Tag: e-cigarettes

Alaska Begins Jury Trial Against Juul Labs, Altria
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A jury trial commenced last week for a lawsuit filed by the State of Alaska against Juul Labs, Inc. and Altria Group, Inc. The state alleges that these companies played a significant role in the rising use of e-cigarettes among young people.
In a press release dated November 24, 2020, former acting Attorney General Ed Sniffen stated that the state alleges Juul Labs employed marketing strategies similar to those used by large tobacco companies but updated for the digital age. This included youth-oriented social media campaigns and the use of paid influencers.
The suit further alleges that Altria then conspired with Juul Labs to maintain and expand the youth e-cigarette market JUUL had created, working to cover up Juul Labs’ youth marketing just as major tobacco companies tried to cover up their own youth-targeted marketing in the past, according to media reports.
“According to the 2019 Alaska Youth Risk Behavior Survey, 45.8% of Alaska high school students have tried e-cigarettes, with 26.1% reporting e-cigarette use,” the press release states. “This is a significant increase from 2017, when 15.7% of Alaska high school students reported using e-cigarettes. Alaska’s Complaint alleges that this dramatic rise is a direct result of the marketing strategies used by JUUL and Altria to target teenagers and youth.”
The state’s complaint alleges Juul Labs and Altria violated the law in four ways:

Creating a public nuisance under Alaska law;
Violating Alaska’s Unfair Trade Practices and Consumer Protection Act in marketing and promoting e-cigarettes to youth;
Negligently developing, marketing, and selling JUUL vaping products;
Conspiring to maintain and grow a market based on sales to youth.
The lawsuit is seeking damages to fund public health efforts to address youth vaping as well as an abatement of what the state is calling a “public nuisance.”
Alaska is far from the only state to file a suit against the e-cigarette giants; in 2021, Juul Labs agreed to pay $40 million to North Carolina in the first state lawsuit settlement.
November 4, 2024
Report: UK Disposable Ban Could Boost Smoking

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Ministers in the UK have been told that a plan to ban the sale of disposable vapes by next summer could lead to some users “reverting or relapsing” back to cigarette smoking.
The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) said vape usage in England had grown by more than 400% between 2012 and 2023, with 9.1% of the public buying and using the products.
The legislation, which will be introduced to parliament this year, will ban the sale of single-use vapes in England to limit, among other things, the environmental damage they cause, media has reported.
However, an impact assessment by Defra revealed that “29% of current [people who vape] will either revert/relapse to smoking tobacco” as a result of the ban. Officials said, “If the ban is increasing the use of cigarettes, there could be health disbenefits.”
The report added: “We have assumed that most users of disposable vapes will switch to reusable vapes. However, there will be a proportion of users that may revert to smoking tobacco or quit vaping and smoking altogether.”
The legislation had been tabled under Rishi Sunak’s premiership, but the government ran out of time in the last parliament.
The tobacco and vapes bill would prevent anyone born from 2009 from legally smoking by gradually raising the age at which tobacco can be bought. It also aims to impose restrictions on the sale and marketing of vapes to children.
The health secretary, Wes Streeting, said this month he planned to introduce the bill “before Christmas”.
The Labour MP Mary Glindon criticized the chancellor’s tax increase on vape liquid during the budget debate, saying it could discourage people from quitting smoking.
Glindon, the MP for Newcastle upon Tyne East and Wallsend, said the increase, to take place in October 2026, was “unsustainably high” and would “hurt working people” who used vapes.
November 4, 2024
Health Ministry Wants to Ban New Tobacco Products

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Vietnam’s health ministry has proposed a national ban on e-cigarettes and tobacco-heating products, reports Vietnam News.
During a conference last week, Deputy Minister Tran Van Thuan stressed that all forms of tobacco, including new-generation products, pose a significant threat to public health.
Nguyen Nho Huy, deputy director of the physical education department at the Ministry of Education and Training, shared that vaping among students had risen from 2.6 percent in 2019 to 8 percent in 2023.
According to ministry of health data, nearly 1,224 people were hospitalized in 2023 due to health complications directly linked to e-cigarettes and heated tobacco.
Tran also referenced risks such as battery explosions and nicotine poisoning.
Heated tobacco, he noted, emits smoke containing toxins similar to those found in traditional cigarettes.
Participants in the event also expressed concern about the market for illicit vaping products. In the first half of 2024, authorities uncovered 35 cases of illegal trade and possession of drug-infused e-cigarettes, according to Lieutenant Colonel Nguyen Duy Trung.
November 4, 2024
San Antonio Adds Vapes to Smoking Ordinace

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The City of San Antonio, Texas, is banning the use of e-cigarettes, or vaping, where smoking is currently restricted. The revised ordinance will take effect on January 1, 2025, and will prohibit their use in all venues where smoking is currently restricted.
Businesses must include the electronic smoking device icon on signs prohibiting smoking. The icons for both cigarettes and e-cigarettes should be enclosed in the standard red circle with a red bar across them, media reports. They will be required for every public place and place of employment where smoking is currently prohibited.
“This update reflects our commitment as the community health strategist and ensures that policies remain relevant to current circumstances, adapt to technological changes, and mitigate potential risks,” said Dr. Claude A. Jacob, Metro Health director. “By reducing exposure to secondhand smoke and promoting smoke-free environments, we are taking significant steps to protect the health of our citizens.”
October 31, 2024
Vapes, Pouches Boost Atria’s 3rd Quarter Profits

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Altria Group beat market expectations for third-quarter revenue and profit on Thursday, as robust demand for its nicotine pouches and vaping products helped soften the blow to its combustible cigarettes category.
Altria’s NJOY vapes and on! nicotine pouches have seen steady demand in the United States, and its menthol-flavored NJOY vape products received authorization from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for sale.
“Altria delivered outstanding results in the third quarter,” said Billy Gifford, Altria’s CEO. “The smokeable products segment delivered solid operating companies income growth behind the resilience of Marlboro, and in the oral tobacco products segment, our MST brands continued to drive profitability while on! maintained momentum in the marketplace. We also continued to reward shareholders through a growing dividend and share repurchases while making investments in pursuit of our vision.”
The company disclosed in July that it had provided data to the FDA regarding the growth of illegal nicotine pouches, which illustrated the early stages of a significant black market for vapes.
In the third quarter, domestic cigarette shipment volume in the smokeable products segment decreased by 8.6%. In contrast, NJOY devices saw a shipment volume increase of over 100% year-over-year, reaching 1.1 million units, according to a press release.
Shipment volume for on! nicotine pouches increased by 46% this quarter, while demand for the company’s chewing tobacco products, such as Copenhagen, continued to weaken.
Shares of the Marlboro maker increased by approximately 1% in premarket trading. They have grown by about 25% this year.
Altria’s third-quarter adjusted earnings per share of $1.38 topped market expectations of $1.35. The company maintained its annual profit forecast of between $5.07 and $5.15 per share.
Last week, peer Philip Morris lifted its annual profit target betting on strength in demand for its flagship IQOS heated tobacco device as well as ZYN nicotine pouches.
October 31, 2024
UK Sets Out Vaping Tax, Tobacco Duty in Budget

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The cost of vaping and smoking will increase following tax rises announced in Chancellor Rachel Reeves’ Budget. A new tax on vapes of £2.20 ($2.85) per 10ml of e-liquid will kick in from October 2026.
That will be accompanied by an equivalent increase of £2.20 per 100 cigarettes in tobacco duty to “maintain the financial incentive to switch from tobacco to vaping.” Reeves also set out immediate above-inflation increases of 2 percent on tobacco and 10 percent for hand-rolled tobacco.
In its last Budget before losing the election, the previous Conservative government said it wanted to introduce a vaping tax and set up a consultation on the changes. The consultation said the tax aimed to make vaping “less accessible to young people and non-smokers while also raising revenue for funding vital public services like the NHS.”
It had proposed different levels of tax based on the amount of nicotine in the vaping liquid, according to media reports. However, Reeves has instead opted for a flat rate. In its analysis of responses to the vaping consultation, the government said industry representatives and some public health bodies had opposed a three-tier structure, warning it could result in unintended consequences and create complex bureaucracy.
Head of the UK Vaping Industry Association, John Dunne, called the vape tax a “nonsensical move” that penalized people who used vapes as a method to give up smoking. “Some three million adults are former smokers thanks to vaping, which is strongly evidenced as the most effective way to quit conventional cigarettes, saving the NHS millions of pounds in treating patients with smoking-related conditions,” he said.
The new Labour government had already said it wanted to stop vapes being branded to appeal to children and has announced a ban on single-use vapes, due to come into effect in England in June 2025. Ministers have also pledged to continue plans set out by former Prime Minister Rishi Sunak to ban people born in or after 2009 from buying cigarettes.
October 31, 2024
Canada Cops Bust Crime Group for Cannabis Edibles

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Police in Canada said they have arrested six people involved in an organized crime group believed to have produced tens of thousands of counterfeit cannabis-laced candy bars and edibles resembling popular name-brand products.
The takedown began early this month, according to a statement from the Royal Canadian Mounted Police on Tuesday. On Oct. 3, the Pacific Region Royal Canadian Mounted Police federal policing investigators executed search warrants at two dispensaries and five separate residences on Vancouver Island in British Columbia, Canada.
“These warrants were associated to an organized crime group allegedly involved in the production and distribution of illicit drugs, and contraband tobacco in Port Alberni and Nanaimo,” authorities said. “The dispensaries in question were Green Coast Dispensary in Port Alberni and Coastal Storm Dispensary located in Lantzville.”
Search warrants were also executed at a suspected stash site in Port Alberni, as well as a storage and production facility adjacent to Coastal Storm Dispensary, including two modular trailers where cannabis edibles were being produced, stored, and distributed, authorities stated in a press note.
Credit: CRMP
The list of items seized includes over 120,000 cannabis edibles with packaging resembling popular name-brand chocolate bars, potato chips, nacho chips, honey and other candies, including over 3 kilograms (6.6 pounds) of psilocybin mushrooms, 1,740 psilocybin capsules, over 400 psilocybin chocolate, candies and a multitude of other psilocybin products, 2.2 pounds of pressed cannabis resin, over 500 pounds of cannabis bud, more than 19 pounds of shatter, over 5000 cannabis vape cartridges, counterfeit cannabis-laced honey, five vehicles, two ATM machines containing cash, an estimated 164 master cases of contraband tobacco equating to 82,000 packs of cigarettes, over $400,000 in cash and a shotgun, police said.
“Although the contraband cannabis-laced candy bars and chips resembled professionally manufactured, packaged, and quality-controlled products, they were discovered to have been produced in the highly unsanitary, and heavily contaminated modular trailers,” authorities from RCMP said. “A preliminary assessment of the edibles also indicates that they had been treated with unknown amounts of THC, and likely cross-contaminated with other drugs and substances present in the trailers where they were being produced and packaged.”
Of equal concern, according to police, was the fact that the counterfeit snacks had packaging claims of possessing medicinal properties and dangerously high drug potency values, with many of the candy wrap labels claiming to be “100 times more potent than regulated cannabis products.”
“Given the highly contaminated and unsanitary conditions of the illicit drug production facility where these cannabis edibles were being produced, it is possible that the consumption of these products can lead to serious health risks,” RCMP said. “We urge members of the public to practice extreme caution if they already possess, or come across such products in the future, especially with Halloween being just around the corner.”
October 31, 2024
FDA Warns Companies For Selling ‘Smart’ Vapes

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration issued warning letters to nine online retailers and one manufacturer for selling or distributing unauthorized disposable e-cigarettes designed to resemble smart technology, including smartphones and gaming devices.
The products mentioned in the warning letters are promoted as having various designs and functions that might attract young people, according to an agency press release. These include features like playing games, connecting to smartphones, receiving text or call notifications, playing music, and customizing products with personalized wallpaper.
“These products may resemble smart devices, but there’s nothing smart about them,” said Brian King, director of FDA’s Center for Tobacco Products. “They’re illegal to sell and a flagrant attempt to target kids.”
The agency states that the designs of the unauthorized products cited in the warning letters are likely to appeal to youth because they help conceal the nature of the products as tobacco products from parents, teachers, or other adults. Example images of unauthorized products cited in the warning letters compared to electronic devices on the consumer market, such as smartphones and gaming devices.
“The firms receiving these warning letters sold and/or distributed e-cigarettes in the United States that lack authorization from FDA to legally market a new product, which is in violation of the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act,” the release states.
In addition to the violations mentioned in the warning letters, the retailers and manufacturer were warned to address any violations that are the same as, or similar to, those stated in the warning letter and promptly take any necessary actions to comply with the law. Failure to promptly correct the violations can result in additional FDA actions such as an injunction, seizure, and/or civil money penalty.
“FDA is steadfast in our commitment to enforce the law,” said John Verbeten, director of CTP’s Office of Compliance and Enforcement. “We will continue to take appropriate measures, working hand in hand with our federal enforcement partners, to address unauthorized tobacco products, especially those most appealing to youth.”
October 30, 2024
Denver City Council Going for Flavor Ban … Again

A trio of Denver City Council members is proposing a ban on the sale of all flavored tobacco products in the Colorado capitol.
The effort comes three years after then-Mayor Michael Hancock vetoed a similar ban, following months of debate and intense lobbying on both sides of the issue, including from tobacco industry interests. A different lineup of council members crafted that measure.
“We think this is important because it’s a public health issue impacting our community,” Councilman Darrell Watson said on Monday after a committee hearing that previewed the proposal. He had helped lay out the specifics of the proposed ban, which — like its predecessor — would outlaw the sale of flavored vaping cartridges and a wide swath of other flavored products, including menthol cigarettes.
Watson’s co-sponsors are Councilwomen Shontel Lewis and Serena Gonzales-Gutierrez. None of the three served on the council in 2021 when Hancock vetoed the previous bill. The council later came one vote short of mustering the nine necessary to overturn the veto, according to media.
Unlike his predecessor, Mayor Mike Johnston, who took office in mid-2023, has already committed to signing a flavored tobacco ban law if it makes it to his desk.
Monday’s meeting was only a briefing. The ban still needs to be approved by the council before it can be considered for a final vote. The next step for the planned proposal—a hearing before the council’s Safety, Housing, Education, and Homelessness committee—could come as soon as next week.
October 29, 2024
Consumer Groups Demand Seats at COP11

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The Coalition of Asia Pacific Harm Reduction Advocates (CAPHRA) is calling on the World Health Organization to open the upcoming Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC) Conference of the Parties (COP11) to consumer advocacy groups, in line with human rights principles and evidence-based policymaking.
“The WHO FCTC process must adopt a human rights approach that considers the implications across the entire life cycle of tobacco products, from growing to consumption,” said Nancy Loucas, executive coordinator of the CAPHRA. “This requires meaningful engagement of all stakeholders, including consumers, to strengthen policy formulation and implementation.”
The CAPHRA points to a WHO Western Pacific Regional Office’s report highlighting that “a key element to creating a successful tobacco control social movement is the meaningful engagement and involvement of civil society.” The report notes civil society’s crucial role in “initiating, leading and sustaining tobacco control efforts to improve public health.”
“Consumer groups are not constrained by bureaucracy and can hold both industry and government accountable,” Loucas added. “Our exclusion from COP11 flies in the face of the WHO’s stated principles on civil society engagement.”
The CAPHRA is urging the FCTC Secretariat to formally invite consumer advocacy groups as observers to COP11, to create dedicated sessions for civil society input during COP11 proceedings and to establish an ongoing mechanism for consumer group consultation between COPs.
The organization emphasizes that evidence clearly shows tobacco harm reduction strategies like vaping have helped millions quit smoking. Consumer voices are critical to ensure policies reflect real-world impacts.
“The WHO cannot claim to take a human rights approach while silencing the very people their policies affect,” said Loucas. “It’s time to practice what they preach on civil society engagement and let consumers into COP11.”
October 29, 2024