Tag: e-cigarettes

  • January 1 Begins Start of Belgium E-Cigarette Tax

    January 1 Begins Start of Belgium E-Cigarette Tax

    Credit: Master Sergeant

    Beginning January 1, 2024, Belgium will introduce a new tax on e-liquids used in electronic cigarettes. The tax will be set at 15 cents per milliliter.

    The move has received criticism from both users and retailers who fear that it will lead to increased costs and a potential shift back to traditional tobacco cigarettes.

    The spokesperson for the federal Finance Minister defended the tax, stating that it aligns with Germany’s tax rate, which is also set to increase in the coming years, according to media reports.

    They further clarified that the goal is not to encourage people to return to smoking combustible cigarettes but to recognize that e-cigarettes are also tobacco products and should be used as a temporary measure to quit smoking.

  • Singapore Cracking Down on Illegal Vaping Imports

    Singapore Cracking Down on Illegal Vaping Imports

    A soldier is on duty in Changi Airport (SIN) – Credit: Phuong

    As part of a multi-agency effort to clamp down on vaping, Singapore authorities will step up checks at air, land and sea checkpoints in the coming months, starting with Changi Airport.

    “Incoming passengers may be screened for e-vaporizers and their components at the arrival halls, and those found with e-vaporizers or their components will be fined,” said the Ministry of Health (MOH) and the Health Sciences Authority (HSA) in a media release.

    Vaping is illegal in Singapore and offenders can be fined up to S$2,000 ($1,490). Those who import, distribute or sell such products face stiffer penalties, including a possible jail term.

    Passengers carrying vaping devices must pass through the Red Channel (for people with goods to declare) to dispose of the prohibited items. “Travellers who declare and surrender these items at the Red Channel will avoid penalties,” said MOH and HSA, according to reports.

    Additional Immigration and Checkpoints Authority (ICA) locations have been set up to flush out vaping violators, and security checks will also be conducted to detect and deter smuggling attempts.

    Apart from the border checkpoints, checks will be stepped up at places such as the central business district, shopping centres, parks, smoking areas, as well as public entertainment outlets such as bars and clubs.

  • PMI Prevails in Investors’ Lawsuit Over IQOS Studies

    PMI Prevails in Investors’ Lawsuit Over IQOS Studies

    Photo: fotofabrika

    A U.S. appeals court on Dec. 26 dismissed a securities fraud class action brought by shareholders against Philip Morris International, reports Bloomberg Law.

    Investors accused the tobacco manufacturer of misleading them about the methods and results of IQOS clinical studies presented to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. PMI sought the approval so that its former parent company, Altria Group, could sell the device within the U.S.

    Investors also targeted company statements about projected IQOS sales in Japan, the only country at that time where PMI sold the line of products nationwide.

    The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit ruled that statements by PMI and its executives that the IQOS studies were “rigorous,” “the best science,” and “very advanced” were inactionable puffery. The court rejected the investors’ argument that such statements could be proven true or false.

    Optimistic remarks about sales performance in Japan, meanwhile, were allowable forward-looking statements, the court ruled.

  • PMI to Introduce Heated, Tobacco-Free LEVIA Sticks

    PMI to Introduce Heated, Tobacco-Free LEVIA Sticks

    Photo: PMI

    Philip Morris International is set to introduce LEVIA, a tobacco-free product boasting a cellulose-based composition with nicotine, aiming to reduce harm significantly compared to conventional cigarettes.

    In an interview with Daily News Egypt, Gizelle Baker, PMI’s vice president of global scientific engagement, emphasized the company’s commitment to offering satisfying alternatives to smokers, understanding the complexity of breaking the smoking habit. PMI’s strategy, she noted, involves varied device types, price points, flavors, and addressing rituals associated with smoking.

    Designed as a nicotine-delivery system resembling e-cigarettes but without tobacco, LEVIA emits 99 percent fewer harmful chemicals than cigarettes, according to PMI. Paired with the ILUMA device, LEVIA aims to provide a sensory smoking experience while minimizing health risks. PMI’s approach to reducing secondhand smoke involves eliminating smoke production by not burning tobacco.

    Bakes said PMI envisions a smoke-free future by eliminating combustion, not necessarily tobacco or nicotine. The company aims to diversify its portfolio beyond smoking-related products into wellness and healthcare sectors, leveraging expertise gained from tobacco research. This transition includes exploring new smoke-free products beyond oral, tobacco-heating systems and vape options, according to Baker.

    The company’s acquisitions in drug manufacturing indicate a shift towards diverse offerings beyond tobacco. PMI foresees future innovative products based on scientific advancements and customer satisfaction across both device and consumable categories.

  • Canton of Basel Bans Some Sales of Vaping Products

    Canton of Basel Bans Some Sales of Vaping Products

    Credit: Claude Wangen

    After testing 32 disposable e-cigarettes, the cantonal laboratory in Basel City, Switzerland, said it found problems with all of them and issued a sales ban on seven for containing toxic substances, reported SRF.

    The e-cigarettes were obtained from 12 sales outlets in the city. The problems detected include nicotine above the maximum legal limit, lead in metal joints, toxins linked to infertility and the presence of undisclosed additives.

    Smoking rates are high in Switzerland. An estimated 27 percent of the population 15 and over smokes, and 42 percent of men aged between 25 and 34 are smokers.

  • Biden Pardons Thousands of Marijuana Convictions

    Biden Pardons Thousands of Marijuana Convictions

    Credit: Lux Blue

    Thousands of people who were convicted of use and simple possession of marijuana on federal lands and in the District of Columbia have been pardoned, the White House said Friday.

    President Joe Biden announced that the clemencies are meant to rectify racial disparities in the justice system.

    The categorical pardon builds on a similar round issued just before the 2022 midterm elections that pardoned thousands convicted of simple possession on federal lands.

    Friday’s action broadens the criminal offenses covered by the pardon.

    Biden is also granting clemency to 11 people serving what the White House called “disproportionately long” sentences for nonviolent drug offenses, according to the AP.

    Biden, in a statement, said his actions would help make the “promise of equal justice a reality.”

    No one was freed from prison under last year’s action, but the pardons were meant to help thousands overcome obstacles to renting a home or finding a job. Similarly, no federal prisoners are eligible for release as a result of Friday’s pardon.

    But the order expands the grounds on which pardons are issued. In the last round, people were pardoned for simple possession under only one criminal statute.

    Friday’s pardons also apply to several other criminal statutes, including attempted simple possession.

  • Under-18 Vape Product Sales Ban Begins in Ireland

    Under-18 Vape Product Sales Ban Begins in Ireland

    Photo: Timothy S. Donahue

    The Irish Government has announced that the ban on selling e-cigarettes or vapes to minors takes effect from tomorrow.

    Stephen Donnelly, the Minister for Health, obtained Cabinet approval for this measure earlier this year, which was signed into law by President Michael D. Higgins in August.

    The Public Health (Tobacco Products and Nicotine Inhaling Products) Bill comes into effect from Friday, December 21.

    From then on, it will be an offense to sell a nicotine inhaling product to someone under the age of 18. The offense will carry a penalty of a fine of up to €4,000 ($4408) and a prison sentence of up to six months.

    The new bill includes measures to address smoking and vaping among adults.

    Beginning today, the sale of tobacco products and nicotine inhaling products at events for children will also be prohibited, as will the self-service sale of such products.

    The bill prohibits the sale of certain items to minors and restricts their advertisement in schools and on public transport. It also provides for increased enforcement, according to media reports.

    The bill also allows for additional enforcement powers to the Environmental Health Service for measures in the bill and for all previous Tobacco Control Acts.

  • ECLAT Celebrates THR Study’s 10th Anniversary

    ECLAT Celebrates THR Study’s 10th Anniversary

    Photo: Wlodzimierz

    The Center of Excellence for the acceleration of Harm Reduction (CoEHAR) is celebrating the 10th anniversary of the ECLAT study, which according to the organization marked a significant shift in the science of harm reduction.

    Riccardo Polosa

    The project began in 2011 when a research group led by Riccardo Polosa of the University of Catania in Italy decided to evaluate the use of e-cigarettes on a sample of smokers who wanted to quit.

    After two years of recruitment and follow-ups, the first randomized controlled trial on electronic cigarettes came to light. The ECLAT study provided evidence for the first time that the e-cigarette could help people—even those who had no desire to give up smoking—quit combustible cigarettes.

    The ECLAT study subsequently became a source of inspiration for researchers worldwide. Even then, despite the technical limitations of vaping products at that time, the study showed that at the 52nd week, 8.7 percent of smokers using e-cigarettes quit smoking, while 10.3 percent reduced the consumption of traditional cigarettes by at least 50 percent. Moreover, 73.1 percent of those who had quit did not use the e-cigarette at the end of the study.

    Although these data may appear modest today, the ECLAT study paved the way for a line of research that now engages thousands of researchers worldwide. The most recent Cochrane literature review—which also incorporates the ECLAT study—confirms what was revealed in Catania 10 years ago: e-cigarettes are effective tools in the fight against smoking.

    Reflecting on the ELCAT research, Polosa called for continued innovation and evaluation. “If we want to definitively erase the history of smoking, we must continue with research, encouraging continuous innovation and evaluation studies,” he said in a statement. “Harm reduction can and is already saving millions of lives. The path is the right one and must be followed to the end.‘”

  • Flavored Vapes Still Available After California Ban

    Flavored Vapes Still Available After California Ban

    Image: Olga

    Californians, including minors, are still able to buy flavored vapes online a year after the state enacted a ban on such products, reports The Conversation, citing a study published in Jama Network Open.

    In effect since Dec. 21, 2022, California Senate Bill 793 prohibits the sale of most flavored tobacco products, including e-cigarettes, to people of all ages. Hookahs, premium cigars and loose-leaf tobacco are exempted from the legislation.

    Posing online as minors under the age of 21, researchers tried to buy flavored e-cigarette products from 26 websites that sold them in California. Before SB 793, they succeeded in 52 percent of attempts. After SB 793, the team’s success rate rose to almost 61 percent.

    The study did not explain why flavored e-cigarettes are still available from online retailers in California. “It may be that vendors are flouting the new law, are ignorant of it, or do not believe the new law applies to online sales,” speculated corresponding author John-Patrick Allem, associate professor of social and behavioral sciences at Rutgers University.

    Allem urged authorities to conduct a comprehensive evaluation of SB 793 compliance among brands and vendors that sell their products online in California to help determine the extent to which flavored e-cigarettes are still available.

    Another research team collected weekly Google search rates related to online shopping for cigarettes and vaping products in California from January 2018 to May 2023. They found that shopping queries were 194 percent higher than expected for cigarettes and 162 percent higher than expected for e-cigarettes—which according to the authors suggests consumers are searching on Google for vendors promoting banned products.

  • Singapore Cracking Down on Travelers With Vapes

    Singapore Cracking Down on Travelers With Vapes

    Image: monticellllo

    Singapore authorities will step up checks at air, land and sea checkpoints to prevent e-cigarettes from entering the city state, reports the South China Morning Post.

    “Incoming passengers may be screened for e-vaporizers and their components at the arrival halls, and those found with e-vaporizers or their components will be fined,” said the Ministry of Health and the Health Sciences Authority in a media release.

    Vaping is illegal in Singapore, and offenders can be fined up to SGD2,000 ($1,490). Those who import, distribute or sell such products face stiffer penalties, including a possible jail term.

    Despite the ban, the number of people caught using and possessing vapes has been rising, including among underage consumers.

    Apart from the border checkpoints, checks will be stepped up at places such as the central business district, shopping centers, parks and smoking areas as well as public entertainment outlets such as bars and clubs.

    Since Dec. 1, enforcement officers from the National Environment Agency have been empowered to take action against people who use or own vapes.

    Singapore authorities said that their multi-agency approach is aimed at protecting its population.

    The World Health Organization said last week that urgent action is needed to control e-cigarettes to protect children and nonsmokers.