Tag: news

FDA Showered with Opposition to Vaping Flavor Bans

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The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has received more than 110,000 comments on the proposed rule that would end the sale of menthol cigarettes and nearly 60,000 comments on the proposed rule that would prohibit characterizing flavors in cigars.
Many wrote to oppose the ban, including business owners who said it would force them to cut jobs.
“If implemented, this proposal could hurt retailers and wholesalers in the U.S. and directly impact my bottom line,” wrote a tobacco retailer in Florida. “This ban targets a significant portion of my revenue; menthol cigarettes alone make up 36 percent of all cigarette sales in the United States. Additionally, adult customers who purchase menthol cigarettes also purchase gas, food and other items that my store depends on.”
Thousands of letters submitted online came from menthol cigarette smokers who perceived the proposed restrictions as an unfair attack on personal liberty.
“This regulation far beyond overreaches the authority that the government should have over the American people,” wrote one respondent. “We have age restrictions for a reason, and once you reach that age you should be able to make the choice to use any legal product that you wish.”
Others supported the proposal, saying removing menthol and other flavors would improve health and help rectify racial injustices.
“The ban on menthol in cigarettes is a necessary step toward health equity and health promotion,” wrote Kaelor Gordon. “This substance unjustly and unfortunately places the burden of tobacco use and death on Black individuals and communities of color at higher and disproportionate rates, so to ban menthol would be in tune with the anti-racist and health equitable culture we are strongly cultivating today.”
The FDA recently extended the comment period from July 5 to Aug. 2, 2022.
July 8, 2022
Geekvape Shares Expertise in Fluid Dynamics

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Geekvape shared its expertise in computational fluid dynamics (CDF) at the 14th International Conference on Computer Modeling and Simulation, hosted June 24-26 by the Chongqing University of Posts and Telecommunications.
Geekvape has used CFD to structurally optimize ceramic atomizers. In designing electrically heated atomizers, the heat and mass transfer phenomenon is essential for maximizing the product’s performance. The company’s engineering team developed patented product designs with higher heat efficiency and better atomization performance.
“This invitation is a great honor for Geekvape to communicate with many international experts and scholars in related research fields, to discuss the latest technological progress and share our most recent findings,” said Jiadong Zang, who represents Geekvape’s advanced technology and application research institute, in a statement.
“This has profound implications for the future development of the global e-cigarette industry, as well as for the improvement of scientific and technological innovation to facilitate the industry’s high-quality development.”
July 7, 2022
RELX Trains UAE Customs Officials on Illicit Trade

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RELX International and SABA IP recently trained officials from the Abu Dhabi Customs Authority and Department of Economic Development to help them combat the illegal trade in vapor products.
The session covered topics such as distinguishing legal products from illegal ones, raising awareness about the consequences of the illegal e-cigarette trade and sharing research and intelligence. The program also discussed product authentication, tracking and tracing technologies.
According to RELX, contraband and counterfeit e-cigarettes are produced in unregulated facilities and pose a serious health risk to legal age consumers and minors. Counterfeit e-cigarettes often use inferior e-liquid formulas; capsules frequently leak and provide misleading information about the nicotine dosage in the capsules.
“The training sessions for the Abu Dhabi Customs Authority, Department of Economic Development and Ras Al Khaimah Customs Authority showcase RELX International’s commitment, as a responsible company, to working with local authorities, investigation firms and e-commerce platforms to identify and remove contraband and counterfeit e-cigarette products from the market, as part of the RELX Pledge,” said Robert Naouss, external affairs director, MENA and Europe at RELX International, in a statement.
In 2019, RELX International established the Golden Shield Program to prevent the production and sale of illicit goods. Since its inauguration, the program has helped remove more than 550,000 fake products from the market, plus over 77,000 websites.
Additional training sessions are planned in countries across the Middle East, including in Egypt and Jordan. Earlier this year, RELX concluded a training session with customs officials in Saudi Arabia.
July 7, 2022
Smoore to Begin Research in Nicotine Addiction

Photo: Smoore
Smoore, the world’s largest vapor product manufacturer, today announced it has launched the first real-time monitoring research project on nicotine addiction.
In partnership with the Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology, Smoore’s new research project aims to explore how best to minimize the nicotine strength in vaping products and ultimately to bring it to below the levels that cause addiction.
The research will look at the secretion and metabolism of dopamine in animal brains, and will use this data to simulate the human brain when ingesting nicotine. As part of the project, the Shenzhen Neher Neural Plasticity Laboratory will conduct controlled trials by exposing subjects to the aerosol environments created by the atomization of Smoore’s Feelm vaping device and the aerosol environment created by combustible tobacco.
In addition providing a better understanding of nicotine absorption through different organs, the research will aid Smoore in improving the design of vape devices, including through changes to heating elements and atomizers, to enhance the vaping experience through increased efficiency of delivery.
“The atomization process between an e-cigarette and a combustible cigarette is very different, hence the physical and chemical properties derived from atomization and tobacco combustion also varies distinctively,” said Xiong Yuming, deputy dean of Smoore Shenzhen Fundamental Research Institute, in a statement.
“Focusing on the underlying mechanism of atomization and tobacco combustion, our research aims to explore nicotine delivery and absorption, so as to reduce the health impacts of these products.”
Supported by Southwest University in Chongqing, the researchers expected to release a stage report in the second half of 2022.
July 6, 2022
Philip Morris Opens Flagship IQOS Store in South Africa

Credit: Arkadiusz Fajer
Philip Morris South Africa (PMSA) announced the opening of its new flagship boutique IQOS store in Canal Walk, Cape Town, South Africa, five years after the smoke-free brand was introduced to the local market.
“Our significant continued investment into stores like the Canal Walk site, reinforces our commitment to achieving a smoke-free South Africa, with a product that is a much better choice for adults than continued smoking,” said Branislav Bibic, managing director of PMSA. “It’s a commitment like this that is in line with PMI’s full-scale global effort to offer adult smokers better alternatives that can ultimately replace cigarettes.”
The company has openly committed to a move away from the cigarette business and continues to expand its IQOS portfolio of electronic tobacco devices designed to heat rather than burn tobacco, and the brand’s retail footprint, according to Biz Community.
IQOS heats specially-created tobacco sticks, called Heets, at a controlled temperature, avoiding combustion and “producing an aerosol that emits on average 95 percent lower levels of harmful chemicals than an ordinary cigarette”, according to the company.
While the device provides a nicotine fix and tobacco-taste satisfaction for smokers, Iqos does not produce smoke, ash or a cigarette smell.
Since 2008, the Marlboro and Chesterfield maker has invested over $9 billion in scientific research, product- and commercial development, and in production capacity to drive the continuous innovation of smoke-free products.
July 6, 2022
FDA Suspends Juul Market Ban Pending Court Appeal

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The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has temporarily halted its ban on Juul Labs products while the e-cigarette maker appeals the agency’s decision, the FDA announced on Twitter.
On June 23, the FDA ordered Juul Labs to pull its e-cigarettes from U.S. store shelves, saying the e-cigarette manufacturer had submitted insufficient evidence that they were “appropriate for the protection of the public health.”
A federal appeals court then granted Juul Labs a emergency stay of the order to give the judges time to evaluate the merits of Juul’s appeal. The e-cigarette company separately asked the FDA to stay its own order pending the appeal.
In a series of Twitter messages, the FDA said it had determined that there are scientific issues unique to the Juul application that warrant additional review. The agency stressed that the stay suspends but does not rescind it the marketing denial order (MDO).
The FDA initially rejected Juul’s request for a stay, prompting Juul to seek a stay of the ban in court, according to The Wall Street Journal.
In its court filing challenging the FDA ruling, Juul said the agency had overlooked more than 6,000 pages of data that the company had submitted to the FDA on the aerosols that users inhale. Juul also suggested that the FDA’s decision was influenced by political pressure.
The FDA’s marketing denial order for Juul surprised many in the vaping business, especially in the wake of marketing authorizations for vapor products manufactured by competitors such as Reynolds American Inc. and NJOY Holdings. A pioneer in the vaping segment and backed by Altria Group—a company boasting decades of experience with regulatory compliance—Juul labs appeared in a better position than most to meet the agency’s exacting standards.
Public health advocates criticized the stay of the FDA ruling.
“It is deeply disappointing and harmful to our nation’s kids that the FDA has issued an administrative stay of its marketing denial order for Juul’s e-cigarette products,” wrote Matthew L. Myers, president of the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids, in a statement.
“This decision will allow the continued sale, at least for now, of the brand most responsible for creating and fueling the youth e-cigarette epidemic. We are nearly 10 months past a court-ordered deadline for the FDA to complete its review of e-cigarette marketing applications and can’t afford more delays by the FDA in removing kid-friendly products from the market.”
July 6, 2022
E-Cigarette Batteries Powering Drones in Ukraine War

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Ukrainian volunteers have started using e-cigarette batteries to help power drones deployed in the war against Russia, according to a report in The Independent.
The batteries are being used to power release systems attached to drones so that they can carry and drop anything from medical supplies to grenades. The release systems are built using 3D printers.
The initiative was developed in response to the rising price of lithium batteries. War-related airport closures have driven up the cost of many imports. To collect disposable e-cigarettes and retrieve lithium polymer batteries, the volunteers set up drop-off bins outside the Kyiv Polytechnic Institute
“Lithium batteries used to cost $1 each but went up five times in price adding significantly to our costs,” says engineer and PhD student Maksym Sheremet. “So we started powering dropping systems from the batteries in disposable e-cigarettes. It’s free, easy to repurpose and environmentally friendly because we are recycling.”
A team of around 60 volunteers are making the drone systems, with 30 working specifically on the e-cigarette plan.
In four months they have built 4,000 dropping systems – which cost under $30 – and are sent to the front. They are also building drones from scratch and repurposing existing commercial drones to go with their dropping systems.
Seriously outgunned by Russia, Ukraine relies heavily on drones, which allow its forces to spot artillery and so direct fire efficiently, saving ammunition.
July 4, 2022
B2B Vaping Conference to Tackle ‘Big Issues’
The U.K. Vaping Industry Association (UKVIA) will organize a B2B conference at the QEII Centre in London on Sept. 9.
Among other topics, participants in the Vaping Industry Forum and Exhibition will discuss the challenge of tackling rogue vape traders, preventing underage access to e-cigarettes and creating a sustainable vaping industry.
Entitled “Vaping for a Better Future,” the conference will also look at how the sector can maximize its public health, economic and social impact.
The industry’s first ever economic impact report, conducted by the Centre for Economics & Business Research, will also be unveiled at the event.
Confirmed speakers and panelists include Adam Afriyie MP, vice chair of the Vaping All Party Parliamentary Group; James Lowman, chief executive, Association of Convenience Stores; Pippa Bailey, head of climate change and sustainability practice, IPSOS Mori; Dan Marchant, managing director, VapeClub; Doug Mutter, director, VPZ; and Siyang Yu, global marketing manager, SMOK
The event follows the government-commissioned independent review into tobacco control policies—the Khan Review—which has recommended that vaping feature prominently as a tool to meet England’s smokefree target by 2030.
“This year’s Vaping Industry Forum is set to be the biggest yet,” said John Dunne, director-general of the UKVIA, in a statement. “The conference and exhibition come at a hugely exciting time for the vaping industry following the extremely positive Khan Review which has presented vaping as having a pivotal role in making smoking obsolete. It also comes ahead of the highly anticipated publication of the new Tobacco Control Plan.
“Whilst vaping presents a huge public health, economic and social opportunity for the nation there are a number of challenges that the industry has to face up to. The Khan Review is placing its trust in the vaping industry to play a critical role in its harm reduction strategy, and we’ve got to show that we are a highly responsible industry that can live up to the government’s high expectations.”
July 4, 2022
RJ Reynolds’ Vaping Technology Claims Invalidated

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A U.S. administrative tribunal has invalidated two claims in a R.J. Reynolds vaping patent, reports Law360.
The Patent Trial and Appeal Board said on June 30 that two claims in U.S. Patent No. 9,814,268, which covers “a tobacco-containing, electrically-powered smoking article” designed to burn a minimal amount of tobacco, can’t stand because they are obvious in light of previous e-cigarette patents.
The ruling represents a second win for Philip Morris Products after a Virginia federal jury awarded it more than $10 million last month in drawn-out clash between the tobacco giants.
July 2, 2022
Report Supports Vaping as Smoking Alternative

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A new report published by Belgian’s Superior Health Council supports vaping as a safer alternative to smoking or as a quitting aid that can significantly reduce health risks.
Based on the current state of knowledge, the report concludes that the exclusive use of e-cigarettes by (ex-)smokers—provided that they actually stop smoking—could lead to a significant reduction in health risks
The report also states that vaping is not risk-free and is therefore not recommended for nonsmokers, especially the young. Further long-term safety data are needed.
The council prepares scientific advisory reports to guide Belgian political decisionmakers and health professionals. The report took two years to prepare and was a consensus document prepared by a wide range of experts with different views.
While restrictions on vaping are prudent the report warns that “limiting vaping and other nicotine use does not jeopardize the goal of reducing the prevalence of smoking.”
Advocates of tobacco harm reduction welcomed the report. “Wisely, the guidelines advise risk-proportionate regulation of vaping,” wrote Colin Mendelsohn, a medical professional and founding chairman of the Australian Tobacco Harm Reduction Association, on his website. “Vaping is much less harmful than smoking and should be regulated much more lightly in line with the lower risk.
July 2, 2022