Tag: e-cigarettes

  • Study Suggests One-Third of Irish Youth are Vaping

    Study Suggests One-Third of Irish Youth are Vaping

    Photo: Timothy Donahue

    More than a third of Irish people aged 13 to 16 years old currently vape without having smoked before, reports The Irish Times, citing new research commissioned by Foroige Sligo.

    After questioning 900 young people aged 10 to 24, the study found that across all age groups, there is a link between appearing “cool” and vaping. It also found that vaping allows some young people to feel connected to their peers.

    Many respondents felt that the marketing of vapes targets young people with a “toy-like” attraction and inventiveness of products in terms of flavor, color, and personalization.

    Josephine Lally, an independent social researcher who conducted the study, said she was struck by how vaping served as a tool for participation in social groups.

    “It has become a part of their day to day life,” she was quoted as saying. “If you mention conventional cigarettes they’d say, ‘no way, I wouldn’t smoke’. They perceive vaping to be safer and that is an issue,” she said.

    To tackle youth vaping, the research recommended consistency in public health messaging and a direct campaign to inform young people and their families about vaping.

  • King: Progress Implementing Reagan-Udall Suggestions

    King: Progress Implementing Reagan-Udall Suggestions

    Photo: GTNF

    The U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s Center for Tobacco Products (CTP) has made significant progress in addressing the recommendations made by an expert panel facilitated by the Reagan-Udall Foundation, CTP Director Brian King said in a recent update.

    Key areas of focus include cross-cutting initiatives, science and application review, regulations and guidance, compliance and enforcement, public education campaigns, and resource development.

    According to King, the CTP is working on a new strategic plan set to be released by December 2023, which includes cross-cutting themes like science, transparency, stakeholder engagement and health equity. The center has solicited extensive feedback from both internal and external stakeholders, aiming to create a robust and inclusive plan.

    Regarding science and application review, the CTP has processed more than 26 million deemed products’ applications and is committed to addressing the remaining applications efficiently while ensuring scientific accuracy and legal compliance. It has also developed resources and engaged with stakeholders to enhance the premarket application review process.

    In the realm of compliance and enforcement, the CTP has taken various actions to curb the sale of illegal tobacco products, particularly those appealing to youth. They have issued warning letters and complaints for civil money penalties, demonstrating their commitment to enforcing the law.

    Public education campaigns continue to play a crucial role in preventing youth tobacco product use. The CTP is actively seeking input and aims to share updated campaign information soon.

    The CTP recognizes the importance of their staff and is working on enhancing their workforce development. They are also exploring options for securing user fees to support regulation efforts and requesting additional funding in the president’s fiscal year 2024 budget.

  • Altria: Illicit Disposable Vapes Impacting NJOY Sales

    Altria: Illicit Disposable Vapes Impacting NJOY Sales

    Credit: Apichat

    Altria says a booming illegal disposable flavored vape market is causing a major decline in the sales of its authorized vaping products.

    Sal Mancuso, Altria’s CFO, pointed out on a call with select media and financial analysts that traditional cigarette industry volumes had dropped even more than usual in the third quarter. The decline was caused by inflation and economic issues influencing customers, as well as the heightened usage of illegal flavored disposable e-cigarettes.

    Mancuso further stated that there appeared to be more switching between different categories than initially assumed and that e-cigarettes alone were causing a 1.5 percent to 2.5 percent reduction in traditional cigarette industry volumes.

    BAT subsidiary R.J. Reynolds Vapor Co. holds the top market share in the U.S. at 41.8 percent as of the latest Nielsen convenience store report released Oct. 7.

    NJOY, which Altria purchased for $2.75 billion in June, has struggled to increase its No. 3 market share.

    “The current state of the (vaping) market is intolerable for both legitimate manufacturers and consumers,” Billy Gifford, Altria’s CEO, said during the call. “As we have noted repeatedly for months, the regulated market is being overrun by illegal-flavored disposable e-vapor products made and distributed by companies violating virtually every rule and guidance FDA has issued since 2016.

    “A lot of these products are imported. They’re imported illegally and then they’re sold illegally.”

    Saying a “strong course correction is needed,” Gifford noted that Altria has filed federal lawsuits in California against 34 organizations that include manufacturers, distributors and online retailers.

  • Guam Leaders Propose Excise Tax Rules for Vapes

    Guam Leaders Propose Excise Tax Rules for Vapes

    Credit: Sezerozger

    Lawmakers in Guam are proposing to impose a 10 percent excise tax on all vape products for the first year, and then raising it to 20 percent on the second year.

    Guam currently has no standardized tax regulations for what the bill describes as electronic nicotine-delivery systems (ENDS).

    The bill, if enacted into law, will make the taxation for vape products separate from the existing tobacco retail category.

    They do not include regulated cannabis products, according to Pacific News Daily.

    Sen. Joe San Agustin and three other Democrat and Republican senators proposed the new rules. San Agustin, chairman of the appropriations committee, said the proposed tax on ENDS products came after realizing the loss of millions in revenues in the Healthy Futures Fund where it showed major shortfalls in revenues from tobacco taxes.

    Under Bill 193-37, or the ENDS Excise Tax of 2023, the tax will be imposed on all ENDS products at the point of sale and will be made visible as a line item on the receipt.

    Under the bill, the annual retail license will be $200, and the annual wholesaler license will be $2,000.

  • IEVA Urges Lithuania to Reconsider Vape Flavor Ban

    IEVA Urges Lithuania to Reconsider Vape Flavor Ban

    Photo: rh2010

    The Independent European Vape Alliance (IEVA) has called on Lithuania to reconsider a proposed ban on key e-liquid ingredients, including sweeteners.

    The country’s Draft Law No XIVP-2791(2) amending Article 9(2) of Law No I-1143 on the control of tobacco, tobacco products and related products proposes a “ban on placing on the market e-cigarettes and e-cigarette fillers with liquid adapted for filling electronic cigarettes if this liquid contains sugar and/or sweeteners.”

    In comments submitted under the EU Technical Regulations Information System, IEVA warns that the measure will encourage the illicit trade, boost smoking rates, jeopardize employment and lower government revenues due to reduced vape tax collections.

    According to the alliance,  the draft law shows a lack of understanding of the technical and chemical characteristics of e-cigarettes, as well as a disregard for the negative consequences for Lithuania’s public health and for the country’s vaping small and medium-sized enterprises.

    “Banning sugar and sweetener chemicals, which are necessary for the manufacturing of e-liquids, will lead to a quasi-ban of e-cigarettes,” the IEVA wrote in a statement. “It will lead to a boom in black market sales of dangerous products and to a surge of tobacco smoking by depriving smokers of a less harmful alternative. Finally, this measure, not justified by any scientific evidence, is bound to be ineffective in addressing its purported goal of limiting young people’s access to vaping.”

    The group encourages the Lithuanian government to adopt measures adapted to the pursued aim and based on thorough scientific evidence.

  • Netherlands Votes on Motion to Introduce Vape Tax

    Netherlands Votes on Motion to Introduce Vape Tax

    Photo: dbvirago

    Dutch lawmakers on Oct. 26 voted for a motion to introduce a tax on vapor products, reports Dutch News. The move follows earlier reports that the Netherlands would not impose such a levy prior to the elections scheduled for November.

    The government had been planning to wait until the introduction of Europe-wide legislation but given that is unlikely to happen before 2026, ministers agreed to take unilateral measures, if that is what MPs wanted.

    One in five Dutch youngsters under the age of 25 uses e-cigarettes, and 70 percent of vapers also smoke tobacco cigarettes, according to the Trimbos addiction institute.

    The 18 age limit for using vapes is also widely flouted and internet sales have flourished, De Telegraaf reported earlier this month.

     Vaping is cheaper than smoking in the Netherlands, where a pack of cigarettes now retails for around €11 ($11.64). An e-cigarette with the equivalent of two packets of cigarettes in terms of nicotine costs around €6.

  • Deadline is Nov. 1 for Louisiana Vape Product Registration

    Deadline is Nov. 1 for Louisiana Vape Product Registration

    Credit: VFHNB12

    A strict new vape law goes into effect on Nov. 1 in Louisiana. It will require every vapor product manufacturer to register their products with the Louisiana Alcohol and Tobacco Commission (ATC).

    Store owners say the impact could be devastating for sales since fewer vape products will occupy shelf space as products not approved by the ATC can not be legally sold in the state.

    “Every store will take about a 30, 40 percent hit. It will impact us not only through sales but also through payroll, keeping up with our expenses, different things like that will definitely affect business in a worse way than we could imagine,” Lit Vape and Smoke Owner Bilal Wardariya told KPLCTV.

    The legislation stemmed from a bill to increase the vape tax, which tripled this year, but Wardariya said limiting the usage of vapes is taking it too far.

    “I think this vape ban negatively impacts the state in many different ways, not just people, but the state itself because we give so much tax revenue. As a whole, I’d like to see this thing get resolved and hopefully, we can still sell and keep the same process we’ve been having for many many years,” he said.

    Other vape shops in the area agree that it will affect business but believe the state and customers will suffer as well.

    “We pay thousands of dollars in taxes between all of our stores, so they’re going to lose that, and it affects our customers because a lot of them genuinely need this to stop smoking cigarettes and stuff,” Smoke 360 Manager Joshua Snyder said.

    For the products to be considered by the ATC, a $100 application fee per product is required as well as approval by the FDA. A list of those approved will be released on Nov. 1.

    To date, the FDA has authorized 23 tobacco-flavored e-cigarette products and devices, which are the only e-cigarettes that currently may be lawfully sold or distributed in the U.S. Many of those products are outdated and all are owned by major tobacco companies.

  • Altria Revenues Down 4.1 Percent, NJOY Growing

    Altria Revenues Down 4.1 Percent, NJOY Growing

    Photo: Phimwilai

    Altria Group reported net revenues of $6.28 billion in the third quarter of 2023, down 4.1 percent from the comparable 2022 quarter. The decrease was driven primarily by lower net revenues in the company’s smokeable products segment.

    Altria’s domestic cigarette shipment volume decreased 11.6 percent from quarter to quarter, driven by the industry’s overall decline rate, retail share losses, calendar differences and trade inventory movements, among other factors.

    Following the completion of its Njoy Holdings acquisition on June 1, 2023, Altria has been strengthening Njoy’s global supply chain to support the anticipated volume increase associated with its expansion plans for the Njoy Ace brand.

    The company shipped 7.5 million Ace pods during the quarter. The retail share of Ace pods in U.S. muti-outlet and convenience stores was essentially unchanged since the completion of the Njoy transaction.

    The U.S. cigarette retail share of Altria’s Marlboro brand dropped 0.3 points, to 42.3 percent versus the prior-year quarter, primary due to increased macroeconomic pressures on disposable income and increased competitive activity.

    Net revenues in the oral tobacco products segment increased 2.2 percent, driven by higher pricing and lower promotional investments.

    “Our highly profitable traditional tobacco businesses were resilient in a dynamic operating environment during the third quarter and first nine months, providing fuel for our business transformation and significant cash returns to our shareholders,” said Altria CEO Billy Gifford in a statement.

    “I believe we have the appropriate strategies and people in place to execute our growth plans. I continue to believe that we can achieve our vision and create long-term value for our shareholders.”

  • Study Finds Nearly Half of Vuse Alto Users Quit Smoking

    Study Finds Nearly Half of Vuse Alto Users Quit Smoking

    Nearly 45 percent of participants who use Vuse Alto in a study completely switched away from cigarettes, according to the interim results of research conducted by Reynolds American Inc. (RAI).

    The proportion of Vuse users who reported completely switching was higher for young adults aged 21–29 versus those who were 30 years or older; the proportion of Vuse users who reported completely switching was higher among minority demographics versus those who identified as non-Hispanic white; and the proportion of Vuse users who reported completely switching was higher among those who use menthol-flavored Vuse products versus those who use tobacco-flavored Vuse products.

    For adults who smoke and had yet to switch completely, there was a greater reduction in cigarettes smoked per day for participants who used menthol-flavored Vuse products than those who used tobacco-flavored Vuse products.

    The findings are part of a 24-month study, termed the Longitudinal Tobacco Use and Transitions Survey (LTTS), in support of RAI’s premarket tobacco product application for Vuse Alto.

    Reynolds presented a summary of the interim results through the first year of the LTTS at the Food and Drug Law Institute Tobacco and Nicotine Regulatory Product Science Symposium on March 30, 2023, to an audience that included senior officials from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s Center for Tobacco Products as well as several prominent public health researchers.

    James Murphy, global director of research and science, and Chris Junker, vice president of science and regulatory affairs, provided an overview of the study’s importance and interim results in a video.

    In early October, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration issued marketing denial orders (MDO) for six flavored Vuse Alto-branded products. At the request of Reynolds, an appeals court stayed the order, allowing Reynolds to continue offering Vuse Alto menthol products pending review of the company’s formal challenge of the order.

  • Snowplus to Launch 2 New Disposables at Vaper Expo UK

    Snowplus to Launch 2 New Disposables at Vaper Expo UK

    Snowplus will soon launch two all-new disposable e-cigarettes. The Snowplus Gold Bar and Snowplus Clic are the first 5,000 puffs TPD-compliant devices to come to market, according to an emailed press release.

    Debuting at the Vaper Expo UK, to be held from October 27-29 in Birmingham, England, the new products represent a “pioneering innovation” in the vaping market, according to Snowplus.

    “The Snowplus Gold Bar will be the game-changer in the industry, it will definitely lead the product development direction,” said a Snowplus spokesperson. “A 5,000-puff TPD disposable vape has never been seen in the UK market before.”

    All vaping products sold in the UK must comply with the EU Tobacco Products Directive (TPD). Most legal disposable vaping products in the UK deliver less than 800 puffs in order to meet TPD requirements.

    The Gold Bar and Clic models both feature transparent e-liquid tanks that give users a clear, real-time view of remaining juice levels. The products also utilize lab-tested mesh coils made of specialized materials to deliver consistent and authentic flavor across 16 different juice options.

    “Snowplus has pioneered responsible innovation since its founding in 2019,” the release states. “With $40 million in funding from renowned investors like Sequoia Capital, the company aims to provide better alternatives to combustible cigarettes for adult consumers.”

    The Snowplus Gold Bar and Clic have also passed numerous third-party safety tests.