Tag: e-cigarettes

Malaysian Think Tank Wants Change to Tobacco Ban Bill

Credit: Butenkow
A think tank in Malaysia has urged the Parliamentary Special Select Committee (PSSC) reviewing the tobacco generational endgame (GEG) bill to remove Clause 17 of the legislation.
The clause criminalises smoking, vaping as well as the possession of any tobacco products or smoking devices by those born in 2007 and onwards.
Galen Centre for Health and Social Policy chief executive officer Azrul Mohd Khalib said the law should instead put the burden on retailers, companies and corporations to not sell or supply tobacco and vape products to the GEG generation.
“Clause 17 makes the proposed legislation vulnerable to accusations of selective [prosecution], creates stigma and discrimination and marginalizes a group of people who will need support and assistance,” said Azrul in a statement. “Despite our best efforts, in the future there will be people in the GEG group who smoke and vape, and become addicted to nicotine. Should they be punished?
“The legislation should ensure that it is an offence to legally sell or supply tobacco or vape products to those born from Jan 1, 2007.”
Azrul stressed that anyone addicted to nicotine has the right to be treated equally under the law, with compassion and dignity.
He said the GEG bill should not be allowed to disproportionately affect young people, people from low income groups and vulnerable populations.
August 15, 2022
Altria Files 3 More Patents for Cannabis Applications

Credit: New Africa
Altria Client Services has filed numerous patent applications with the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) related to vaporizer technology, including several that mention cannabis as well as nicotine.
On August 4, the company had published three related applications that focus explicitly on the cannabis plant. More specifically, on its “flavor and aroma characteristics,” according to Cannabis Wire.
One application, titled “Terpene production in plants,” filed by Altria Client Services and the University of Virginia Patent Foundation, details the “composition and methods for the modification of the secondary metabolic functions of glandular trichomes in plants, such as tobacco or cannabis, that control the formation of terpenes that impart specific flavor and aroma characteristics to the plant leaves are provided.”
The pine or citrus smells and flavors of cannabis buds are typical terpene scents.
“Terpenoid levels in plants such as tobacco and Cannabis can be enhanced and modified by targeted manipulation of gene expression of genes in terpene biosynthetic pathways in order to improve flavor and aroma characteristics of downstream plant-based products,” the application reads.
A related application is titled, “Increasing trichome density and improving transport of metabolites in plant trichomes … terpenoids constitute the largest and most diverse class of plant metabolites,” the application reads.
“The amount of secondary metabolites produced is often tightly correlated to the glandular trichome density present on the plant epidermis,” it continues. “One way to increase the amount of secondary metabolite production in plants is to increase the density of trichomes present on the plant epidermis.”
A third related application is titled “Tissue-specific promoters in plants.”
“Due to the important role of glandular trichomes in the biosynthesis and secretion of terpenoids, there is a need for the identification of trichome-preferred, or trichome-specific, promoters and associated cis-regulatory elements,” the application reads.
Taken together, these patent applications provide the clearest picture yet of Altria’s interests and priorities when it comes to future cannabis products.
Altria’s entry into cannabis made headlines in 2019 when it acquired a significant stake in Cronos, a Canadian cannabis company.
August 15, 2022
Gallup Poll Claims U.S. Wants Stricter Vape Rules

Credit: Andrey Popov
Six in 10 Americans would like the laws and regulations dealing with electronic cigarettes to be stricter, a view shared by majorities of men, women and all age groups, according to a new poll from Gallup.
Views on e-cigarettes are also bipartisan, with more than half of Republicans, independents and Democrats wanting stricter laws.
The latest findings, from Gallup’s annual Consumption survey, conducted July 5-26, come after the U.S. Food and Drug Administration voted in June to ban the sale of a popular brand of e-cigarettes.
That decision is now under appeal.
The 61 percent of Americans currently in favor of stricter e-cigarette laws is slightly more than the 54 percent who held this view last year but similar to the 64 percent recorded in 2019.
Across all years, few adults have said the laws for e-cigarettes should be less strict, including 7 percent holding this position today.
The poll also found that a majority of Americans favor taking nicotine, but not menthol, out of cigarettes.
August 14, 2022
Study: Vapes Reduce Heart Risks Compared to Smokes

Credit: Apple Design

A new study shows that aerosols from nicotine vaping do not produce the cellular effects caused by cigarette smoke that lead to vascular damage and the onset of a host of heart diseases.
The research, published in Wiley Analytical Science, also found that aerosols from heated tobacco products produced substantially fewer adverse cellular effects compared to combustible cigarettes.
The study is part of the Replica Project, whose mission is to replicate the most well-known studies conducted by tobacco companies in order to independently assess their scientific validity.
The project is run by the Center of Excellence for the Acceleration of Harm Reduction (CoEHAR), according to Helen Redmond, writing for Filter.
The new study was conducted by an international group of researchers affiliated with CoEHAR at independent laboratories in Indonesia, Oman, Russia, Serbia, Greece and the U.S.
The researchers replicated a study done in 2017 by scientists BAT, which demonstrated that the endothelial cell migration inhibition caused by cigarette smoke (the endothelium is a membrane lining the heart and blood vessels) is not caused by e-cig aerosol exposure.
The Replica study, using the Vype ePen3 and the heated tobacco products Glo Pro and IQOS 3 Duo, corroborated the findings of the BAT study.
August 13, 2022
Total Ban on Sales of Vaping Products Constitutional

Credit: Kraken Images.
A group of merchants brought a Federal Lawsuit against the Town of Eastchester, New York alleging that the town’s new anti-vaping law was unconstitutional. The law was upheld by a Federal Court in the Southern District of New York.
At the September 3rd, 2019 Town Board meeting, Eastchester was one of the first Towns to adopt a local law to prevent the sale of electronic nicotine-delivery system (ENDS) products within the Town.
The law which is known as “Electronic Nicotine Delivery Product Law” prohibits the sale of tobacco substitutes containing nicotine from being sold in the town, according to a local news source. This includes, but is not limited to: e-cigarettes, vapes, vaporizers, vape pens, lozenges or other candy, drinks, liquid nicotine or other e-liquids or inhalers.
Town Supervisor Anthony Colavita and the Town Board were also the first to opt out of participating in the New York State Marijuana Retail Sales Program as well.
Supervisor Colavita stated, “Keeping our citizens, especially our youth, safe by limiting accessibility to the products specified in our law is our top priority. I am glad the Town of Eastchester prevailed.”
August 11, 2022
Draft Rules for Vapor Products Coming in Philippines

Credit: Adobe Photo
The Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) in the Philippines is preparing the draft Implementing Rules and Regulations (IRR) of the Vaporized Nicotine Products Regulation Act or Vape Regulation law.
DTI Undersecretary for Consumer Protection Group Ruth Castelo, according to the Manila Bulletin, said at the Laging Handa Public Briefing that since the DTI has been designated as the implementing government agency, they will have to follow the law.
“Anytime soon or in a couple of days, we can start with consultation with the Food and Drug Administration and then public consultation,” said Castelo noting that they have a deadline to meet under the law to come up with the IRR. The law, which lapsed into law on July 25, 2022, directs DTI to come up with the IRR three months from its effectivity.
She said that DTI will lead in terms of testing the devices for the new tobacco alternative products. In fact, Castelo said that DTI testing equipment have been readied since 2021 yet.
But the FDA will lead or approve certifications when it comes to chemicals and health claims of the products.
The Vape law regulates the importation, manufacture, sale, packaging, distribution, use and communication of vaporized nicotine and non-nicotine products, as well as novel tobacco products. Under the law, manufacturers are given three months to notify the DTI prior to placing new nicotine products in the market.
August 11, 2022
‘FDA Took Unfair Shortcuts in Reviewing PMTAs’

Image: smolaw11
In establishing whether a nicotine product is appropriate for the protection of public health, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration held its Center for Tobacco Products (CTP) reviewers to a lower standard than the companies submitting premarket tobacco product applications, according to Alex Norcia writing in Filter.
Citing documents obtained through the Freedom of Information Act, Filter describes procedures such as batching and bracketing, which allowed the CTP to apply conclusions to categories of products rather than evaluating them separately. “Despite imposing extremely onerous bureaucratic requirements on applicants, the agency was happy to find ways to cut through its own paperwork,” writes Norcia.
“It’s clear that FDA allows itself efficient shortcuts that it has denied to applicants,” Clive Bates, director of The Counterfactual, told Filter.
“The problem has always been that FDA’s extraordinarily burdensome process was obviously tremendously wasteful for applicants, but of course it was always going to be unmanageable for the assessors in FDA. Without this sort of shortcut, the PMTA process would have become a human resources nightmare. So FDA has allowed itself the kind of efficiencies it should have offered to the applicants—batching and bracketing thousands of near-identical products.”
August 11, 2022
Supreme Acquires Cuts Ice and Flavour Core E-liquids

The UK-based wholesale distributor and manufacturer Supreme has announced the acquisition of vaping manufacturer Cuts Ice and e-liquid business Flavour Core for undisclosed fees.
It follows Supreme’s acquisition of Liberty Flights in June in a deal worth up to £15 million as it looks to expand its influence in the vaping category.
The business said Cuts Ice had developed a leading vape brand called T Juice. which had achieved significant recognition in European markets, according to The Grocer.
It claimed the acquisition would allow the business to diversify its current UK-centric vaping division by supplying to France, Germany, Italy, Spain and Belgium, as well as gaining additional flavouring and mixing expertise.
The two businesses are expected to be fully integrated into Supreme’s wider vaping division and enhance earnings immediately
“We are delighted to be acquiring assets from Cuts Ice and Flavour Core, a highly innovative and hugely popular brand both in the UK and across Europe,” said Supreme CEO Sandy Chadha.
“We continue to see significant growth from within our vaping activities and see this transaction as an excellent example of how we can continue to add both scale and expertise into the group.”
August 10, 2022
Global Disposable Vape Market to Reach $6.3 Billion in 2022

Credit: Adobe Stock
The global disposable e-cigarettes market size is expected to be valued at $6.34 billion in 2022, according to new research.
With growing demand for non-tobacco products owing to rising health concerns among others, the overall demand for disposable e-cigarettes is projected to grow at a CAGR of 11.2 percent between 2022 and 2032, totaling around $18.32 billion by 2032, according to a report from Future Market Insights (FMI).
The rising traction of using disposable e-cigarettes among consumers is expected to accelerate the market in the forthcoming years, according to FMI.
New and innovative products to comply with the growing demand for these products among consumers are being launched by many market players.
In January 2021, Dinner Lady, a U.K.-based vape brand launched a disposable vape pen, for example.
North America dominated the disposable e-cigarettes market and accounted for the maximum revenue share of 49.8 percent in 2021.
The increasing popularity of flavored disposable e-cigarettes offered by brands such as Puff Bar, Vuse, and Suorin, is one of the major factors that is expected to drive the growth of the industry in the region.
August 10, 2022
City Council in Bangor, Maine Bans Flavored Vapes, Again
Credit: Ianm35
The Bangor City Council, in the U.S. state of Maine, met Monday evening and decided in a 6 to 1 vote to instate an ordinance to ban the sale of flavored tobacco products for a second time.
The ordinance will prevent the sale of all flavored tobacco products, including e-cigarettes and menthol-flavored products, citywide. According to the city council’s meeting agenda, the ordinance will prevent the sale, display, marketing, and advertising of flavored tobacco products, according to News Center Maine.
The city previously banned flavored tobacco products back in October but repealed its decision earlier this year after a procedural error.
If broken, the ordinance also imposes a fine between $50 and $100 for the first violation within a 24-month period and $300 and $1,000 for each subsequent offense within those 24 months.
August 9, 2022