Tag: news

More Vapers Without Smoking History in England

Photo: fotofabrika
About 1 million vapers in England have no history of regular smoking, reports Bloomberg, citing a new University College London (UCL) study.
From 2016 to 2020, the country’s rate of vaping among adults without a smoking history remained stable and low at 0.5 percent, according to the paper, which was published in The Lancet Public Health this week.
When disposable vapes became popular after 2021, the share of vapers without a smoking history increased rapidly, with the rate reaching one in every 28 as of April this year.
One in seven people aged 18 to 24 who never regularly smoked are now using e-cigarettes, the study found. There has also been a noticeable increase in the proportion using disposable devices.
“These findings are a reminder that action is required to try to minimize vaping among young people,” Jamie Brown, the study’s co-author and professor at the UCL Institute of Epidemiology and Health Care, was quoted as saying by Bloomberg. “Banning disposables, as the U.K. government currently plans, is unlikely to fix the issue as popular brands have already launched reusable products with very similar designs and prices.”
October 3, 2024
Regulations Decimate Philippine Vape Sector

Image: freshidea
Onerous government regulations have forced about one-fifth of Philippine vaping companies out of business, according to Philippine E-Cigarette Industry Association President Joey Dulay. Importers, he added, have found it easier to comply than their domestic counterparts.
“But we are pushing them to try and comply,” Dulay was quoted as saying by Business World.
Under the Vaporized Nicotine and Non-Nicotine Products Regulation Act, manufacturers or importers must register their products and secure licenses to operate.
They are also required to adhere to packaging standards and pay duties and taxes.
Manufacturers, distributors and importers were given an 18-month transition period to comply with the regulations laid down in the vape law.
Dulay noted that many vape brands and manufacturers have yet to secure their Philippine standard quality and/or safety mark and import commodity clearance sticker.
By the end of August, the Bureau of Customs had confiscated PHP6.5 billion ($115.21 million) worth of illegal vape products, mostly from China.
The government is estimated to miss around PHP5 billion yearly from illicit vape products.
October 3, 2024
Battery Law Forces IQOS from Kiwi Store Shelves

Photo: vfhnb12
Philip Morris International pulled its IQOS tobacco heating device from New Zealand store shelves after a new law took effect requiring vaping devices to have removable batteries, reports RNZ. Tobacco heating products (THPs) are classified as e-cigarettes in New Zealand.
RNZ says it has seen PMI emails sent to suppliers saying IOQS is “unavailable for purchase due to a regulatory change on 1 October 2024 affecting vaping devices.” In a statement, the multinational said it always complies with all necessary regulations, including on electronic devices.
IQOS consumables, known as Heatsticks, remain available for sale in New Zealand.
The news follows controversy about Associate Health Minister Casey Costello’s July announcement of a 50 percent cut to THP excise taxes—a move that critics say benefits only PMI, which is the sole supplier of the products in New Zealand.
Costello argues the tax cut will encourage smokers to switch to THPs, which are believed to be less harmful than combustible cigarettes. Costello’s plan is to have more than 7,000 people switch to THPs, which she sees as a tool to achieve New Zealand’s smoking reduction targets.
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has backed Costello, telling RNZ the excise tax cut plan was a 12 month trial to “see how it goes” with HTPs lowering smoking rates.
Health advocates have accused the ruling coalition of caving to pressure from tobacco lobbyists. In late 2023, the government scrapped the country’s controversial generational tobacco ban, which would have prohibited tobacco products for people born after 2009.
In a briefing published Jan. 31 by the Public Health Communications Center, three University of Otago public health academics highlight links between government members of parliament and the tobacco industry.
October 2, 2024
FDA Clears RespiRx IND Inhaler Application

Image: Qnovia
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has cleared an Investigational New Drug (IND) application for Qnovia’s RespiRx nicotine inhaler (QN-01).
According to Qnovia, the RespiRx is the first truly inhalable nicotine replacement therapy (NRT) to assist smokers attempting to quit smoking.
The company will initiate a Phase 1, randomized, crossover, open-label trial to determine the pharmacokinetics, safety and tolerability following self-administration of nicotine-containing products in up to 24 healthy adult subjects who currently smoke combustible cigarettes.
“The FDA clearance of our IND application for QN-01 marks a significant achievement for Qnovia as we transition to a clinical-stage therapeutics company,” said Qnovia CEO Brian Quigley in a statement.
“Our U.S. clinical development plan is derisked by the positive first-in-human data we generated last year in support of advancing QN-01 in the United Kingdom where we demonstrated pulmonary delivery and a superior pharmacokinetic profile for the RespiRx when compared to existing nicotine replacement therapies,”
“The next step for our U.S. program is to initiate a randomized Phase 1 trial that evaluates QN-01 compared to the Nicotrol Inhaler and combustible cigarettes in a head-to-head comparison. We remain on track to dose our first patient in the fourth quarter of 2024 and in parallel will be advancing to a pivotal clinical trial in the U.K. to support an MAA submission [Marketing Authorization Application] to the MHRA [ Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency] in 2026.”
Qnovia’s proprietary drug/device combination already demonstrated dose-dependent pharmacokinetics, pulmonary delivery and was well tolerated in a first-in-human study conducted to support advancing QN-01 in the U.K., according to the company.
“There have been no treatment options for smoking cessation approved in the U.S. in over 20 years. As a result, attempting to quit ‘cold turkey’ remains the most popular method of quitting smoking,” said Mitch Zeller, Qnovia’s policy and regulatory strategy advisor.
“There is an extraordinary public health need for truly innovative products to help health-concerned smokers stop using cigarettes. Any effort to reduce the death and disease caused by tobacco use must include new and better tools in the treatment toolkit,” Zeller added.
October 1, 2024
Campaigners Slam Irish Vape Product Tax Hike

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Campaigners slammed the Irish government’s decision to increase the excise duty on a pack of 20 cigarettes by €1 ($1.11) starting Oct. 2.
The increase, which is double the usual increase of €0.50, will push the cost of a pack of 20 cigarettes in the most popular price category above €18, according to The Journal.
Simon Clark, director of the Freedom Organization for the Right to Enjoy Smoking Tobacco (Forest), described the decision as “brutal” and said law-abiding smokers were being “discriminated” against.
“Smoking is a legitimate habit,” said Clark. “This brutal hike in the cost of cigarettes will drive more smokers to the black market and fuel illicit trade.
“Law-abiding consumers, many of whom are on low incomes, will be unfairly discriminated against, and some may be forced further into poverty.
“It’s hard to imagine a more punitive or counterproductive measure because the only people who will benefit are criminal gangs and illicit traders.”
In addition to the cigarette tax hike, Ireland plans to introduce a tax on e-cigarettes from the middle of next year. The excise will place a fee on e-liquid at a rate of €0.50 for every milliliter.
The average disposable e-cigarette has 2 mL of e-liquid and costs €8. The introduction of the new tax will increase the cost to €9.23.
Minister for Finance Jack Chambers said it was not possible to introduce the fee this year due to operational and administrative challenges.
Lobby group Respect Vapers has accused politicians of attempting to “raise funds on vapes rather than helping people use vapes to quit smoking.”
The group pointed to a recent report by Healthy Ireland that said 25 percent of smokers who quit had used vapes and other studies that show the number of smokers in Ireland has reduced drastically in recent years.
October 1, 2024
Australia’s New Vape Product Rules Take Effect

Image: alexlmx
Australia’s new vape rules take effect today.
As of Oct. 1, 2024, people aged 18 years and older can buy vapes from participating pharmacies with a nicotine concentration of 20 mg per milliliter or less without a prescription, where states and territory laws allow, according to the website of the Australian government’s Department of Health and Aged Care.
Prior to purchasing, consumers must speak with a pharmacist, discussing the product and dosage, along with other options to quit smoking and/or manage nicotine dependence. Consumers must also provide proof of age.
Pharmacies may sell only one month’s supply to a given customer over the course of one month.
People under 18 years need a prescription to access vapes, where state and territory laws allow, to ensure they get appropriate medical advice and supervision.
People who need vapes with a higher concentration of nicotine than 20 mg per milliliter also need a prescription, regardless of their age.
Flavors are restricted to mint, menthol and tobacco, and vapes must adhere to plain pharmaceutical packaging standards.
The law targets commercial and criminal supply of vapes. Individuals, including people under 18 years, who have a small amount of vapes/vaping products for personal use will not be targeted under the law.
October 1, 2024
PMI Biggest Beneficiary of HTP Tax Cuts: Critics

Image: Comugnero Silvana
Philip Morris International would be the biggest beneficiary of New Zealand’s tax cuts for heated-tobacco products (HTPs), critics told Associate Health Minister Casey Costello, according to RNZ.
In July, Costello announced a 50 percent cut to HTP excise taxes, arguing that doing so would encourage cigarette smokers to migrate to less unhealthy nicotine products.
The government of New Zealand will set aside NZD216 million ($127.39 million) to pay for the tax reductions.
According to critics, the only commercial beneficiary of the tobacco tax cuts is PMI, which is the sole supplier of HTPs in New Zealand.
In briefings to Costello, treasury officials questioned whether PMI would pass on the excise cut to consumers given its dominance in the market, according to documents obtained by RNZ under the Official Information Act.
“It may be that the reduction in excise taxes is not passed through to consumers in price reductions but rather is retained by the sole importer,” the officials warned.
In response to questions about her motivations, Costello stated that she had no connections to the tobacco business. “It’s completely wrong to suggest that the tobacco industry has anything to do with these policies, which are aimed at helping people quit smoking,” she was quoted as saying.
Costello has repeatedly said the excise tax cut for HTPs is designed to lower smoking rates by offering alternatives for people struggling to quit. She has claimed that “HTPs have a similar risk profile to vapes.”
Treasury officials reportedly cited evidence that HTPs are more harmful than vaping.
September 30, 2024
Europe OKs French Ban on Disposable Vapes

Photo: justoomm
The European Commission on Sept. 25 approved France’s bid to ban disposable vapes, reports the Connexion.
France started the process of banning single-use e-cigarettes in December 2023, citing concerns about youth uptake and environmental pollution. Disposable vapes contain microplastics and chemical substances and are generally powered by nonrechargeable, nonrecyclable lithium batteries.
The National Assembly’s proposed ban gained approval in the French Senate in February 2024.
Europe’s validation was the final step in making the ban possible.
“This is a great victory for the environment and for the health of our children, who are the main targets of these marketing campaigns,” Francesca Pasquini, co-writer of the bill, was quoted as saying.
Lawmakers have yet to determine when the legislation will take force. The next step is for senators to vote definitively on a ban before it is formally put into effect.
France will be joining Belgium, where the sale of disposable vapes will be illegal from Jan. 1, 2025.
According to an investigation by the French anti-smoking federation ACT, 15 percent of teenagers aged between 13 and 16 have used e-cigarettes.
September 30, 2024
HHS Raises Retailer Civil Money Penalty Amounts
VV Archives
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services updated its regulations to reflect the required annual inflation-related increases to civil money penalties, consistent with the Federal Civil Penalties Inflation Adjustment Act Improvements Act of 2015.
This adjustment occurs every year as described by the Federal Civil Penalties Inflation Adjustment Act Improvements Act of 2015 – and applies to civil money penalties sought against tobacco product retailers and manufacturers who violate the law, according to a U.S. Food and Drug Administration.
The newly adjusted civil money penalty amounts for tobacco retailers and manufacturers can be accessed here.
September 26, 2024
Vapor Well-Represented at Golden Leaf Awards

Announcing the 2024 recipients of the Golden Leaf Awards
TR Staff Report
Tobacco Reporter presented its 2024 Golden Leaf Awards Sept. 25 during a festive ceremony at the Agora Riviera Restaurant in Kavouri, near the site of this year’s Global Tobacco and Nicotine Forum in Athens. Sponsored exclusively by paper and packaging solution provider BMJ of Indonesia, the Golden Leaf Awards recognize excellence in the nicotine sector in the midst of our industry’s unprecedented transition.

Photos: Timothy Donahue
ARAC received a Golden Leaf Award for its outstanding service to the industry. Renowned for its expertise in social and behavioral sciences, the company specializes in data-driven research and analysis, providing customized solutions to manufacturers, public health advocates, regulatory agencies and industry consultants globally.
ARAC’s comprehensive services include surveys, interviews, focus groups, label development, usability studies and clinical behavioral studies, all aimed at advancing tobacco harm reduction.
The company has transformed from a consultancy to a fully staffed contract research firm. The expanded team brings unmatched expertise to every project, ensuring comprehensive and impactful results. ARAC’s internal team of psychologists, statisticians, behavioral scientists and business development specialists boast over a half-century of industry expertise.
The in-house survey methodologist and medical monitoring team enhances its standardization and facility training with on-site clinical assessments and proper sample distribution.
ARAC assists clients worldwide in product development and consumer research supporting innovation and next-generation products, with a focused expertise on the regulatory sciences for U.S. applications, including premarket tobacco product applications, modified-risk tobacco product applications and substantial equivalence procedures.

Greentank was recognized for its Quantum Vape, a state-of-the-art heating chip that replaces traditional cotton wick and ceramic heating elements. The technology outperforms other leading atomization products on key safety metrics, including harmful and potentially harmful constituents (HPHCs) and metals. It also delivers superior flavor and a consistent consumer experience.
The Quantum Vape represents a breakthrough in inhalation science with the potential to catapult the industry beyond the current generation of atomization technology. Whereas most developments in recent years have amounted to tweaks of substrates and print materials, Greentank’s is the first in years to explore an entirely new foundation.
Among other benefits, the heating chip eliminates the risk of thermal cycling, therefore ensuring unprecedented levels of flavor consistency. Innovative assembly technologies ensure the heating chip emits no ceramic particle emissions and contains the lowest levels of HPHCs. While it’s not possible to claim complete absence, third-party testing and rigorous chemical analysis have found HPHCs to be at undetectable levels.
With its Quantum Vape, Greentank aims to lead the market toward a safer and better future.

Koerber took home the BMJ Most Committed to Quality Golden Leaf Award for its unwavering support of the nicotine business for nearly 80 years. Since its creation, the Hamburg-based company has consistently pushed the envelope with groundbreaking technologies, enabling the nicotine industry to produce ever more efficiently without compromising quality.
Koerber’s filter machines continue to set the global standard while its legendary Protos cigarette making machines lead the market worldwide. Over the years, the company has added, organically and through acquisitions, many competences, including in physical measuring, foreign matter detection and smoke analysis, along with primary machinery, recon equipment and flavors.
As the nicotine business moves to its next chapter, Koerber is again at the forefront, developing equipment for the manufacture of cigarette alternatives such as tobacco-heating products.
In creating the technology to manufacture tomorrow’s products, the company leverages not only the expertise developed in the traditional tobacco business but also the pioneering mindset that has kept it at the cutting edge of nicotine technology for more than three quarters of a century.

Photo: Taco Tuinstra
The Kutsaga Tobacco Research Board was recognized for its efforts to promote sustainable growth. Eager to capture more value from its tobacco business, Zimbabwe aims to build a $5 billion industry by 2025 by expanding cultivation and moving up the value chain. With seed sales of more than 1 million grams as of Aug. 1, according to The Herald, the nation is poised to set new production records in the upcoming growing season.
To promote farmer viability and minimize the environmental impact of growth, Zimbabwe aims to increase production without laying claim to significantly more farmland. Kutsaga has contributed to those goals by developing seed varieties that are not only more productive but also more resilient, helping farmers cope with challenges such as pests and climate change.
In addition, the research board has been helping growers become more productive by reducing post-harvest losses. Zimbabwean tobacco production is dominated by smallholders who use wood as a fuel for tobacco growing. To address deforestation, Kutsaga has been developing sustainable wood sources and more efficient curing methods.

Photo: SindiTabaco
SindiTabaco received a Golden Leaf Award for its role in coordinating relief efforts after Brazil’s Rio Grande do Sul state in May suffered the worst floods in living memory. In all, the deluge impacted 1,929 rural properties in 75 municipalities. Candelaria was worst impacted, with 214 tobacco farmers suffering losses.
As one of the world’s leading tobacco-growing areas, Rio Grande do Sul plays a key role in global leaf supply. To help flood victims, SindiTabaco and its member companies donated basic food items, cleaning supplies, hygiene kits and furniture. They also provided personal loans for reconstruction and offered mental support from psychologists. In addition, tobacco companies and associations made available power generators and water tanks as well as boats and vehicles to rescue stranded people and animals.
The efforts helped many tobacco farmers and their dependents recover from disaster. According to a survey, 96 percent of the affected farmers intend to continue producing tobacco. SindiTabaco expects tobacco production from the impacted area to remain close to the projections estimated for the 2024–2025 growing season.
September 26, 2024