Tag: e-cigarettes

Philippines Leaders Urged to Ban Vaping ‘Eventually’

Credit: Carsten Reisinger
The government in the Philippines is being urged to raise the minimum age of people allowed to use vaping products to 25, ban flavored products, online sales, and “eventually” e-cigarettes entirely.
Southeast Asia Tobacco Control Alliance Executive Director Ulysses Dorotheo said also wants the introduction of “standardized packaging” on vaping products – removing colors, scents, and indications of flavors in a proposal issued to lawmakers during a Senate committee hearing on sustainable development goals, innovation, and future thinking on Friday.
“To raise the minimum age to 25 which is the cut-off for adolescent brain development so as to reduce the risk of nicotine addiction,” he said, reports the Inquirer.
Individuals as young as 18 years old may legally smoke vaping products in the Philippines.
The country’s Food and Drug Administration backed the suggestion of Dorotheo.
Restricting the sales of vaping products online is likewise pushed by Dorothero, noting it “is where our youth spend much of their time.”
Further, Dorotheo sought to increase the excise taxes on vaping products, pointing out that a lower tax rate is levied on such items compared to tobacco products.
Dorotheo eventually emphasized that the “long-term ideal outcome” is to ban vaping products.
The Philippine Tobacco Industry (PTI) recently called on the Philippines’ Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) to crack down on illicit vapor products.
February 11, 2023
Kansas State Senators File Medical Marijuana Bill

A new push to legalize medical marijuana in Kansas is picking up some steam. The bill, if passed, would also make vaping cannabis illegal.
According to Marijuana Moment, state senators filed a new measure – SB 135 – that seeks to provide legal access to medical cannabis for people with debilitating conditions.
Backed by the Senate Federal and State Affairs Committee, the new legislation would regulate the cultivation, processing, distribution, sale and use of medical cannabis.
“The patients of Kansas have been eagerly anticipating the opportunity for a program and to join the 37 other states that have adopted comprehensive medical cannabis programs,” Kevin Caldwell, a legislative manager at the Marijuana Policy Project told Marijuana Moment’s Kyle Jaeger. “Patients have been forced for too long to have to go to the illicit market for products that have not been tested for contaminants as well as face legal repercussions for possessing medicine that can greatly improve the quality of their lives.”
The licensing process would be overseen by a Division of Alcohol and Cannabis Control, while a Medical Cannabis Advisory Committee would supervise the implementation of the marijuana program.
Taxed at 10 percent, medical marijuana products would have to contain less than 35 percent THC for flower, while tinctures, oils and concentrates could not exceed 60 percent THC.
February 11, 2023
Connecticut AG Sues 5 Companies for Delta-8 Sales

Credit: Andy Dean
The Attorney General in Connecticut is suing five retailers for some of the most “egregious violations” related to the illegal sale of delta-8 products.
Attorney General William Tong filed the suits for alleged violations of the Connecticut Unfair Trade Practices Act over the sale of illegal delta-8 THC products mimicking popular youth-oriented snacks and candies.
Tong is additionally in the process of sending warning letters to all Connecticut-licensed retailers of electronic vaping products, according to a statement from Tong’s office.

The letters advise that sale of delta-8 THC by unlicensed retailers may be illegal in Connecticut. Products that exceed .3 percent THC on a dry weight are considered cannabis products and may only be sold in the regulated market.
Cannabis products sold outside of the regulated market continue to be illegal and may subject sellers to civil and criminal penalties.

“If you offer delta-8 THC products for sale in your establishment that exceed .3 percent THC on a dry weight basis and you do not hold such a license, you are in violation of Connecticut law,” Tong states. “For your information, we have included below photographs of products that were recently purchased from retailers in Connecticut that purport to contain delta-8 THC.
“The sale of such products may expose you to criminal and civil liability. Please remove any such products from your shelves and dispose of them immediately.”
Cannabis products in Connecticut cannot be sold by unlicensed retailers and must meet rigorous testing and packaging requirements.
Tong also recently submitted testimony concerning House Bill 6488 stating that he fully supports the state’s proposed ban on flavored vaping and other tobacco products.

February 10, 2023
Vape Battery Air ‘Incidents’ Have Tripled Since 2019

Credit: kamilpetran
The number of e-cigarette battery air incidents has tripled since 2019, reports The Wall Street Journal, citing a U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) database.
Vapes and e-cigarettes were the leading cause for lithium-battery incidents on aircraft in 2022, ahead of those caused by battery packs and laptops. Of the 55 incidents reported through September of last year, vapes and e-cigarettes accounted for 19, which was 35 percent of all incidents in 2022 and triple the incidents reported in all of 2019, the FAA says.
According to the agency, the batteries in these devices can catch fire if damaged or if the battery terminals are short-circuited.
Vapes aren’t allowed in checked luggage, and must be brought in carry-on luggage because of cargo-area fire risks.
The federal government banned smoking on most U.S. flights in 1990. In 2016, the U.S. finalized its ban on e-cigarettes on all domestic commercial flights, as well as on international flights to and from the country.
Passengers should refrain from charging e-cigarettes on a plane and store their device carefully to prevent them from accidentally turning on, according to the FAA. They should transport their vapes in a protective case or remove the battery and place each battery in its own case or plastic bag to prevent a short circuit, the agency says.
Passengers who violate federal vaping laws risk fines up to $1,771.
February 10, 2023
Hawaii Considers 1600% Tax Increase on Vaping

Credit: Davis Franklin
Lawmakers in Hawaii want to tax electronic nicotine delivery systems and e-liquid products at a rate of 70 percent.
Right now, e-cigarettes only have the general excise tax (GET) of between 4.1 percent and 4.7 percent attached to them. Combustible cigarettes sold in Hawaii carry other taxes.
Rep. Scot Matayoshi and other lawmakers claim that the 70 percent tax proposed under House Bill 537 will bring vaping into tax parity with cigarettes and other nicotine products that already carry taxes in addition to the GET.
As of 2022, 696 vaping product retailers are registered in Hawaii.
Scott Rasak, a representative of Volcano eCigs, described the 70 percent tax as an industry killer, according to Civil Beat.
“Some of the bills they’re putting forward are ending people’s businesses and livelihoods that they spent the last decade building,” he said in an interview.
Rasak said that he wishes the Legislature would work more with the vaping industry to understand how it can make a positive impact on the community, instead of “targeting retailers that are responsible in selling the products under legal provisions.”
Last year, having survived a rollercoaster legislative session that saw the bill near death on multiple occasions, Hawaii’s ban on flavored e-cigarettes was signed by its governor.
February 9, 2023
BAT’s Next-Gen Tobacco Products Profits Growing

Credit: Dilok
British American Tobacco says that it expects its next-generation tobacco products division to be profitable earlier than previously anticipated, but its share price was down as diluted earnings per share declined.
Total revenue for BAT is set to come to £27.7 billion for 2022, up 7.7 percent from 2021.
Its “new categories” arm – made up of vaping products, heated tobacco products and nicotine pouches contributed £2.9 billion of 2022 revenues, which was up by 40.9 percent, reports the Evening Standard.
CEO Jack Bowles said the division was now expected to turn a profit in 2024, one year earlier than previously thought.
“Our new category business delivered strong volume, revenue and market share growth and has become a significant contributor to the group’s financial delivery,” he said. “In 2022, we invested more than £2 billion in new categories to drive long-term sustainable growth, while making excellent progress in reducing operating losses by 62 percent.”
Adjusted operating profit for BAT as a whole was in line with expectations at £12.4 billion.
However, BAT shares are down 4.5 percent so far today.
The top-selling Vuse electronic cigarette of BAT subsidiary R.J. Reynolds Vapor Co. continued to expand the market-share gap with Juul in both monthly and yearly comparisons.
BAT, the owner of the Irish business PJ Carroll, is also seeking to bring a judicial review against a decision by the European Union to ban flavored heated tobacco products.
February 9, 2023
Status Report Confirms FDA Time Changes to PMTAs
Credit: Fizkes
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has submitted a new timeline for its expected finish to the review of premarket tobacco product applications (PMTAs) in a court-mandated status report. As previously reported by Vapor Voice, the agency doesn’t expect to complete PMTAs for the most popular vaping products until the end of the year.
In prior status reports, the FDA indicated that it expected to finalize actions on all covered applications by June 30, 2023. Filed with the Maryland Federal District Court on Jan. 24, 2023, the agency’s fourth report states that it now expects to have taken action on PMTAs as follows:
52 percent of Covered Applications by March 31, 2023
53 percent of Covered Applications by June 30, 2023
55 percent of Covered Applications by Sept. 30, 2023
100 percent of Covered Applications by Dec. 31, 2023
The FDA is expected to give its next status update to the court on April 24.
The FDA is under a Maryland Federal District Court order to file regular status reports on the agency’s review of PMTAs. The court case that ended in a court-imposed deadline for the FDA was filed by health groups seeking a timeline for the review of the PMTAs that were filed with the agency by Sept. 9, 2020.
In the order requiring the FDA to submit status reports, the Maryland court stated that covered applications are limited to applications for products that are sold under the brand names JUUL, Vuse, NJOY, Logic, Blu, SMOK, Suorin or Puff Bar. Additionally, any product with a reach of 2 percent or more of total “Retail Dollar Sales” in Nielsen’s Total E-Cig Market & Players or Disposable E-Cig Market & Players’ reports.
The original completion date was Sept. 9, 2021, however, the FDA was unable to meet it due to the extremely large number of PMTAs filed by manufacturers.
The most recent delay is partially being caused by ongoing litigation and by the agency accepting some amendments to already filed PMTAs that the agency now needs to review, according to the report.

Credit: JHVEPhoto
February 9, 2023
IQOS Iluma One Makes Debut in South Korea

Photo: PMI
Philip Morris International has introduced its IQOS Iluma One in South Korea, reports The Korea Times. The launch comes three months after the debut of IQOS Iluma and IQOS Iluma Prime models in the country.
According to Philip Morris Korea Managing Director Paik Young-jae, the launch of ILUMA One completes the Iluma platform family.
“The first two ILUMA models have received a good response from the market and if this continues, I am hoping that we will reclaim the leading position in the e-cigarette market here,” Paik said.
Since the launch of the IQOS device in 2017, Philip Morris Korea had maintained the No.1 spot in the domestic heat-not-burn for five years. However, in the first quarter of 2022, KT&G took over market leadership in the first quarter of last year.
IQOS Iluma One retails in South Korea for KRW69,000 ($54.74), which is about 30 percent cheaper than the IQOS Iluma.
The new device is made with an all-in-one lightweight design that can be held in one hand. A single charge can be used to smoke 20 tobacco sticks.
Like other IQOS ILUMA models, the IQOS ILUMA ONE uses “Terea Smartcore” sticks, which heat tobacco with an induction system adopted inside its body so that users don’t have to clean any residue afterward.

February 9, 2023
Hong Kong Makes First CBD Arrest Since Start of Ban
Credit: Proxima Studio
Customs officers have made Hong Kong’s first arrest over cannabidiol (CBD) products after taking a clubhouse worker into custody when he showed up to collect a parcel from Denmark containing two bottles of the recently banned oil.
Officers found two more used bottles of the same CBD skin oil and four grams of cannabis buds from the man’s locker at the clubhouse of a residence in Yau Ma Tei on Wednesday, according to SCMP.
Combined with the banned CBD product, the haul was worth about HK$5,000 ($637).
The case was the first such arrest and seizure since CBD was added to the Dangerous Drug Ordinance, according to Isaac Tsang Yau-chuen, a senior investigator from the customs airport investigation division.
February 8, 2023
Cleveland, Ohio Considering Vapor Flavor Ban Bill

Credit: pabrady63
Cleveland, Ohio is considering a proposal that would ban the sales of flavored cigars and most other tobacco products within Ohio’s second-most populous city.
At a City Council Meeting this week, Council President Blaine A. Griffin, Ward 6, and Council Member Kevin Conwell, Ward 9, introduced a proposed ordinance that would ban the sale of almost all flavored tobacco products within Cleveland city limits.
Ordinance No. 184-2023 has one exception, it would allow hookah bars to sell flavored shisha tobacco for on-site consumption. There are no exemptions for flavored cigars of any kind, reports Charlie Minato of Halfwheel.
The law defines a flavored tobacco product as one “that imparts a taste or smell, other than the taste or smell of tobacco, that is distinguishable by an ordinary consumer either prior to, or during the consumption of, a Tobacco Product, including, but not limited to, any taste or smell relating to fruit, menthol, mint, wintergreen, chocolate, cocoa, vanilla, honey, or any candy, dessert, alcoholic beverage, herb, or spice.”
It would also ban retailers and manufacturers from advertising products as having a taste or smell other than tobacco, presumably targeting things like the cooling sensation of menthol cigarettes.
While the bill passed the Republican-controlled legislature during a lame-duck session, it was vetoed by Gov. Mike DeWine, also a Republican, who called for a statewide ban on flavored vaping products. DeWine’s veto allows for laws like the one proposed in Cleveland to be enacted.
February 8, 2023