Tag: Featured

Stories featured at the top of tobaccoreporter.com

Bidi Stick Fastest Growing Closed System

Photo: Kaival Brands
Bidi Vapor’s Bidi Stick has become the fastest-growing closed system vaping product in the U.S., the company announced.

Based on Goldman Sachs’ recent equity research report on the Nielsen data for total nicotine volumes, the Bidi Stick is now the second-largest disposable electronic nicotine-delivery system (ENDS) offering based on retail sales for the last 52-week period.

The Bidi Stick increased its absolute-dollar market share of the disposable ENDS market share from 7.4 percent during the 52-week period ending on Oct. 27, 2020, to 24.2 percent of retail sales during the 52-week period ending on Nov. 28, 2020.

According to the Goldman report, total dollar sales growth has surged to 1,845 percent to lead the category for the 12-week period ended Nov. 28, 2020.

“The Bidi Stick is an electronic nicotine-delivery system designed for current adult smokers and is manufactured and marketed with sustainability and socially responsible practices in mind,” said company founder and CEO Niraj Patel.

“We even incentivize our customers to recycle with a one-of-a-kind rewards program. We are also hyper-vigilant in making sure the Bidi Stick does not get into the hands of young people but only those adult smokers over 21 looking for alternatives to cigarettes.”
December 24, 2020
Juul Labs Shutters South Carolina Facility
Credit: Juul Labs
Juul Labs has shuttered its assembly plant in Lexington County, South Carolina, USA, amid a deteriorating business environment and pushback from local politicians.
“There has been rapid change in the landscape of the vapor category, and these operations are no longer viable,” the company said in a statement to The Post and Courier on Wednesday. “Earlier this summer, we unfortunately had to begin reductions to our manufacturing team.”
In May 2019, Juul announced the new assembly and packaging plant in Lexington County, boosting South Carolina’s economy by about $125 million and creating 500 jobs.
Juul has since suffered a backlash over its marketing practices and heightened restrictions on the vapor business, including flavor bans in many jurisdictions. It has laid off a substantial share of its workforce, discontinued certain products and exited several international markets.
November 19, 2020
Advocates Welcome Study on Vapor’s Cessation Credentials

Photo: Sergey Shibut – Dreamstime.com
The U.K. Vaping Industry Association (UKVIA) has welcomed new research that has found that vaping is 70 percent more effective in helping smokers to quit cigarettes than nicotine replacement therapy (NRT), such as patches and gum.
The study undertaken by Cochrane, which reviewed 50 studies across the world, with more than 12,000 participants, also showed that an additional 60 percent could potentially quit smoking with nicotine containing electronic cigarettes. In addition, the review found that “there was no evidence that people using nicotine containing e-cigarettes reported more serious health problems than people using nicotine-free e-cigarettes, NRT or no therapy at all.”
John Dunne
John Dunne, director general at the UKVIA, said the findings add to a growing catalogue of evidence supporting vaping’s role in smoking cessation.
“Quitting cigarettes can be difficult, which is why adult smokers must have access to the most effective tools available,” he said. “This review underlines the enormous potential vaping holds for public health, particularly as the government aims for a smoke-free U.K. by the end of the decade. We call on all stakeholders, from policymakers to health professionals, to seize the opportunity which vaping represents, and to give smokers the best chance of quitting successfully.”
According to Dunne, the recent review builds on research by the National Institute of Health Research and Cancer Research UK, which shows that vaping was far more effective than nicotine replacement therapy products.
October 16, 2020
Smoking Now Viewed as a ‘Moral Offense’

Vyacheslav Dumchev | Dreamstime.com
The Freedom Organization for the Right to Enjoy Smoking Tobacco (Forest) released a new report stating that “smoking is no longer seen merely as a health risk to the consumer but as a moral offense to be kept ‘out of sight, out of mind.’”
The report follows an uptick in smoking and vaping bans across England, Wales and Scotland. Freedom of Information requests were made to 340 authorities in England and Wales and 32 authorities in Scotland; 283 provided responses.
More than 100 councils banned smoking outside council buildings and on council grounds, and 68 percent of councils had a policy restricting smoking and vaping for employees during working hours. There were 49 councils that banned smoking and vaping breaks completely, even if workers were clocked out, and the bans also included walking between work appointments.
Many councils, says the report, are introducing outdoor smoking bans by stealth. “This isn’t about the risk of passive smoking, it’s a moral crusade,” said Josie Appleton, author of the report. “Smoking is being treated as a shameful activity that should never be seen in public spaces or near official buildings.”
Absurdly, according to Forest, some councils are stopping their workers from vaping too, which makes it harder for smokers to give up. “It would be better if councils focused on providing public services rather than interfering in the lifestyle choices of their employees and residents,” Forest wrote in its report.
September 25, 2020
Menthol Sales up After U.S. Flavor Ban

Photo: Photo: Miriam Doerr | Dreamstime.com
Sales in menthol e-cigarettes have risen since the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) guidance banning flavors has gone into effect, according to an article in Tobacco Control.
Since Juul Labs has taken mint flavors off the market and the FDA has banned flavors other than menthol and tobacco, market shares of menthol-flavored e-cigarettes increased.
After Juul’s actions, there was a 59.4 percent increase in the market share of menthol products after four weeks, and after the FDA guidance, there was a 54.5 percent increase after four weeks and an 82.8 percent increase after eight weeks.
September 25, 2020
Hoffmann Webinar on Cannabis Packaging

Illustration: Hoffmann Neopac
Hoffmann Neopac will host a webinar exploring best packaging practices for the burgeoning North American cannabis market. Scheduled for Sept. 29 at 2 pm EST, the hour-long webinar will feature executive-level Hoffmann Neopac presenters well-versed in the cannabis packaging landscape.
The presentation will feature customer case studies, in which cannabis manufacturers who have partnered with Hoffmann Neopac share insight on differentiating brands in an increasingly competitive marketplace via child-resistant, sustainable packaging solutions.
Those attending will receive an in-depth overview on the state-by-state U.S. medicinal and recreational regulations, and on business trends for various cannabis formats—including edibles, flowers, pre-rolls, tobacco and creams—on which marijuana is leaving its mark. Presenters will also provide an update on the sector’s strength as it emerges from the Covid-19 pandemic.
The webinar will also highlight Hoffmann Neopac’s dual packaging specialties—tins and tubes—and how they can be employed to meet child-resistance requirements and sustainability demands while providing exemplary product protection and on-shelf aesthetics.

September 21, 2020
Relx Opens Bioscience Lab to Research E-Cigs

Photo: RELX Technology
RELX Opens Bioscience Lab to Enhance E-Cigarette Research
RELX Technology has started operations at its newly established e-cigarette bioscience laboratory to conduct systematic research on the effects of e-cigarettes through in vivo and in vitro tests, as well as conduct pre-clinical safety assessments.
Located in Shenzhen, China, the bioscience laboratory is currently conducting research on the impact of RELX products on animal cardiovascular, respiratory, and nervous systems, to better carry out a comprehensive impact evaluation of vapor products.
“Science is the foundation of trust. As the industry leader, we have the responsibility to expand the borders of e-cigarette science and explore the unknown,” said Kate Wang, founder and CEO of RELX, in a statement.
At the company’s recent lab open day, RELX also announced its plan to establish a “1+4” scientific research approach—i.e. anchored by platform development, followed by toxicological assessment, clinical assessment, perception behavior study and long-term assessment.
“E-cigarettes are sometimes viewed with suspicion because we have incomplete knowledge,” said Yilong Wen, RELX Co-founder and head of science, research and development and supply chain, “The RELX bioscience lab’s mission is to explore the unknown. We want to collect evidence through a scientific approach and strive to prove the potential for e-cigarettes to be less harmful, and in doing so, provide users the option to choose an alternative.”
To ensure the reliability and quality of its products, RELX established a chemical and physical laboratory in 2018. The laboratory is certified by the internationally recognized China National Accreditation Service for Conformity Assessment.
RELX is currently conducting research projects on different topics with six universities including the Sun Yat-sen University and Shenzhen Institutes of Advanced Technology, the Chinese Academy of Sciences, two hospitals and nine scientific research institutions.
September 18, 2020
Hangsen Releases Synthetic Nicotine

Image: Hangsen
Hangsen Technology has released of SYN Nicotine, the company’s first series of synthetic nicotine products. The inaugural batch of custom-made SYN Nicotine e-liquids will be used in Geek Vape’s Geek Bar product, which is set to launch soon in North America.
“When it comes to nicotine, the first thing people think of is tobacco,” said Howard, executive director of Hangsen Technology, in a statement. “Whether it’s traditional tobacco, electronic cigarettes or medicinal nicotine, almost all vaping e-liquids in today’s market uses tobacco-derived nicotine. However, there is a way to produce non-tobacco nicotine, which is also known as synthetic nicotine. SYN Nicotine is devoid of many of the harmful impurities that tobacco-derived nicotine contains and is an ideal alternative for manufacturers who may not wish to use pure nicotine derived from tobacco.”
Hangsen Technology says it was both the first PG/VG e-liquid maker and the first to use natural plants as ingredients in the industry. The company has continued to invest in the research and development of e-liquids during its 10+ years of providing high-quality products around the world.
In 2019, Hangsen Technology entered the field of synthetic nicotine. According to Hangsen, the SYN Nicotine series boasts the same smoke and taste and satisfaction as other nicotine products but without residue of harmful impurities.
All SYN series products must also pass the China National Accreditation Service for Conformity Assessment standard laboratory accreditation and other testing certifications.
September 11, 2020
EAS Offers Free Webinar on PMTA Site Inspections

Tara Lin Couch and Andrew Mooney
The EAS Consulting Group is offering a webinar on how to prepare for premarket tobacco product application pre-approval inspections of manufacturing facilities by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
EAS Consulting Group’s senior director for dietary supplement and tobacco services, Tara Lin Couch, and LabStat’s Andrew Mooney will help participants understand the requirements.
The webinar is free of charge and will take place Sept. 15, 2020, at 11 a.m. Eastern time. Participants can register here.
On Nov. 9 2020, E-liquid manufacturer Purilum has entered into an exclusive, long-term supply agreement with E-Alternative Solutions (EAS), the manufacturer and supplier of Leap Vapor products.The Leap products containing e-liquids provided by Purilum have been on the market since prior to August 8, 2016, and are currently under review by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

September 10, 2020
Reynolds Submits First Velo PMTA Application

Photo: RAI
Reynolds American Inc. submitted a group of premarket tobacco product applications (PMTAs) to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) seeking orders authorizing the marketing of Velo dissolvable nicotine lozenges. A grant of these marketing orders would allow these products to remain on the market after the FDA’s Sept. 9, 2020, deadline for PMTAs.

Velo Lozenges—formerly sold under the Revel brand—were reintroduced under the Velo brand in 2020 by Reynolds subsidiary R.J. Reynolds Vapor Company. Velo’s dissolvable oral nicotine lozenge products are available in hard and soft forms and four flavor variants, dark mint, mint, berry and crema. Velo Lozenges are manufactured using tobacco-derived nicotine.

The PMTAs for Velo Lozenges highlight key evidence demonstrating that the continued marketing of these products is appropriate for the protection of the public health. The applications include a range of scientific studies using established methodologies for the comparative assessment of tobacco products and associated health risks, including product analyses, information on human health risks and assessments showing the impact of Velo Lozenges on the health of the population as a whole—including users and nonusers of tobacco products.

“Velo is an award-winning brand bringing consistently innovative products to adult tobacco users, and a potential marketing order for PMTA submission would help to ensure adult tobacco consumers have access to FDA-regulated, consumer-acceptable product alternatives to combustible tobacco,” said James Figlar, Reynolds’ executive vice president and head of scientific and regulatory affairs.
August 24, 2020