E-cigarette companies have been evading taxes by declaring false nicotine content when importing liquid nicotine base into South Korea, according to one of the country’s lawmakers, reports The Pulse.
The accumulated tax evasion is estimated at several trillion won.
Between January 2020 and July 2023, 20,197 kg of liquid nicotine base was imported, according to documents from the Korea Electronic Liquid Association obtained by Lim Lee-ja of the ruling People Power Party. Approximately 3,300 bottles of e-liquid can be produced with 1 kg of liquid nicotine. Each bottle is levied at KRW53,970 ($40.60).
Many e-cigarette companies have been mis-declaring tobacco leaf nicotine as tobacco stem and root nicotine to evade taxes since 2016, according to the association. Under Korea’s tobacco laws, nicotine extracted from tobacco stems and roots is not classified as tobacco.
Data shows that e-cigarette companies changed their declarations from tobacco leaf nicotine to synthetic nicotine when Korea’s Individual Consumption Tax Act was amended in 2021 to impose taxes on all tobacco-derived nicotine. Synthetic nicotine is classified as a simple commodity and not subject to taxes.
The association stated that annual distribution volume of Korean e-cigarette liquid is 30 million 30 mL bottles, with an estimated annual tax evasion of KRW1.6 trillion.
In 2019, the Board of Audit and Inspection audited the Korea Customs Service, the Ministry of Environment and the Ministry of Health and Welfare, showing that all the inspected imported nicotine was tobacco leaf nicotine. Falsified declarations have continued since then, according to the association.
Lim has called on the government to crack down on companies falsely declaring their products.
Liquid nicotine base is considered a hazardous substance under the Chemical Substance Control Act, regulated by the Ministry of Environment. Imports must be reported to the minister of environment, and companies must obtain an import declaration certificate for hazardous substances.
Those caught failing to report or falsely reporting the import of hazardous substances are subject to up to one year of imprisonment and up to KRW30 million in fines. None of the companies shown to have falsely declared nicotine products in past audits have been punished to date.
Innokin’s new ArcFire pod system strikes the perfect balance of performance, quality and convenience.
By Mike Huml
The Innokin ArcFire is the latest device from the long-standing vapor device manufacturer. As with all things Innokin, the ArcFire elevates the pod system archetype to new heights in terms of performance, consistency and quality. While it doesn’t bring anything new to the table, ArcFire presents a streamlined offering that keeps things simple while still delivering maximum performance.
ArcFire is a basic pod system device with refillable, swappable pods and a lightweight yet durable construction. The body has aluminum wrapped around it with about a 7 mm gap on one edge.
This gap provides a slightly recessed platform for airflow, a single button, LED indicators and a better view of the remaining e-liquid. The ArcFire features a USB-C charging port and a ring light on its tip, which illuminates when the device is firing or charging.
The pod can contain up to 3 mL of e-liquid (with an EU Tobacco Product Directive-compliant 2 mL pod also available) and is refillable via a hole in the side that’s visible when removed from the rest of the device. A silicone plug is easily opened to reveal the filling port.
Each pod consists of a 1.2 ohm mesh coil that cannot be replaced independently of the pod. The pod is held in place very securely with strong magnets, and given the semi-oval shape of the aluminum housing, it can only be inserted into the device in one direction due to the slight asymmetry.
An internal 650 mAh battery offers long battery life without adding unnecessary bulk to the overall package. The ArcFire should last a full day of normal use for most vapers and will far outlast a single fill of the pod. However, the ArcFire does feature passthrough functionality and can be used while charging if necessary. The side panel of the Arcfire contains three small LED indicators that display remaining battery life.
Three lights indicate a charge level of 65 percent or higher, two lights for a charge level of 15 percent to 65 percent and a single light for a charge level below 15 percent. The LEDs illuminate when a draw is taken or when the button on the side is pressed once. Three clicks of the same button will toggle the ArcFire’s power on or off. The button is not used to fire the device as the ArcFire is equipped with a draw-activated switch only.
It’s a relatively standard feature set that keeps things simple, which is ideal when it comes to pod systems. The coil features a mesh heating element that produces vapor consisting of finer particles for easier nicotine absorption. Additionally, mesh heating elements are more effective with lower power, meaning more vapor is produced with less energy and heat.
That means longer battery life, no dry hits and no spitback. It’s remarkably consistent regardless of the amount of remaining liquid, the viscosity of the liquid or the remaining battery voltage. The ArcFire outputs a consistent 3.4 volts at all times, but small variations in power have virtually no impact on the vaping experience.
The airflow is a bit on the open side but is still perfectly comfortable for mouth-to-lung vaping. Lung hits are restrictive and uncomfortable but still technically possible. However, there are better devices on the market for vapers looking for a lung-hit experience. The ArcFire was clearly intended to be used as a mouth-to-lung device with nicotine salt e-liquid, and in that arena, it succeeds without question.
The 650 mAh battery offers significantly more battery life than most other pod systems, as well as disposable devices, on the market today. What’s more impressive is that the battery can reach a 75 percent charge after being plugged in for only 30 minutes due to the incorporation of USB-C. Between a large battery that charges quickly and the option to either refill or swap pods, the ArcFire has very little downtime. It’s the perfect device for vapers on the go who want a no-hassle experience.
It’s also great to see a refillable pod that doesn’t require coils to be swapped. Many devices offer disposable pods in which the coil can also be changed out, but all too often, this is a redundant feature that leads to messes and too much complexity for the pod-style platform. If the entire pod can be replaced, then the coil doesn’t need to be swappable as well.
The ArcFire being refillable allows between 10 mL and 60 mL to pass through its pod before it needs to be replaced, depending on the liquid used. That means for a normal user, on average, the pod should probably be replaced once per week, which is more than reasonable given how easy it is to replace the pod. Simply slide it out and throw it away, then replace it with a new, filled pod. The coil will need a few minutes to prime after it is filled for the first time, but regardless, the entire process is simple and painless.
ArcFire produces a nice, voluminous cloud of vapor with very little effort. Flavors come through clean and pure with absolutely no added flavor or strange aftertastes. Another advantage of being refillable is that each vaper has a much wider variety of flavors to choose from.
While pre-filled pods or disposables have come a long way in terms of flavor choice, they still lock the user into an ecosystem. The ArcFire allows for the freedom to use any e-liquid from any manufacturer.
That’s an attractive option, especially for vapers who use a lower nicotine strength or are looking to taper down in their nicotine consumption. Many pod systems and disposables only offer 50 mg, and some offer an additional lower strength in the neighborhood of 25 mg to 30 mg.
With refillable pods such as the ArcFire, users can taper down to 12 mg, 6 mg or even 0 mg if they are looking to kick the habit. There are many other reasons vapers prefer lower nicotine levels, and the ArcFire offers much more choice in this regard compared to disposable devices or pre-filled pods.
Innokin, as expected, continues to live up to its reputation in the ArcFire. The features are streamlined and simple, the build quality is rugged yet sleek, and the vape quality is unquestionably top notch. On top of that, the ArcFire offers many benefits for those looking to move up from disposables as purchasing e-liquid is often cheaper than buying an entirely new device when the e-liquid runs dry.
This also opens up an entire world of new flavors to experience and new nicotine strengths to enjoy. Aside from the refillable nature of the device, the larger battery and fast charging speed add another layer of convenience over increasingly popular disposable devices.
There is definitely a huge market for this type of device from both ends of the spectrum. Current users of disposables may be looking for something slightly more robust with more options and less expensive upkeep costs. More advanced vapers may be looking for something more portable without sacrificing quality.
Either way, the ArcFire strikes a perfect balance of performance, quality and convenience that’s immediately appealing to all types of vapers. Not to mention, it has the Innokin name behind it, which should offer some peace of mind that the ArcFire will remain reliable and well supported for years to come.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s Center for Tobacco Products (CTP) has launched new resources to help applicants navigate the agency’s premarket tobacco product application (PMTA) process.
Specifically, CTP is offering a new webpage with more in-depth information on how to complete the three required PMTA forms to submit and amend pending applications.
Over the last few years, CTP has received more than 26 million PMTAs and made determinations on 99% of those applications.
Based on this experience and communications with applicants, CTP has developed the new online resources, which includes easy-to-access tips to help applicants submit in the future.
“These new online resources are part of CTP’s ongoing efforts to enhance the center’s efficiency, effectiveness, and transparency in response to recommendations from an independent external evaluation led by the Reagan-Udall Foundation,” a release states.
Pastel Cartel, the manufacturer of Esco Bars vaping devices, has submitted a legal complaint to the U.S. Federal District Court in the Western District of Texas.
The dispute is in regards to a U.S. Food and Drug Administration decision to reject over one hundred documents that Pastel Cartel had included in their premarket tobacco product applications (PMTAs), according to court records.
In the lawsuit, Pastel Cartel accuses the FDA of acting negligently and carelessly by issuing refusing to accept (RTA) letters for the company’s PMTAs on technical grounds.
The company is seeking:
A preliminary injunction staying the RTA orders until the case is decided;
A judgment finding the RTAs violate the Administrative Procedure Act (APA) and the U.S. Constitution (the Due Process Clause of the Fifth Amendment);
A final judgment setting aside the RTA orders and remanding the company’s PMTAs back to the FDA for further review.
Earlier this year, Shenzen Innokin Technology Co. Ltd., the producer of Esco Bars products, and Breeze Smoke, LLC who import and distribute Breeze products also received warning letters for manufacturing, distributing, and/or importing unauthorized tobacco products in the United States, according to the FDA.
Scotland could ban disposable vapes under plans unveiled by the country’s first minister.
Campaigners have highlighted the environmental impact of disposable vaping products, which are often thrown on the ground after being used.
Concerns have also been raised around their growing popularity among young people, according to media reports.
Humza Yousaf said his government would hold a consultation on a single-use vape ban as he set out his priorities for the coming year.
He told the Scottish Parliament he hears too often about how common vaping is among young people.
“In the next year we will take action to reduce vaping – particularly among children,” he said. “I’m pleased to announce that this government will consult on curbing the sale of disposable single-use vapes, including consulting on an outright ban.”
A recent Scottish government report found that 22% of all under-18s – around 78,000 – are believed to have used a vape last year with more young people using them than smoking cigarettes.
It found that most e-cigarette users under 18 prefer single use vapes.
The review by Zero Waste Scotland estimated that up to 2.7 million single-use vapes were littered in Scotland last year. The study estimated that there were 543,000 users of e-cigarettes in Scotland and predicted that without intervention that will rise to 900,000 by 2027.
SCotland joins several countries such as France that are considering a ban on disposables.
The Indonesian Parliament recently passed Health Law No. 17 of 2023, which categorizes e-cigarettes as addictive substances, according to 2Firsts.
Teguh Basuki A Wibowo, chairman of the Indonesian Electronic Nicotine Industry Alliance, stated that including e-cigarettes in the legal framework for solid and liquid tobacco products legalizes industry participants and allows smokers to find alternative products.
The law puts Indonesia on equal footing with countries like the Philippines and the U.K., which have similar legislative frameworks for e-cigarettes, he said.
Bangladesh is set to ban vapes and nicotine pouches, according to Filter.
The government has been considering a vape ban since 2019 when the U.S. e-cigarette or vaping product use-associated lung injury outbreak occurred—later determined to be caused by adulterated illicit products.
The health ministry has now drafted an amendment to Bangladesh’s Smoking and Using of Tobacco Products (Control) Act, which has been reviewed by the cabinet and must now be approved by parliament.
If the proposed ban is approved, anyone caught vaping, regardless of nicotine content, will be subject to a fine of BDT5,000 ($46). Sales, production, import, export, storage and transportation of vapes would also be banned, with penalties starting at a higher fine, three months’ incarceration or both. Larger scale activity or repeat offenses would face longer sentences.
The amendment would also ban flavors in tobacco products, increase the fine for smoking in public places and include further penalties for unlicensed tobacco sales.
Organizations like the Bangladesh Medical Association support the proposed ban, equating vaping with smoking cigarettes.
“A ban on vaping devices will have disastrous consequences for people trying to quit smoking cigarettes,” said Nafis Farhan, a member of Voice of Vapers Bangladesh. He attributed continued high smoking rates in the country to “limited availability of cessation tools, such as vapes.”
The proposed ban represents “a missed opportunity for harm reduction and a setback for public health,” according to Michael Landl, director of the World Vapers’ Alliance.
France will ban disposable electronic cigarettes, according to a Reuters report citing comments by French Prime Minister Elisabeth Borne.
“It’s an important public health issue,” Borne said, noting that the government is putting together plans for a national program to fight tobacco usage.
Borne said “puff” devices create habits among youth that can lead to tobacco addiction.
Following a tobacco tax increase this year, the government does not plan to raise taxes next year.
British American Tobacco, Imperial Brands, Japan Tobacco International and Philip Morris International are no longer members of the UK Vaping Industry Association (UKVIA) the organization has announced.
In a statement from the UKVIA, the industry advocacy group states that it will no longer include any tobacco companies within its membership. It also will not be accepting any new applications for membership by vaping businesses wholly or part owned or acquired by tobacco companies moving forward.
The trade body states that “the interests of the industry would be best served by the association being independent of any involvement or funding from tobacco-owned vaping brands”.
It hopes to dispel “misconceptions” that the group is funded largely by tobacco companies and to overcome any potential restrictions tobacco companies may face when engaging with key stakeholders in the move to smokefree, according to media reports.
“In representing vaping-only businesses, many of which are independent firms founded on the back of personal loss of family members as a result of smoking combustible cigarettes, the UKVIA wants to be fully engaged with key stakeholders across the board as we have the same vision, which is to make smoking history,” the release states. “The association sees this as being a vital step in ensuring that the public health potential of vaping is fully realized and the sector making its fullest contribution to the delivery of the smoke free targets over the next few years to 2030.”
The attorneys general for 33 states sent a letter to request the U.S. Food and Drug Administration do more to protect young people from e-cigarettes.
Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel announced she signed a bi-partisan letter calling on the FDA to limit the e-cigarette flavors that draw kids in and protect them from marketing, according to media reports.
She also suggested that the FDA should require a limit on nicotine levels in e-cigarette cartridges and disposables, according to a press release.
“Nicotine use by our young people has reached epidemic levels,” Nessel said in the release. “We need impactful tobacco regulations that protect our youth from the dangers of e-cigarettes and marketing tactics that target them with products flavored to taste like fruit and candy.
“We must act to regulate young people’s exposure to these products and take robust enforcement actions against manufacturers, distributors and retailers who ignore the law.”
The letter is becoming a yearly occurrence. Last year, a bipartisan coalition of 31 attorneys general are calling on the FDA to reject marketing authorization for all non-tobacco nicotine products, which are currently being sold without regulation of their contents, manufacturing, health effects, required warning labels or marketing claims.
In the 2022 letter, the coalition argues that vaping products don’t meet the FDA’s public health standard, and the regulatory agency should not gamble on the unknown effects of the products, despite the FDA having authorized 23 vaping products.
The other attorneys general signing onto the 2023 letter are from the states of Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, District of Columbia, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Mississippi, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Northern Mariana Islands, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Puerto Rico, Rhode Island, South Dakota, Tennessee, Utah, Vermont, Washington, and Wisconsin.