Tag: e-cigarettes

Bill to Toughen Vape Rules Heads to Alabama Senate

Credit: Allard1
The House of Representatives in the U.S. state of Alabama approved a bill to tighten restrictions on vaping products.
The bill makes it illegal for retailers to sell all vaping products to people under 21 years old. It also expands the definition of an electronic nicotine delivery system to include any product that delivers substances other than tobacco, according to WSFA.
Vending machines that sell tobacco in places that allow people who are younger than 21 years old to purchase it are also banned.
“It identifies the products that do not contain nicotine so that they can be regulated along with everything else. It regulates the sale of e-liquid,” Rep. Barbara Drummond said.
There was only one no-vote from the representatives.
The bill now moves to a Senate committee for further consideration.
A state senator in Alabama last week introduced a bill last week that would make it illegal for minors to be in possession of vapes, according to a release from the Drug Education Council.
May 18, 2023
Study Finds Youth Confused About Nicotine Sources

Credit: Adobe
A study conducted by University of North Carolina researchers and published in Tobacco Control found widespread uncertainty and misperceptions about the sources of nicotine in e-cigarettes among youth.
“An important contribution from this study is that adolescents don’t understand where nicotine in e-cigarettes comes from,” said first author Sarah Kowitt, assistant professor at UNC Family Medicine and UNC Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, in a statement. “If youth don’t think e-cigarettes are tobacco products like cigarettes, that could increase the appeal of these products. The more youth associate e-cigarettes with cigarettes, the less youth like them.”
The study also found that while some youth were aware of e-cigarettes that contain synthetic or “tobacco-free” nicotine, most youth were unaware. Most importantly, Kowitt said that the experimental portion of the study revealed that describing synthetic nicotine as “tobacco-free nicotine” increased intentions to purchase e-cigarettes among youth who use e-cigarettes.

If youth don’t think e-cigarettes are tobacco products like cigarettes, that could increase the appeal of these products.
Sarah Kowitt, assistant professor, UNC Family Medicine and UNC Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center
“To me, the big takeaway from our study is that the language that is used [to] describe e-cigarettes—on packaging and advertising—shapes adolescent users’ views of the products and their intentions to use them,” said senior author Seth Noar, professor at the UNC Hussman School of Journalism and Media and UNC Lineberger. “The industry has increasingly used the term ‘tobacco-free nicotine’ to describe synthetic nicotine products, and our data strongly suggest that this term may be misleading to youth in ways that increase the appeal of these addictive products.”
The study is the first to examine how youth understand e-cigarettes with synthetic nicotine. Its goal is to inform efforts by governments and regulatory agencies, including the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, to more effectively regulate the language used to describe synthetic nicotine products.
May 18, 2023
TPSAC to Discuss Proposed TPMP Rule Tomorrow

Image: Tobacco Reporter archive
The Tobacco Products Scientific Advisory Committee (TPSAC) will hold a meeting to discuss the Requirements for Tobacco Product Manufacturing Practice (TPMPs) proposed rule Tomorrow, May 18, 2023, from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.
The proposed rule is open for public comment until Sept. 6, 2023.
The TPSAC meeting will be available via a free webcast. Electronic or written comments on the meeting needed to be submitted by May 11 for consideration by the committee.
May 17, 2023
RLX Reeling From Illicit Flavored Vape Products

Creit: RELX
RLX Technology reported net revenues of RMB188.9 million ($27.5 million) for the first quarter of 2023, down from RMB1.71 billion in the same period of 2022. Gross margin was 24.2 percent during the quarter, compared with 38.3 percent in the comparable 2022 period. GAAP net loss was RMB56.3 million, compared with GAAP net income of RMB687.1 million in the same period of 2022. Non-GAAP net income totaled RMB183.6 million, down from RMB361.8 million in the same period of 2022.
RLX Technology attributed its struggles to fierce competition from illicit products. “We experienced an incredibly challenging first quarter as illegal-flavored products caused users’ slow shift to products that meet the national standards and drove our total revenues down to RMB188.9 million. Our gross margin declined as we incurred the full effect of the new excise tax in the first quarter,” said RLX Technology Chief Financial Officer Chao Lu in a statement.
“We are pleased that market conditions have improved, following the regulators’ strict actions to combat illegal products since March 2023. As a result, our sales are showing signs of recovery. Looking ahead, we will continue improving our operational efficiency and believe our profitability will gradually recover. Our resilient business model and solid cash position will support us as we navigate the market dynamics, enabling us to deliver sustainable value to our stakeholders as the industry regains momentum.”
According to RLX Technology co-founder, CEO and Board Chair Ying (Kate) Wang, the company remained focused on optimizing its product offerings under the new regulatory framework during the first quarter.
“While we strive to develop diversified, new, approved products that cater to users’ various demands, the prevalence of illegal products has posed near-term challenges to our sales and disrupted the recovery pace of the industry as a whole.
“The increasing efforts put forth by the regulators to crack down on illegal products have been encouraging, and we are hopeful that these will be effective in supporting the creation of fair and orderly market conditions, prompting a return to sustainable growth for law-abiding companies such as RLX Technology.
“If illegal products can be pushed out of the market, we believe adult users will gradually adapt to products that meet national standards. As a trusted e-vapor brand for adult smokers, we remain committed to providing compliant, superior products that meet our users’ needs as we continue exploring growth opportunities in the evolving industry.”

May 17, 2023
Pinney Associates Announces New Leadership

Joe Gitchell

Judy Ashworth

Lucy Owen

Robyn Gougelet
Pinney Associates has announced a new leadership team.
Joe Gitchell recently assumed the role of CEO, Lucy Owen is its new president, Judy Ashworth has been promoted to senior vice president, and Robyn Gougelet has been promoted to vice president, health policy and regulatory strategy.
In their new roles, they provide strategic advice and tactical support to help clients reduce regulatory risk and achieve regulatory approval across our four practice areas. Pinney Associates helps clients switch prescription medications to over-the-counter status, supports the clinical and regulatory development of central nervous system-active medications, advises on the development and commercialization of dietary ingredients and supplements, and advances research and policies to minimize the death and disease caused by smoking cigarettes.
Owen guides clients through the complex and dynamic Rx-to-OTC switch regulatory process and specializes in developing and executing science-based regulatory strategies. Ashworth guides the clinical development of CNS-active drugs in a challenging and rapidly evolving regulatory environment.
Gougelet advises clients on public health legislative and regulatory policy efforts, as well as regulatory submissions to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.
“We are thrilled to have promoted these talented individuals to our leadership team,” said John Pinney, founder and chair of Pinney Associates, in a statement. “Each of them brings unique skills and experiences that will help us continue to deliver exceptional value to our clients and better public health.”
“For over thirty years, Pinney Associates has worked hand-in-hand with our clients to overcome their regulatory and policy challenges by identifying root causes and developing innovative solutions based on medical and behavioral science and public health. We look forward to future collaborations with clients to increase access to products that advance individual and public health,” said CEO Joe Gitchell.
Pinney Associates is a science-based health consulting firm with resources and experience in scientific, medical, public health, regulatory and commercial aspects of prescription and consumer healthcare products.
May 17, 2023
New Study Finds E-cigarette Lung Damage Unproven

Credit: FrameStock
A recent study comparing lung inflammation between smokers and nonsmokers does not prove any causality between the use of e-cigarettes and lung damage, according to researchers from the Center of Excellence for the acceleration of Harm Reduction (CoEHAR) in Catania, Italy.
A recently published study by a team of American researchers compared the scans of the lungs of five electronic cigarette users, five tobacco cigarette smokers and five subjects who never smoked or vaped. Data suggested preliminary evidence that e-cigarette users had greater pulmonary inflammation than cigarette smokers and never smoke/vape controls, implying even a greater damage to health.
In a letter to the editor of The Journal of Nuclear Medicine, the CoEHAR researchers expressed their concern about the study. “The very small sample size and low reproducibility of the tests does not allow us to give a precise and scientific answer on pulmonary inflammation caused by vaping because it does not take into consideration fundamental factors, such as the prior exposure to tobacco smoking,” said CoEHAR founder Riccardo Polosa in a statement.

“The very small sample size and low reproducibility of the tests does not allow us to give a precise and scientific answer on pulmonary inflammation caused by vaping because it does not take into consideration fundamental factors, such as the prior exposure to tobacco smoking.
Riccardo Polosa, founder. CoEHAR
Because it is impossible to decouple the health impact of e-cigarette aerosol emissions from prior tobacco smoke exposure, only long-term follow-up of exclusive vapers who have never smoked can verify potential harm caused by electronic cigarettes use.
CoEHAR stresses the need to develop and adopt shared scientific research standards and a greater control of publication processes: “We often opposes poor quality designed scientific results that are published in prestigious journals without proper scrutiny: researches that only feed an unfounded anti-vape rhetoric based on preconceptions that try to dissuade smokers from making choices that are less harmful to their health,” said Polosa.
May 16, 2023
FEELM Scores Major Awards at 2023 Vaper Expo UK

The China-based closed-pod system solution provider FEELM took home several awards from the Vapouround 2023 annual awards ceremony in Birmingham, during the Vaper Expo UK event held May 12th – 14th.
The atomization technology company won both the Outstanding Contribution to the Vape Industry and Best Manufacturer awards. FEELM clients KIWI Go and DejaVoo Cyber also garnered awards, winning first and second place in the “Best Disposable” category respectively.
Additionally, FEELM, a subsidiary of Smoore International, the world’s largest vaping company, client RELX won the award for “Best Closed Pod System” for its Infinity device.
The Vapouround Awards is an annual awards dinner for the global vaping industry. All winning brands are selected by a panel of professional judges and represent the outstanding performance of the past year in various segments of the industry.
FEELM is not new to winning in the Vapouround Awards, with the brand having been awarded Industry Leader and Best Innovation in 2020.
The atomization solutions provider has made notable achievements in the closed-pod system category, with around 3.5 million pods sold to more than 50 countries since 2018, according to a press release. Its disposable ceramic coil technologies have also already been launched in key markets including France, the UK, and Belgium, and will soon be available more widely in more countries.
A FEELM representative stated that the company has been dedicated to embracing innovations with the “aim of taking the industry standard to new heights. While most of the 2ml e-liquid disposable products provide only 600 puffs, FEELM Max solutions can now deliver 800 puffs, all whilst remaining TPD-compliant.”
During the event, FEELM also unveiled its new innovative disposable solution, FEELM Max.
“FEELM Max offers more puffs, greater taste consistency, and a fully visible mouthpiece to measure e-liquid, making it the best disposable available whilst still ensuring regulatory compliance with the Tobacco and Related Products Regulations (TRPR) in the UK and the Tobacco Products Directive (TPD) in the EU,” the representative stated.
FEELM Max is now available in markets including the UK, Italy and Germany.
May 16, 2023
Matt Meyers Steps Down From Tobacco-Free Kids

Yolonda C. Richardson | Photo: CTFK
Matthew L. Myers is stepping down as the president of the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids (CTFK) effective July 1. The board of directors has appointed Yolonda C. Richardson, currently the organization’s executive vice president for global programs, as the new president and CEO.
“I want to thank Matt for the extraordinary leadership he has provided to the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids and throughout his long career fighting the tobacco industry,” said Bill Novelli, chair of Tobacco-Free Kids’ board of directors and president of the organization from 1996 to 1999, in a statement. “Matt and his team at Tobacco-Free Kids have contributed enormously to driving down smoking rates to record lows among both youth and adults in the U.S. and to reversing the tide of the global tobacco epidemic.
“It has been the privilege of a lifetime to serve as president of the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids, and I am incredibly proud of what our team and our many partners have accomplished,” said Myers. “Through smart, tenacious advocacy and a commitment to health and social justice, we have helped bring about transformative change in the U.S. and around the world. No one is more qualified than Yolonda Richardson to take this organization to new heights and achieve even greater progress in saving lives not only from tobacco, but also from other critical public health issues.”

No one is more qualified than Yolonda Richardson to take this organization to new heights and achieve even greater progress in saving lives.”
Matthew L. Myers, president, Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids
“I am deeply honored to be named president of the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids and to continue the work started by Matt Myers and Bill Novelli 27 years ago. There is much to do, but there is also immense opportunity to make large-scale impact,” Richardson said.
The CTFK was created in 1996 with primary funding from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. Since 2006, it has been a partner in the Bloomberg Initiative to Reduce Tobacco Use.
May 16, 2023
Alabama Bill Would Make Youth Possession Illegal
A state senator in Alabama introduced a bill last week that would make it illegal for minors to be in possession of vapes, according to a release from the Drug Education Council.
The bill, introduced by Senator Vivian Figures, received bipartisan support and was “co-sponsored by 100 percent of the state senators present,” according to the release.
The bill is an amendment to Section 28-11-14 of the Code of Alabama 1975, reports WRBL. It makes in unlawful for any individual under the age of 21 to purchase, use or transport any “electronic battery-powered device capable of being used to deliver the following:

e-liquid
e-liquid substitute
tobacco
CBD oil
THC oil
herbal extract
nicotine salt
The bill also says that “a violation is committed upon mere possession” of any vaping device, regardless of what is in it, according to the release.
No potential penalties were announced as of this writing.
May 16, 2023
Flonq has ‘World’s First’ Fully Recyclable Vape Device

Vape manufacturer Flonq launched the world’s first fully recyclable vape device – the Flonq Plus-E at the UK Vaper Expo 2023 in Birmingham.
The innovative e-cigarette addresses two major challenges in the vaping industry: preventing minors from accessing devices and reducing environmentally harmful waste, according to media reports.
“We believe it’s crucial not only to make bold statements but also to back them up with actions,” explains Rob Harvey , the company’s sales director. “The Flonq Plus-E is a solution that truly meets the needs of the vaping industry, and we’re excited to share it with everyone”.
The Flonq Plus-E device can be easily disassembled for recycling after use, according to the report. The product’s distinctive design includes a detachable battery located at the bottom of the device and a patented child lock system to prevent unauthorized use by children and young people.
The device has also won a Good Design Award for its aesthetics, with the shape inspired by the Steinway Tower skyscraper in New York.
May 16, 2023