Tag: news

FEELM Brings Max Ceramic Coil and Topower to Dubai

FEELM, the subsidiary of the world’s largest atomization technology company, Smoore, exhibited two innovations that have been developed to “raise product performance” across the disposable vape category during an industry event in Dubai.
The FEELM Max’s ceramic coil and Topower battery technology were created as part of a targeted effort to ‘level up the single-use sector’ and enhance consumer experience, according to a press release.
The pioneering advancements both earned attention from the industry and are already appearing in devices from globally recognized brands.
FEELM says each was designed to address a “pain point” of the industry.
FEELM Max’s ceramic coil has done away with super-absorbent cotton to reduce the amount of e-liquid that goes to waste and increase the puff count of TRPR- and TPD-compliant 2ml disposables in the UK by as much as 30 percent – a rise from 600 to at least 800 puffs.
It also reduces impurities by 78 percent during the heating process, produces air particles that are 55 percent smaller than mainstream solutions and uses a “constant power engine” that provides a vapor consistency of 95 percent and a 35 percent improvement in taste consistency.
The second notable innovation is FEELM’s Topower battery technology. This breakthrough increases the endurance of large e-liquid capacity vapes and can provide over 6,000 puffs without needing to recharge, which allows consumers to get rid of the hassle of charging.
Further, the compact power solution – which offers 30 percent more capacity – delivers a consistent output which FEELM says will counter the common issue of flavor reduction caused by voltage drop.
Topower also promises a longer shelf life, with 1 percent power attenuation over six months and 3 percent power attenuation over a year. This advancement effectively avoids the burning taste and assures a strong consistency of flavor.
Speaking on the developments, Rex Zhang, assistant president at FEELM, said the company prides itself on being the brand behind the brands and its technology has become to vaping what Intel Core processors are to laptops.
“We aim to elevate the disposable category to a whole new level through innovation– our ceramic coils and Topower battery solution represent two significant successes on this front,” he said, adding that technology will be a “critical metric” on which to measure the winners and losers of the industry moving forward. “The vape category is fuelled by the desire to help adult smokers switch away from cigarettes – but it is built on innovation.”

June 22, 2023
Keller and Heckman Files Amicus Brief with SCOTUS

Credit: Sean Pavone Photo
Eric Gotting and Azim Chowdhury, partners at Keller and Heckman, filed an amicus brief with the Supreme Court of the United States (SCOTUS) in support of Avail Vapor’s writ of certiorari petitioning the SCOTUS to review the 4th Circuit’s decision to uphold the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s marketing denial order of Avail’s premarket tobacco product application for its nontobacco-flavored e-liquids, according to a post on The Continuum of Risk.
The brief, filed on behalf of a group of public health experts, is intended to provide relevant scientific background on comparative health impacts of electronic nicotine-delivery system (ENDS) products with combustible cigarettes.
The brief argues that ENDS are, beyond a reasonable doubt, much safer than cigarettes; ENDS help adult smokers quit and can reach many adults who would not otherwise quit smoking; ENDS flavors are important to adults trying to quit smoking; youth vaping has declined markedly since 2019, with most youth vaping being infrequent, nonaddictive and temporary, and more frequent and intense vaping generally limited to adolescents who are otherwise likely to smoke.
Youth do not generally use the refillable tank devices sold in vape shops but instead use more mass-market products; claims that vaping is a gateway to smoking are based on a misunderstanding of the evidence; and because smoking and vaping are linked, measures like e-liquid flavor bans can cause more smoking or other damaging unintended consequences.
In its petition, Avail asks the Supreme Court to consider the lower court’s legal reasoning and decision.
Among other things, Avail argues in its petition that the FDA’s decisionmaking was arbitrary and capricious; that another court sided with a different petitioner against the FDA on the same basic arguments; and that the case is significant not only for Avail but for the entire industry and its customers.
The Supreme Court has not yet decided whether it will hear Avail’s case.
June 20, 2023
Police in Taiwan Seize $227,000 Worth of E-Liquids

Credit: Busara
Police in Taiwan have seized over 240,000 bottles of nicotine-containing e-liquid and nine barrels of semi-finished product with an estimated market value of over NT$7 million ($226,908). Police on Tuesday said the product was confiscated earlier this year.
The illegal product was discovered at stores in Kaohsiung and Tainan, according to police, and it had been imported from China. Legislative amendments passed in March make the sale of vaping and heated tobacco products illegal in Taiwan, according to Taiwan News. The new rules introduced fines of up to NT$10,000 for users and NT$50 million for importers, manufacturers, and sellers.
Police investigations found the product was being sold through both stores and LINE groups, but only to customers who had previously bought the e-liquid.
June 20, 2023
Vape Korea Expo Set to Return for Second Year

Credit: Kampon
In 2022, Vape Korea Expo was the first and largest e-cigarette exhibition in Korea. The event drew the attention of e-cigarette consumers worldwide. The Korean e-cigarette market has been growing faster than expected year over year, despite controversy and issues over the safety of vaping products and government regulation.
The event is scheduled to take place from July 21st to 23rd at KINTEX, one of Korea’s major exhibition venues.
Vape Korea Expo is returning for 2023 and expects to showcase the latest in vaping hardware, e-liquids, oils and accessories. The show combines B2C retail, commercial, and entertainment elements with a Trends Symposium and an E-Cigarette Art Exhibition, according to a press release.
There will also be a number of networking events including B2B buyer meetings and VIP receptions during the show.
“Vape Korea Expo provides a unique platform for Korean and international brands, manufacturers, distributors, retailers and e-cigarette consumers to meet and interact with each other,” the release states. “Korea Vape Show (KOVAS 2023) is gaining recognition as a paradise for vape enthusiasts, attracting the attention of the vape community centered around Northeast Asia.”
Registering in advance on the KOVAS 2023 website, www.koreavape.show, before 6:00 PM on July 20th, admission. For more detailed information and inquiries, please contact the Korea Vape Show (KOVAS 2023) office is free.
June 19, 2023
Second Circuit Appeals Court Rules in Favor of FDA

Credit: Brian Kinney
A federal appeals court has ruled that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration didn’t change its position on admissible evidence and the agency’s failure to consider a marketing plan didn’t impact the outcome.
The FDA acted reasonably in denying vapor maker Magellan Technology Inc.’s request for a marketing order for its flavored vaping products, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit ruled Friday.
The court upheld the FDA’s finding that Magellan failed to show the product would provide a benefit to adult users that would outweigh the risks to youth.
The agency found Magellan’s evidence—four non-clinical studies—was insufficient to establish that the flavored pods would be more effective than tobacco-flavored electronic nicotine delivery systems (ENDS) in helping smokers switch to e-cigarettes to stop smoking altogether, according to Bloomberglaw.
The manufacturer of Hyde and Juno brand e-cigarettes sued the FDA and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services claiming the agencies violated the Administrative Procedure Act.
New York-based Magellan Technology accused the agencies of refusing to review the company’s premarket tobacco product applications (PMTAs) for 12 products, a process which cost the company $1 million. Magellan claims the FDA “arbitrarily” and “capriciously” rejected the applications.
“Magellan had already spent over $1 million on the PMTAs at the time the RTA [refuse-to-accept] order [was] issued and plans to spend over $10 million on the PMTAs in total,” the suit states.
Texas-based retailer Vapor Train 2 LLC is also a plaintiff in the suit. The companies asked a Texas federal court to temporarily stay the RTA order the FDA issued to Magellan, according to the lawsuit filed Thursday.
“FDA acted arbitrarily, capriciously, and otherwise not in accordance with applicable law in issuing the [refuse-to-accept] order,” the lawsuit states. “The agency invoked regulations governing [premarket tobacco product applications] acceptance that do not apply to Magellan’s [applications] and failed to consider timely amendments containing required content that Magellan properly submitted.”
The companies are expected to appeal the ruling. Magellan could now seek an en banc review of the case (a rehearing by the full Second Circuit) or could appeal to the Supreme Court of the United States.
June 19, 2023
Malaysia MPs Want Liquid Nicotine Back on Poisons List

Credit: Adobe Stock
Opposition MPs in Malaysia are amplifying calls for the reintroduction of liquid nicotine into the Poisons Act 1952.
Kuala Langat MP Ahmad Yunus Hairi, who heads Perikatan Nasional’s (PN) health portfolio, said the absence of regulations on vape has led to a proliferation in the number of teens using e-cigarettes or vaping products.
“By excluding liquid nicotine from the Poisons Act, we have inadvertently created loopholes that undermine our efforts to combat the use of vaping among our youth.
“I hope liquid nicotine can be reinstated into the Poisons Act, given the Health Minister’s authority over the matter, so that, at the very least, before we proceed with the Control of Smoking Products for Public Health Bill 2023, we can have some control over these e-cigarette devices,” Dr Ahmad Yunus said in his debate on the Health White Paper (HWP) tabled in Parliament, reports CodeBlue.
Both the Malaysian Medical Association (MMA) and the Malaysian Pharmacists Society (MPS) have previously urged the government to bring liquid nicotine back under the control of the Poisons Act 1952, particularly in light of the uncertain status of the tobacco bill.
The Control of Smoking Products for Public Health Bill, which regulates tobacco and vape products, remains in limbo after it was referred to the Health parliamentary special select committee (PSSC) – chaired by former Health Minister Dzulkefly Ahmad – immediately after first reading at the Dewan Rakyat on Monday.
This means that vapes and e-cigarettes will remain legally available for sale to minors aged under 18 for at least another four months until the Lower House meets in October.
June 18, 2023
Clearwater, Florida Bans Vaping at Beach, Parks

The city of Clearwater in the U.S. state of Florida approved a ban on vaping and smoking on city-owned public parks and beaches.
The city council unanimously approved the new ordinance and it goes into effect immediately.
It includes combustible cigarettes, vapes and e-cigarettes, but does not include unfiltered cigars, according to WFLA.
City council members said the ultimate goal is to reduce the environmental impacts on the community.
The city said the ban would protect beachgoers and marine life.
This comes a year after Gov. Ron DeSantis signed a law that allows cities and counties to decide if they want to enforce a smoking ban.
The city of St. Petersburg has already implemented a similar smoking ban.
June 18, 2023
Bidi Makes First Shipment to 900 Kwik Trip, Mapco Stores

Credit: Aaron
Kaival Brands Innovations Group, the distributor of products manufactured by Bidi Vapor, today announced the initial shipment of Bidi Sticks to over 900 Kwik Trip and Mapco locations
According to a press release, the company expects to ramp up shipments to over 1,200 locations planned by the end of 2023, with Kwik Trip representing over 900 of those locations.
On Thursday, the company made its first shipment of Bidi Sticks to over 1,000 Circle K locations, with a ramp-up to 5,000 locations by the end of the year within the South Atlantic and Midwest regions of the United States.
“Ultimately, our goal is to ramp up to over 1,200 locations this year within those two retailers, both of whom adhere to our strict requirements for adult-only sales and youth-access prevention,” stated Eric Mosser, president and COO of Kaival Brands.
“We are encouraged by the renewed momentum we are experiencing (subject as always to FDA enforcement discretion) with retailers like Circle K, Kwik Trip, and Mapco who champion compliance and youth-access prevention and recognize our ongoing efforts since last year to educate retailers and distributors of the business value of marketing Bidi Stick versus non-compliant competition.”
In March, Kaival Brands Innovations Group entered into a sales broker agreement with a prominent U.S. broker to expand access to Bidi Vapor products from its current foundation of convenience store distribution into new retail channels, including discount, grocery and mass merchandisers.
June 16, 2023
Criminal Reform Groups Push Back on Flavor Ban

Image: Tobacco Reporter archive
A coalition of more than 50 criminal justice reform groups sent a letter to U.S. President Joe Biden warning that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s proposed ban on flavored tobacco products will lead to overpolicing in communities of color, according to The Hill.
Prohibition-style policies, like the one proposed, “have serious racial justice implications,” wrote the organizations, which include Blacks in Law Enforcement, the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers, the National Latino Officers Association and the Sentencing Project.
“Banning the legal sale of menthol cigarettes through licensed businesses will lead—and, in fact, has already led in some states—to illegal, unlicensed distribution in communities of color while triggering criminal laws in all 50 states, increasing the incidence of negative interactions with police and ultimately increasing incarceration rates,” the letter said. “There are far better solutions for reducing menthol cigarette use than criminalizing these products and turning this issue over to the police.”
The aim of the flavor ban is not only to make smoking less attractive but also to advance health equity, according to Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra
“FDA has the power to provide smokers with less harmful options and information to help accelerate reductions in smoking,” the coalition wrote in its letter. “Rushing forward with a total ban without these alternatives in place contradicts everything we know—and everything the administration has been saying in other spheres—about why harm reduction works and criminalization doesn’t.” The coalition urged the FDA to reconsider the ban and find solutions opposed to criminalization.
June 16, 2023
Panacea to Distribute Fume Products in Britain

Panacea Life Sciences Holdings signed an exclusive licensing and distribution agreement with QR Joy to distribute Fume disposable vape devices across the U.K.
“The Panacea distribution division is thrilled to be distributing the Fume product line throughout the U.K. as we see a tremendous opportunity to expand our strategy and diversification into the natural plant-based markets,” said Leslie Buttorff, Panacea CEO and founder, in a statement. “Partnering with such a popular brand like Fume enables us to open new markets while driving revenue and shareholder value for our investment community.”
June 16, 2023