This use of electronic cigarettes costs the United States $15 billion annually in health care expenditures — more than $2,000 per person a year — according to a study by researchers at the University of California San Francisco School of Nursing.
The study, published on May 23 in Tobacco Control, is the first to look at the health care costs of e-cigarette use among adults 18 and older, according to the release.
“Our finding indicates that health care expenditures for a person who uses e-cigarettes are $2,024 more per year than for a person who doesn’t use any tobacco products,” said lead author Yingning Wang, PhD, of the UCSF Institute for Health & Aging.
According to the U.S. Center for Disease Control and Prevention, combustible cigarette smoking-related illness in the United States costs more than $300 billion each year, including more than $225 billion for direct medical care for adults.
The researchers based their estimates of health care costs and utilization on data from the 2015-2018 National Health Interview Survey. Health care utilization included nights in the hospital, emergency room visits, doctor visits and home visits.
“Health care costs attributable to e-cigarette use are already greater than our estimates of health care costs attributable to cigar and smokeless tobacco use,” said Wang. “This is a concerning finding, given that e-cigarettes are a relatively new product whose impact is likely to increase over time.”
In what could have national implications, a federal appeals court has ruled that Delta-8 THC derived from hemp is “lawful” and eligible for trademark protection.
The 9th Circuit Court of Appeals said in its ruling Thursday that because Congress legalized not just hemp but its “derivatives” and “extracts” in the 2018 Farm Bill, delta-8 THC is legal if it is derived from a hemp extract – in this case, CBD.
The ruling gives delta-8 vape maker AK Futures another opportunity to block fellow California company Boyd Street Distro from allegedly selling counterfeit versions of AK Futures’ “Cake” vapes containing delta-8 THC, according to MJ Biz Daily.
The three-judge appeals panel sided with AK Futures and said that delta-8 THC is not a controlled substance under federal law if it comes from hemp.
“Regardless of the wisdom of legalizing delta-8 THC products, this court will not substitute its own policy judgment for that of Congress,” Judge D. Michael Fisher wrote.
However, the ruling does not address the legality of selling consumable delta-8 THC products.
Though Congress legalized hemp derivatives such as delta-8 THC, it also directed the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to oversee how those products could be sold.
So far, the FDA has declined to authorize any cannabinoid products without a prescription, and the agency issued a consumer alert last September warning saying that delta-8 THC “may have potentially harmful by-products (contaminants) due to the chemicals used in the process.”
The Alaska Legislature gave its approval to SB 45, a bill that raises the minimum age to purchase, sell, exchange, or possess electronic nicotine-delivery system (ENDS) products to 21-years-old, as well as makes changes to the tax rate on electronic smoking products.
The bill includes an imposed tax rate of 35 percent of the wholesale price for ENDS products, a notable difference from the state’s tax rate for other tobacco products, which is 75 percent of the wholesale price.
If signed into law, it would bring the state into alignment with the federal minimum age. As such, it allows state and local law enforcement agencies to enforce the federal minimum age, including fining retailers or others for selling or otherwise providing tobacco products to a person under 21-years-old, according to Halfwheel.
It also amends the state’s minimum age to possess ENDS and other tobacco products to 19-years-old. Violators of that law will be subject to a fine of up to $150.
For retailers, they will now be required to only allow tobacco products to be sold by employees who are at least 21-years-old, unless they were at least 19-years-old at the time the bill goes into effect.
The bill now heads to Gov. Mike Dunleavy for his signature. If the governor does not veto the bill, the changes will go into effect on July 1, 2023.
A small city outside of Santa Cruz is looking to become one of the next cities in California to ban the sale of flavored vaping and other tobacco products. Last week, the Scotts Valley city council introduced and unanimously passed the first reading of an ordinance that will bring an end of the sale of such products.
The ordinance also includes a ban on smoking or vaping in outdoor dining spaces, as well as requiring that all tobacco retailers be at least 21-years-old and prohibiting all self-service tobacco displays, according to Halfwheel.
The city council must still hold a second reading of the ordinance, which is currently scheduled for June 1. If it passes its second reading, it will go into effect 30 days later.
According to the city council agenda, Scotts Valley is the only one of the four incorporated cities in Santa Cruz County not to have such a ban. The county also has a ban that applies to its unincorporated parts.
Brian King will replace Mitch Zeller as head of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s Center for Tobacco Products (CTP). He will take over the position on July 3 after spending more than a decade at the Centers for Disease Control.
King was most recently the Deputy Director for Research Translation in the Office on Smoking and Health (OSH) within the National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
“After a robust executive search, I have selected Dr. Brian A. King as FDA’s new Center for Tobacco Products Director,” Califf tweeted. “Dr. King brings extensive and impressive expertise in tobacco prevention and control and has broad familiarity with FDA from his more than 10-year tenure at CDC.”
The move comes just days after the FDA submitted a status report for products that currently have a premarket tobacco product application (PMTA) under review. The regulatory agency states that it expects to have resolved 63 percent of the applications set out in its original priority by June 30, 2022, and 72 percent of the applications in its original priority set by the end of this year. However, the agency does not expect to complete its review of timely submitted applications until June, 2023.
During a House subcommittee meeting after the release of the report, Califf said the agency needs more resources to speed up its review of e-cigarettes and is avoiding making hasty decisions that could incite lawsuits from the industry.
“This is an industry that has amazing capabilities on the legal front,” Califf said. “If we make one single error in the process, we can be set back for years in these applications.”
Many vaping industry leaders say they are discouraged by the announcement and that “there is no longer any hope for flavored products other than tobacco.”
Matt Meyers, the controversial leader of Campaign for Tobacco Free Kids and an anti-nicotine advocate, called King a “legend” and an “icon.”
In his role at the CDC, King was responsible for providing scientific leadership and technical expertise to CDC/OSH, the lead federal agency for comprehensive tobacco prevention and control. King joined the CDC in 2010 as an Epidemic Intelligence Service Officer, before which he worked as a Research Affiliate in the Division of Cancer Prevention and Population Sciences at Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center in Buffalo, New York. During his time at Roswell Park, his primary research focus related to tobacco prevention and control.
King has worked for over 15 years to provide sound scientific evidence to inform tobacco control policy and to effectively communicate this information to key stakeholders, including decision makers, the media, and the general public.
He has authored or co-authored over 200 peer-reviewed scientific articles pertaining to tobacco prevention and control, was a contributing author to the 50th Anniversary Surgeon General’s Report on Smoking and Health, was the lead author of CDC’s 2014 update to the evidence-based state guide, “Best Practices for Comprehensive Tobacco Control Programs,” and was the senior associate editor of the 2016 Surgeon General’s Report, “E-cigarette Use Among Youth and Young Adults” and the 2020 Surgeon General’s Report, “Smoking Cessation.”
He was also the Senior Official for CDC’s emergency response to the 2019 outbreak of e-cigarette, or vaping, product use-associated lung injury (EVALI).
King holds a PhD and MPH in Epidemiology from the State University of New York at Buffalo. King will replace Zeller who retired in April. There has not been an official announcement from the FDA.
The largest atomization technology brand yesterday released its “Race to Zero” roadmap to carbon neutrality. FEELM, a division of China-based vaping hardware manufacturer Smoore International, stated that its plan brings forward FEELM’s ambitions to achieve net-zero carbon emissions by 2050 in its direct production activities and indirect purchased energy. The company has also made a commitment to use renewable energies in at least 30 percent of its total energy consumption by 2030.
“As one of China’s first atomization tech brands to make a carbon neutrality commitment, FEELM pledges to reach net zero in full supply chain and full product lifespan by developing sustainable products, improving energy efficiency with automated production, supporting the supply chain in decarbonization, and increasing renewable energies and eco-friendly materials,” a press release states. “FEELM, being the world ‘s largest closed vape system solution provider, plays a significant role in the global vaping supply chain.
“On the one hand, it provides millions of global consumers with premium product experience by virtue of partnership with vaping brands around the world; on the other hand, FEELM has been leading a sustainable revolution in the supply chain.”
Beginning in 2019, FEELM has pioneered a number of green vaping solutions. The company won the iF Design Award 2020 for its disposable paper e-cigarette, which is made up of spiral composite paper tubing that improves “the degradability rate to approximately 76 percent of the total volume,” compared to the plastic used in traditional vaping products.
FEELM is also set to unveil another eco-friendly non-nicotine disposable e-cigarette at Vaper Expo UK 2022 in late May. The new device was awarded the Red Dot Award for Product Design 2022. Its external structure is composed of recyclable and reusable aluminum foil. It looks similar to a paper foil pouch that also serves as a packaging bag, which the reduces the amount of packaging materials.
“In addition to developing sustainable products, FEELM has also partnered with suppliers to develop and encourage utilizing biodegradable materials while optimizing the water, electricity and gas consumption management,” the release states. “FEELM is also working with global customers to promote the recycling and reusing, so as to explore a feasible path towards carbon neutrality for the product lifespan and the supply chain.”
Washington County voters Tuesday overwhelmingly upheld a ban on sales of flavored vaping and other tobacco products.
According to election returns released by the Secretary of State’s Office, 76 percent of ballots were against a repeal of a county policy banning sales of flavored products.
The ban is the first of its kind among Oregon counties.
County commissioners originally passed the policy banning flavored tobacco in November before a vaping industry advocate Jonathan Polonsky successfully gathered enough signatures to put the issue up to voters, according to Pamplin Media Group (PMG).
On the ballot, the measure read “Should ordinance 878, prohibiting flavored tobacco products, machine sales, coupons, discounts, and moveable sales of tobacco products, be repealed?”
Polonsky tried to challenge the wording of the measure, which required voters to vote “yes” against the ban or “no” in favor of the ban, in Washington County Circuit Court, but a judge upheld the measure.
Polonsky told the PMG earlier this month if a majority of voters choose “no,” he intends to appeal the results to an appellate court to determine whether the results of the election are valid based on the ballot language.
According to Tuesday’s results, 66,192 ballots were in favor of the ban, while 20,089 were against it.
In a speech on the Senate floor, U.S. Senator Dick Durbin blasted the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for its delays in complete its public health review of e-cigarette premarket tobacco product applications (PMTAs). The deadline for FDA to finish reviewing e-cigarette applications was September 9, 2021, more than eight months ago.
On June 13, the regulatory agency submitted an update on the agency’s review of e-cigarette applications and stated it will not finish reviewing e-cigarettes until July 2023 and products under review may continue being sold.
“These companies have flooded the market with addictive devices. Companies like JUUL, partially owned by the tobacco companies, understand that they’ve promoted their products to children,” Durbin said, according to a release from his office. “For years none of these products were legally authorized. Who was supposed to be the cop on the beat? The Food and Drug Administration, but they were nowhere to be found.”
In March, Durbin led a bipartisan letter with 14 of his colleagues calling on FDA to finish its review of e-cigarettes immediately; reject applications for e-cigarettes, especially kid-friendly flavors, that do not prove they will benefit the public health; and clear the market of all unapproved e-cigarettes.
“I am calling on the FDA to immediately halt its enforcement discretion and remove all unauthorized e-cigarettes from the market,” Durbin stated. “Don’t allow JUUL and other tobacco companies one more day of endangering our children. Stop cowering before Big Tobacco’s highly paid lawyers.”
BAT is launching its tobacco-heating product glo in Cyprus, according to The Cyprus Mail. The launch is expected to contribute to the economy and society in Cyprus, boosting employment with new jobs while supporting the country’s network of retailers and distributors.
“BAT is on a transformation journey to build ‘A Better Tomorrow’ by reducing the health impact of our business,” said Vitalii Kochenko, general manager of BAT Hellas responsible for the markets of Cyprus, Greece, Malta and Israel. “We are proud to bring innovation and technology to the local market with BAT’s tobacco-heating product, putting Cyprus amongst the markets that the international group of BAT has chosen for this launch.”
Glo hyper+ in Cyprus is BAT’s latest iteration of its tobacco-heating product. The device combines BAT’s latest tobacco-heating technology, induction heating, and will be accompanied by neo demi slim sticks, which are specially designed to be used with this device.
Imperial Brands is on track to meet its full-year goals. The expectation is bolstered by strong sales of e-cigarettes and heated tobacco in Europe, the company said on Tuesday, boosting its shares to a more than two-year high.
Investors seem “relieved that the firm is on track to hit its full year guidance figures, as it proceeds in its five year strategy to shift to tobacco alternatives,” Susannah Streeter, senior investment and markets analyst at Hargreaves Lansdown, told Reuters.
After years of slow growth and market share losses, Imperial CEO Stefan Bomhard laid out a turnaround plan in 2021 focused on its five top markets and expanding next-generation products (NGP) deemed less harmful to health. Together, the United States, Britain, Germany, Spain and Australia account for over 70 percent of Imperial’s revenue.
Sales of Imperial’s next generation brands, which include Pulze heated tobacco and blu e-cigarettes, were up 8.7 percent to 101 million pounds ($126 million), driven by demand in Europe. In November, the company reported a more than 50% reduction in losses in the business.
Imperial Brands is on track to meet its full-year goals. The expectation is bolstered by strong sales of e-cigarettes and heated tobacco in Europe, the company said on Tuesday, boosting its shares to a more than two-year high.