Tag: e-cigarettes

China: Government May Boost Oversight of Vapor Market

Photo: Taco Tuinstra
The Chinese government may tighten its grip on e-cigarettes, according to a new report from eCigIntelligence.
Legally, the China National Tobacco Co. (CTNC) has a monopoly over both combustible and vapor products, but the organization has not exercised its authority to date. According to the report, that could change in the future.
There are three possible scenarios, according to the market intelligence provider: “One possible scenario is that the government may allow private companies to continue operations but under close observation to ensure their products do not target non-smokers or minors.
“The government could also decide to crack down on the e-cig market, which as the report explains would have a significant negative impact on the growth in sales of tobacco-alternative products in the country. A third scenario would involve the China National Tobacco Company extending its existing control over traditional cigarettes to vaping products.”
December 17, 2020
South Africa Vaping Ban Ruled Unconstitutional

Photo: David Carillet – Dreamstime.com
South Africa’s ban on vaping and tobacco sales during the country’s hard lockdown earlier this year was unconstitutional, the country’s High Court ruled Dec. 11.
From March to August, the government prohibited sales of tobacco products and alcohol to help stem the spread of the coronavirus. Market leader British American Tobacco South Africa (BATSA) and smaller companies united in the Fair-trade Independent Tobacco Association (FITA) challenged the ban, arguing that a short-term ban on a product whose health risks become evident only in the long run makes no sense.
They also questioned the rationale of the argument around cigarette sharing. Tobacco shortages and high prices of black-market cigarettes would only increase the likelihood of smokers sharing their “stompies,” the tobacco companies said.
The government lifted the ban before the matter had been heard in court, but BATSA decided to proceed with the court action to prevent the ban from being reintroduced at a later stage of the pandemic.
In its ruling Friday, the Western Cape High Court judges who presided over the case said Regulation 45, which Minister Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma relied upon for the ban, “cannot and does not withstand constitutional scrutiny.”
In court, the government had argued that the ban was aimed at reducing the occupation of intensive care unit beds by smokers. If people didn’t vape or smoke, they would likely not get Covid-19 in a more severe form, it argued. But BATSA maintained the government had not justified the ban in law or science.
Tobacco companies expressed satisfaction with Friday’s ruling.
“British American Tobacco South Africa has been vindicated in its view that the disastrous ban on tobacco sales was unjustified and unconstitutional after the Western Cape High Court ruled in its favor,” the company wrote in a press release.
“The five-month ban on tobacco and vapor products sales was ill-considered, unlawful and has worsened the illicit trade in cigarettes and vapor products in the country.”
“We note and welcome the judgment of the full bench of the Western Cape High Court, wrote FITA in a statement.
“The court further found Regulation 45 to be neither necessary nor that it furthered the objectives set out in section 27(2) of the Disaster Management Act. This, of course, was one of the arguments advanced by FITA in its challenging of the ban on the sale of cigarettes and tobacco-related products, which the full bench of the North Gauteng High Court erred in finding same to be necessary.”
In the wake of the court ruling, BATSA also renewed its call for South Africa to urgently ratify the World Health Organization Illicit Trade Protocol to eradicate the illegal sale of cigarettes. The company stated that ratifying the protocol is “the only way for the country to claw back tax losses resulting from the explosion in illicit trade that occurred during the ban on tobacco and vapor products.”
In July, BATSA estimated that the ban on legal cigarette sales had cost South Africa ZAR4 billion ($241.7 million) in lost excise tax revenues and 30,000 lost industry jobs.
December 14, 2020
Philippine Health Expert Wants Vapor Warnings to Match Risk
The health warnings for e-cigarettes and other vapor products should be different from warnings on combustible cigarettes, according to a health expert. Indonesian professor and medical expert Tikki Pangestu sought a distinction on the health warnings during the second Philippine Harm Reduction Online Forum held by Harm Reduction Alliance of the Philippines recently.
Photo: Vchalup | Dreamstime.com
“Health warnings on combustible cigarette packs should not be the same as those on the packaging of e-cigarettes and HTPs (heated tobacco products). This is because e-cigarettes and HTPs have been shown to be 90- to 95-percent less harmful than combustible cigarettes,” said Pangestu, visiting professor at the Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine at the National University of Singapore and former director for research policy and cooperation of the World Health Organization, according to an article in The Manila Times.
The implementing rules and regulations of Republic Acts 11346 and 11467 mandate the Department of Health to issue health warning templates for HTPs and vapor products. Pangestu said the health warnings should be “proportionate to the risk of smoke-free products.”
He suggested that health warnings could state that HTPs or vapes, while not free from harm, are “significantly less harmful” than combustible cigarettes.
“The health warnings could also indicate that smoke-free products are for adults only and should not be used by the youth,” Pangestu said. “There are many factors to be considered in developing regulations but in my view, such regulations must be based on the science and evidence around smoke-free products.”
December 13, 2020
Riot Squad Receives PMTA Acceptance Letter from FDA
Credit: Riot Squad
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has given an acceptance letter to the UK-based e-liquid manufacturer Riot Squad for its premarket tobacco product application (PMTA), the company confirmed today.
“We continue to move through the PMTA process and are very happy to get to this stage”, said Ben Johnson Riot Labs CEO. “We remain committed to working with the FDA throughout the process. With our award-winning products and flavors we continue to provide better alternatives to combustible tobacco products and look forward to working in this industry for many more years to come.”
The company confirmed that it had submitted PMTAs for seven flavors in three freebase nicotine strengths (0mg, 3mg and 6mg) and 2 nicotine salt strengths (20mg Hybrid and 48mg). The flavors submitted include:
Pink Grenade
Sub Lime
Tropical Fury
Blue Burst
Cherry Fizzle
Rich Black Grape
Ultra peach Tea
“Receipt of this acceptance letter is a significant milestone, which confirms that Riot Labs products have now met the statutory and regulatory requirements for a PMTA submission, based on Section 910 of the FD&C Act,” a press release states. “The application is now under preliminary scientific review, before going forward to substantive review by the FDA.”
The FDA requires applicants to show their products are appropriate for the protection of public health. Riot Labs began building its PMTA data in 2018. The process has taken over 2 years, with 7 applications and over 1.8 million pages of scientific data submitted, according to Johnson.
Riot Labs was established in 2016 by Johnson who has an extensive background in pharmaceuticals. He set out to build ‘Riot Squad’ into an innovative brand, with the aim of encouraging consumers to find the confidence to give up smoking and engage in a healthier alternative. Riot Squad products are now available in over 86 countries.
December 11, 2020
Malaysia to Place Excise Tax on Vapor Starting 2021

Credit: Peter Nguyen
All imported electronic cigarettes, e-juices and other vaping products, including non-nicotine types, will face an excise duty beginning Jan. 1, 2021. Exceptions will be given to local manufacturers, Customs Department director-general Abdul Latif Abdul Kadir said today.
Excise duty would be charged on the devices at an “ad valorem” (according to value) rate of 10 percent, while liquids and gels will be charged a rate of SEN0.40 for each millilitre, he said.
Abdul Latif said local manufacturers would be licensed under Section 20 of the Excise Act 1976 with a licence payment of RM4,800 a year ($1,779), while the warehouse licence fees under Section 25 of the same Act would be RM2,400 a year, according to an article in Free Malaysia Today.
“Local manufacturers have to apply at the respective zone or state Customs Department offices where the factory or warehouse is located before Dec 15, 2020,” he said in a statement today.
Among other things, the applicants will have to declare the raw ingredients list, finished products list, manufacturing flow chart, annual manufacturing capacity, and acknowledgment of nicotine content in liquid or gel.
“Licence holders are required to comply with licensing guidelines and to attach a bank guarantee to secure the duty or tax,” he said.
Abdul Latif said manufacturers could refer to the FAQ page regarding the excise duty at the Customs website.
December 8, 2020
Covid-19: Study Finds 32% of Youth Ended E-Cigarette Use
E-cigarette use among teens and young adults decreased dramatically during the Covid-19 pandemic. Nearly two-thirds of e-cigarette users reporting that they’ve either cut back or quit, according to a new study.
Credit: Tomkohhantsuk
About 32 percent of e-cigarette users said they quit this year and another 35 percent reported cutting back, according to survey results published Dec. 3 in JAMA Network Online.
Concerns about lung health were a major factor in their decision, the results indicate. One in 4 respondents who cut back or quit said they were motivated by concern that vaping could weaken their lungs.
Research has shown that smokers have a higher risk of severe COVID-19 infection, noted senior researcher Bonnie Halpern-Felsher, a developmental psychologist and professor of pediatrics at Stanford University in California.
Vapers’ worries were probably also motivated by the 2019 nationwide outbreak of EVALI, which involved thousands of lung injuries related to e-cigarette use, she added.
“One of the main reasons they quit is that they were worried about lung health, and we think that’s important, that they thought they could hurt their lungs,” Halpern-Felsher said. “This really provides an opportunity to talk about and provide education about lung health.”
December 3, 2020
Missoula Votes Monday to Ban E-Liquid Flavors Not Cigarettes
The Montana city of Missoula wants to ban flavors in e-cigarettes and vapor products, but not combustible tobacco products. The Missoula City Council will vote Monday on the flavored “tobacco ordinance that prohibits the sale of flavored electronic tobacco products,” according to an article in the Missoulian.
Credit: Marko Sokolovic
The ordinance would also prohibit self-serve access to all tobacco products. The vote comes after the city’s Public Safety and Health Committee approved Wednesday amendments to a proposed ordinance which previously sought to ban the sale of all flavored tobacco products in the city. The bill was originally proposed last month.
On Wednesday, the Public Safety and Health Committee approved the amendments in a 9-2 vote with Councilor Jesse Ramos absent and Councilors Sandra Vasecka and John Contos voting against the changes. The ordinance will go before council for final consideration on Monday, Nov. 23.
The changes to the proposed ordinance came after extensive public comment and criticism by some, including the Missoula Area Chamber of Commerce, who said the ban was too broad and would harm local businesses. The ordinance aims to prevent youth access to and use of tobacco and nicotine, and is sponsored by council members Mirtha Becerra, Gwen Jones, Stacie Anderson, Heidi West and Julie Merritt.
Becerra said the new ordinance focuses on flavored electronic tobacco products because they come in an array of flavors and packaging that she said is targeted to children.
November 20, 2020
Australian C-Stores Want Ability to Sell E-Cigarettes

Credit: Simona Sergi
Retailers in Australia want the government to allow small businesses that sell cigarettes and other nicotine products to also be allowed to sell less harmful alternatives such as vaporizers and e-cigarettes.
The Australasian Association of Convenience Stores (AACS) and the National Retailers Association (NRA) both claim that the federal Government’s decisions regarding the sale of smoke free tobacco products will hurt Australian retailers.
NRA Chief Executive Officer Dominique Lamb said that after the government’s reversal on its previous ban on vapor products, its policy position was getting weirder by the day, Convenience and Impulse Retailing.
“Last month, smoke-free tobacco products were deemed so harmful that the government decided they could only be sold at a chemist, by prescription, with visits to a doctor every three months,” Lamb said. “The same government says it will reverse its looming ban on importing vaping products, so individuals will be free to buy them from overseas dealers and have them shipped into Australia.”
Lamb said that the laws confuse consumers by regulating e-cigarettes and vaping products as controlled substances, yet anyone one can purchase them online from overseas retailers. “The only people who will be banned from selling smoke-free tobacco products will be the tens of thousands of mum-and-dad retailers who currently rely on cigarette sales but are desperate to offer their customers a less harmful alternative,” he said. “This government clearly supports overseas retailers as much as it supports big-box corporate pharmacy. It’s just a shame that it won’t support small, local Australian businesses.”
AACS has also pointed towards a growing black market for e-cigarettes and has highlighted the urgent need for Government to regulate the sale of these products through legitimate and responsible channels, according to the story.
“There are positive health outcomes available to Australians through the regulated, legal sale of e-cigarettes, given they are significantly safer for people to use than traditional tobacco. Unfortunately, by restricting the legal sale of products which are clearly in demand, the health impacts of the Government’s approach are decidedly negative,” AACS CEO Jeff Rogut says. “This refusal to catch up with the rest of the world in making safer choices easier for consumers has allowed the black market for vaping products of unknown ingredients and from dubious sources to grow in Australia.”
“Clearly, consumers are looking for safer alternatives to smoking. If health authorities are serious about helping people quit tobacco, they need to make vaping products legally available through responsible retailing channels urgently.
The recent interim decision by the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) to make vaping products only available to people from pharmacies with a prescription is both dangerous to health and a missed opportunity for responsible retailers, the AACS says.
“Australia’s approach of making it harder for our citizens to access products that are safer for them is unique in a global context,” Rogut says.
October 27, 2020
Relx Receives Red Dot Award
Relx Technology has been awarded the Red Dot Award: Product Design 2020 for its latest e-cigarette, Relx Infinity. The Red Dot Award is awarded to products that feature exceptional design.
The Red Dot Award: Product Design is one of the world’s largest design competitions. The international jury comprises experienced experts from different disciplines and has been convening for more than 60 years. True to the motto “In search of good design and innovation,” their assessment focuses on criteria such as innovation, functionality, formal quality, longevity and ergonomics.
Unveiled in Shenzhen, China, in January, Relx Infinity is the company’s latest product.
March 31, 2020
Study: E-cigarettes Cause Higher Cancer Risk
A recent study shows a connection to e-cigarette use and bladder cancer risk.
Researchers at the University of North Carolina (UNC) Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center and New York University Langone Health looked at 22 different studies analyzing the urine of people who used e-cigarettes or other tobacco products to check for cancer-linked compounds or biomarkers. Six compounds or biomarkers with a link to bladder cancer were found.
“Smoking is the No. 1 modifiable behavioral risk factor for bladder cancer,” said Marc Bjurlin, associate professor of urology in the UNC School of Medicine. “There is now evolving literature showing that people who vape may have similar carcinogens in their urine as combustible cigarette users.”
March 27, 2020