manufacturers, and sellers.
Police investigations found the product was being sold through both stores and LINE groups, but only to customers who had previously bought the e-liquid.
June 20, 2023
Vape Korea Expo Set to Return for Second Year

Credit: Kampon
In 2022, Vape Korea Expo was the first and largest e-cigarette exhibition in Korea. The event drew the attention of e-cigarette consumers worldwide. The Korean e-cigarette market has been growing faster than expected year over year, despite controversy and issues over the safety of vaping products and government regulation.
The event is scheduled to take place from July 21st to 23rd at KINTEX, one of Korea’s major exhibition venues.
Vape Korea Expo is returning for 2023 and expects to showcase the latest in vaping hardware, e-liquids, oils and accessories. The show combines B2C retail, commercial, and entertainment elements with a Trends Symposium and an E-Cigarette Art Exhibition, according to a press release.
There will also be a number of networking events including B2B buyer meetings and VIP receptions during the show.
“Vape Korea Expo provides a unique platform for Korean and international brands, manufacturers, distributors, retailers and e-cigarette consumers to meet and interact with each other,” the release states. “Korea Vape Show (KOVAS 2023) is gaining recognition as a paradise for vape enthusiasts, attracting the attention of the vape community centered around Northeast Asia.”
Registering in advance on the KOVAS 2023 website, www.koreavape.show, before 6:00 PM on July 20th, admission. For more detailed information and inquiries, please contact the Korea Vape Show (KOVAS 2023) office is free.
June 19, 2023
Second Circuit Appeals Court Rules in Favor of FDA

Credit: Brian Kinney
A federal appeals court has ruled that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration didn’t change its position on admissible evidence and the agency’s failure to consider a marketing plan didn’t impact the outcome.
The FDA acted reasonably in denying vapor maker Magellan Technology Inc.’s request for a marketing order for its flavored vaping products, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit ruled Friday.
The court upheld the FDA’s finding that Magellan failed to show the product would provide a benefit to adult users that would outweigh the risks to youth.
The agency found Magellan’s evidence—four non-clinical studies—was insufficient to establish that the flavored pods would be more effective than tobacco-flavored electronic nicotine delivery systems (ENDS) in helping smokers switch to e-cigarettes to stop smoking altogether, according to Bloomberglaw.
The manufacturer of Hyde and Juno brand e-cigarettes sued the FDA and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services claiming the agencies violated the Administrative Procedure Act.
New York-based Magellan Technology accused the agencies of refusing to review the company’s premarket tobacco product applications (PMTAs) for 12 products, a process which cost the company $1 million. Magellan claims the FDA “arbitrarily” and “capriciously” rejected the applications.
“Magellan had already spent over $1 million on the PMTAs at the time the RTA [refuse-to-accept] order [was] issued and plans to spend over $10 million on the PMTAs in total,” the suit states.
Texas-based retailer Vapor Train 2 LLC is also a plaintiff in the suit. The companies asked a Texas federal court to temporarily stay the RTA order the FDA issued to Magellan, according to the lawsuit filed Thursday.
“FDA acted arbitrarily, capriciously, and otherwise not in accordance with applicable law in issuing the [refuse-to-accept] order,” the lawsuit states. “The agency invoked regulations governing [premarket tobacco product applications] acceptance that do not apply to Magellan’s [applications] and failed to consider timely amendments containing required content that Magellan properly submitted.”
The companies are expected to appeal the ruling. Magellan could now seek an en banc review of the case (a rehearing by the full Second Circuit) or could appeal to the Supreme Court of the United States.
June 19, 2023
Malaysia MPs Want Liquid Nicotine Back on Poisons List

Credit: Adobe Stock
Opposition MPs in Malaysia are amplifying calls for the reintroduction of liquid nicotine into the Poisons Act 1952.
Kuala Langat MP Ahmad Yunus Hairi, who heads Perikatan Nasional’s (PN) health portfolio, said the absence of regulations on vape has led to a proliferation in the number of teens using e-cigarettes or vaping products.
“By excluding liquid nicotine from the Poisons Act, we have inadvertently created loopholes that undermine our efforts to combat the use of vaping among our youth.
“I hope liquid nicotine can be reinstated into the Poisons Act, given the Health Minister’s authority over the matter, so that, at the very least, before we proceed with the Control of Smoking Products for Public Health Bill 2023, we can have some control over these e-cigarette devices,” Dr Ahmad Yunus said in his debate on the Health White Paper (HWP) tabled in Parliament, reports CodeBlue.
Both the Malaysian Medical Association (MMA) and the Malaysian Pharmacists Society (MPS) have previously urged the government to bring liquid nicotine back under the control of the Poisons Act 1952, particularly in light of the uncertain status of the tobacco bill.
The Control of Smoking Products for Public Health Bill, which regulates tobacco and vape products, remains in limbo after it was referred to the Health parliamentary special select committee (PSSC) – chaired by former Health Minister Dzulkefly Ahmad – immediately after first reading at the Dewan Rakyat on Monday.
This means that vapes and e-cigarettes will remain legally available for sale to minors aged under 18 for at least another four months until the Lower House meets in October.
June 18, 2023
Clearwater, Florida Bans Vaping at Beach, Parks

The city of Clearwater in the U.S. state of Florida approved a ban on vaping and smoking on city-owned public parks and beaches.
The city council unanimously approved the new ordinance and it goes into effect immediately.
It includes combustible cigarettes, vapes and e-cigarettes, but does not include unfiltered cigars, according to WFLA.
City council members said the ultimate goal is to reduce the environmental impacts on the community.
The city said the ban would protect beachgoers and marine life.
This comes a year after Gov. Ron DeSantis signed a law that allows cities and counties to decide if they want to enforce a smoking ban.
The city of St. Petersburg has already implemented a similar smoking ban.
June 18, 2023