The R Street Institute, a U.S. think tank promoting free markets and limited government, has published the first of three papers on tobacco issues and policy. Authored by Resident Senior Fellow Jeffrey Smith, the first installment addresses the health risks of smoking through the lens of preserving individual liberty.
According to the R Street Institute, new reduced-risk products, such as e-cigarettes, oral nicotine and heat-not-burn products, offer smokers an unprecedented opportunity to reduce their health risks by transitioning to less harmful methods of nicotine consumption.
However, the U.S. regulatory environment makes it nearly impossible for such products to enter the market. In addition, consumers must contend with considerable volumes of misinformation. As a result, too many Americans continue to die and suffer from smoking-related diseases.
The R Street Institute urges industry stakeholders, regulatory bodies and public health experts to work together—instead of in opposition—to reduce smoking-related death rates and provide smokers with safer options.
In the immediate wake of the ban, some consumers reported difficulty finding the nicotine pouches, as many Canadian pharmacies do not have them in stock yet, and some do not plan to carry the products.
Health Canada licensed Imperial Tobacco Canada’s (ITCAN) Zonnic nicotine pouches last year, but officials now say they have become too easy for young people to obtain.
Tobacco harm reduction proponents say the recent measure has made pouches harder to find for adults who use them to stop smoking. Earlier this year, ITCAN launched a public awareness campaign about its Zonnic nicotine pouches. The company said it aimed to dispel myths and prove accurate, science-based information about nicotine-replacement therapies and Zonnic’s potential role in reducing smoking in Canada.
The proposed legislation tightens restrictions on where people can smoke, with hefty fines and even potential jail time for those who break the rules.
It also introduces stringent regulations for vaping and electronic nicotine delivery systems (ENDS), which are currently not addressed by existing laws, according to media reports.
There is significant opposition from the business and labor sectors.
Critics argue that the new restrictions could adversely affect the tobacco industry, including farmers and retailers.
This move is part of South Africa’s broader effort to align its tobacco policies with international standards, particularly those set by the World Health Organization’s (WHO) Framework Convention on Tobacco Control.
The Center of Excellence for the acceleration of Harm Reduction (CoEHAR) at the University of Catania, Italy, signed a letter of intent with the Universitas Padjadjaran to create a new CoEHAR branch in Indonesia. The branch will serve as a regional center for research, outreach and education on smoking harm reduction in the Asia-Pacific region.
According to statistics from the World Health Organization and other groups, Indonesia had nearly 80 million smokers aged 15 and older in 2022. This places the country third in the world in terms of the number of tobacco users. Conventional cigarette smoking remains the second-highest risk factor in Indonesia.
“The research conducted by the CoEHAR team at the University of Catania is changing the world, contributing to the revolution of policies aimed at protecting public health in many countries,” said CoEHAR founder Riccardo Polosa in a statement. “Supporting the CoEHAR efforts in Indonesia is a great source of pride for us but also a promise of further commitment to change the fate of a country plagued by unhealthy habits and lifestyles.”
“Low[-income] and middle-income countries in the Asian region represent a different and multifaceted field of investigation and activity,” said CoEHAR Director Giovanni Li Volti. “Our goal is to enhance research activities by developing joint projects that can fully utilize both the human and technological resources of all the universities and institutions involved, which will contribute to change and the exchange of knowledge and skills.”
Previously, the universities had already agreed to promote joint research, mobility and training in the field of smoking harm reduction.
Irish Health Minister Stephen Donnelly proposed bans on non-tobacco vape flavors and advertising in non-specialized shops, reports The Irish Times. He tabled the suggestions as Ireland’s cabinet approved restrictions on disposable vapes on Sept. 9.
Donnelly said the proposals are aimed at protecting children, who he believed were “very cynically” targeting children. The proposed legislation, he said, would see just one flavor, tobacco, being sold.
“We live in a country where around 13 percent of people between the ages of 12 and 17 have vaped in the last 30 days,” said Taoiseach Simon Harris, who described vaping as “the revenge of the tobacco industry.”
Minister of State for Public Health Colm Burke said the regulations are necessary because “many people who used vaping products subsequently moved on to smoking.”
The rate of “battery thermal Runaway incidents”—instances of lithium-ion batteries overheating on passenger planes—hit a five-year peak last year, with e-cigarettes being the biggest culprit, according to a report from UL Standards & Engagement (ULSE), a nonprofit organization focused on safety standards.
The data comes from ULSE’s Thermal Runaway Incident Program (TRIP), a voluntary lithium-ion battery incident reporting system. TRIP comprises 35 passenger and cargo airline participants. The program was designed with the aviation industry to better understand the extent of thermal runaway incidents caused by lithium-ion batteries onboard aircraft and how to prepare for, or ideally prevent, future incidents.
“Passengers are often unaware that many devices they bring on board are powered by lithium-ion batteries, let alone the risks they carry, and it’s much harder to solve a problem that they do not know exists,” said David Wroth, director of technology and systems at ULSE and the leader of TRIP, in a statement. “Thermal runaway incidents on board aircraft are largely preventable but admittedly more difficult to contend with at 40,000 feet. TRIP provides a unique opportunity for the aviation industry to come together to find strategies to mitigate the risk of these incidents.”
As technology evolves and more products rely on rechargeable power, lithium-ion batteries are getting more powerful and in some cases larger, further complicating the thermal runaway threat. Damaged, substandard, or counterfeit batteries run the greatest risk of going into thermal runway, presenting serious consequences in flight.
Key takeaways from the report include:
Incidents are at the highest point in five years of data collection, rising 28 percent from 2019-2023. There are an average of two thermal runaway incidents reported in the TRIP database each week. While on the rise, with approximately 180,000 flights in U.S. airspace per week, it is still highly unlikely to experience a thermal runaway incident.
The average passenger brings four rechargeable devices on board. Most common items include smartphones (82 percent), laptops (41 percent), wireless headphones (39 percent), and tablets (36 percent). E-cigarettes were responsible for the most incidents in 2023, with 35 percent of reported incidents attributed to vaping devices on passenger flights, followed by power banks, representing another 16 percent of incidents.
Most incidents happen on the aircraft with devices that are stored near the passenger’s seat. Almost nine out of 10 (87 percent) incidents are reported on the aircraft, with the remaining 13 percent occurring when baggage and personal items are on the move. On the aircraft, thermal runaway incidents occur in or around the passenger’s seat nearly 60 percent of the time.
The vast majority of incidents are addressed before reaching the fire or explosion stage of thermal runaway. Most (85 percent) incidents in 2023 were addressed when batteries showed warning signs such as overheating and smoking prior to entering full thermal runaway. While only 15 percent of incidents resulted in fire or explosion, the speed in which thermal runaway can develop means that the events in the majority could have been more serious had the issue not been addressed quickly.
Rechargeable devices are being packed in checked luggage. The devices that were most cited in thermal runaway incidents in 2023 were also the two most frequently put in checked luggage, according to passengers surveyed. More than a quarter (27 percent) of travelers reported checking portable chargers, and another 27 percent said they checked e-cigarettes. Devices that enter thermal runaway in checked baggage cannot be accessed by crew while in flight, and fires may not be detected as quickly in the cargo hold as they would be in the cabin.
“Our research highlights several trouble spots that need to be addressed, from passengers missing warnings about lithium-ion batteries to packing rechargeable devices out of reach,” said Lesley Rohrbaugh, head of insights and policy analysis for ULSE. “But we also see clear opportunities to reduce the risk and that’s where we’re focused.”
Through additional passenger and cabin crew focus groups and interviews conducted by ULSE and data from TRIP, strategies to reduce these risks include passenger education, cabin crew training, and standards for aircraft baggage handling.
Representatives of the U.S. vapor industry expressed mixed feelings at the four-year anniversary of the filing of the first premarket tobacco product applications (PMTAs).
Since the Sept. 9, 2020, deadline, the Food and Drug Administration’s Center for Tobacco Products (CTP) has received applications for 26 million novel tobacco products, mostly electronic cigarettes or e-cigarettes.
However, despite its acknowledgement that e-cigarettes overall are less harmful and less toxic than combustible cigarettes, the agency has rejected more than 99 percent of PMTAs for these products.
At the same time, the FDA has authorized 6,670 new combustible tobacco products to be sold in the U.S., including 3,232 new cigars, 1,291 new pipe tobacco products,1,073 new hookah tobacco products and 973 new cigarettes.
According to the Vapor Technology Association (VTA), current CTP Director Brian King has authorized only four vaping devices as alternatives to cigarettes, compared with 1,270 combustible products.
Director King has justified his refusal to authorize flavored e-cigarettes that are widely used by American adults with the need to protect youth. Yet the most recent National Youth Tobacco Survey revealed that the youth vaping rate—the share of users who say they’ve used an e-cigarettes at least once in the past 30 days—has declined to 5.9 percent, the lowest level in more than a decade.
“Since Sep. 9, 2020, 1.93 million Americans have died from smoking cigarettes (480,000 each year), and approximately 64 million Americans suffered from smoking-related disease (16 million each year), according to the CDC, at a cost of hundreds of billions of dollars to the U.S. health care system and gross domestic product,” the VTA wrote in a statement.
“In this time, the FDA has only allowed the purveyors of these deadly combustible products to strengthen their grip on the market. Meanwhile, more and more Americans die from smoking, making this anything but a happy anniversary.”
Illinois has launched the Cannabis Research Institute (CRI), a first-of-its-kind center in the American Midwest for innovative pot studies.
The new research hub announced last week will be a joint venture between the State of Illinois, the City of Chicago, and Discovery Partners Institute (DPI), part of the University of Illinois system.
The institute’s aim is to develop a comprehensive body of data and research to educate the public about the socio-economic and scientific impacts of pot production and usage.
The institute plans to undertake broad research covering everything from crop management to social impacts and health and wellness, media outlets report.
Example topics will include the efficacy of pot and cannabis extracts for treating medical ailments such as inflammation and anxiety; the impact of legalization on the community and broader society; public health ramifications of legalizing adult-use cannabis; and the improvement of pot plants through controlled environmental conditions.
To help ensure the CRI accomplishes those goals the DPI will be forming and leading a research team comprised of different communities, research institutions, businesses and government authorities.
The DKiss Slim, with no vapor and no smoke, performs perfectly as a cessation device.
By Mike Huml
The DKiss Slim from Dekang is a smokeless, vaporless nicotine inhaler that satisfies nicotine cravings anywhere. While seeing vapor on the exhale is half the fun of vaping, there are certainly times when vaping out of a small space is not appropriate.
Although vaping is estimated to be 95 percent safer than smoking traditional cigarettes, remember that e-cigarettes carry a reduced risk—they do not eliminate risk. The DKiss Slim aims to reduce the risk further by eliminating potential chemical changes due to heat and taking smoke and vapor out of the equation entirely. The result is a simple, no-nonsense device that’s easy to use, inconspicuous and satisfying.
The top of the DKiss Slim device has a single white light that illuminates when a drag is taken or when charging. The USB type-C charging port is also located on the top of the device, right next to the activation light. A charging cable is not included, but USB type-C cables are used to charge virtually all electronic devices these days and shouldn’t be challenging to come by.
The body of the DKiss houses the battery and features a semi-matte black finish that feels like anodized aluminum. It has a good weight but is not unwieldy and does not collect fingerprints. The tip of the DKiss is called the Nico Capsule and is where the solid nicotine is housed. This piece is replaced when the nicotine is depleted after approximately 400 puffs—the equivalent of about two packs of analog cigarettes.
Two O-rings keep the Nico Capsule securely in place during use. It feels like one solid piece when in the hand and when in the mouth—no wobbling or looseness to speak of. It’s replaced very easily by sliding it out and sliding a new Nico Capsule in.
In terms of usage and operation, the DKiss Slim is dead simple. No buttons, no menus, just take it out of the box and start puffing away. Aesthetics are also barebone and simple, and that works perfectly to the DKiss’ advantage. With no smoke or vapor output, onlookers would see someone chewing on a pen and nothing more.
The flavor is more subtle than that of a cigarette or e-cigarette, but that works perfectly with the “simple and efficient” theme of the DKiss. Although there is a slight aroma when the device is close to the user’s face, bystanders won’t notice any odor whatsoever. Four flavors were sampled for this review—Tobacco, Tobacco Mix, Light USA Mix and Mint.
Mint has a nice cooling sensation with little to no tobacco flavor while Light USA Mix is a good balance of menthol and light tobacco. Tobacco is reminiscent of a light cigarette while Tobacco Mix is the most robust. Of course, without combustion, these flavors cannot perfectly replicate the taste of an analog cigarette, but they mimic tobacco-flavored and menthol e-liquid very well.
While there is a heating element to produce warmth and flavor, it does not make direct contact with the nicotine contained in the Nico Capsule. This eliminates any potential toxins resulting from heating or combustion. The result is a smooth, clean draw with a warming sensation and a subtle tingle of nicotine on the tongue.
It’s an entirely different experience compared to smoking or vaping, but that’s not a negative. There is undoubtedly a market for the Dekang DKiss slim. Many smokers and vapers are looking to quit entirely, and this product has the potential to bridge that gap. Additionally, while vaping was once acceptable in areas where smoking is prohibited, this loophole has primarily been closed across the board.
With its pen-inspired aesthetic and lack of vapor, smoke or aroma, the DKiss can be used anywhere. For those looking for a nicotine fix or to satisfy the hand-to-mouth habit when smoking or vaping are not viable options, the DKiss is perfectly suited to their needs.
It’s a simple and effective backup for any smoker or vaper. And since it doesn’t use e-liquid, there is no risk of leaking, and every drag is smooth and consistent—no dry hits, gurgling or spitback. Naturally, there are none of the combustible cigarette downsides either—the need to light it, ashing, finding somewhere to dispose of the butt, etc.
The Dekang DKiss Slim is a very inconspicuous and effective nicotine inhalation system that’s easy for anybody to pick up and use. It can be used virtually anywhere to satisfy the nicotine craving while also giving the user an outlet for the hand-to-mouth habit or even their “fidget” craving.
With no vapor and no smoke, the health risk of using the DKiss is mitigated to an optimal degree, which makes it perfect as a cessation device or for those moments when smoking or vaping aren’t options. The Dekang DKiss Slim is a fantastic innovation that goes back to basics and fills a gap that’s desperately needed in today’s nicotine market.
The Great Smoky Cannabis Dispensary opened Saturday for its first recreational marijuana sales for anyone over the age of 21.
It’s another first for the state of North Carolina, where marijuana remains illegal outside of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians’ (ECBI) territory.
The dispensary first opened on April 20, 2024, for medical cannabis purchases. A referendum was then passed in July to begin recreational sales, following a 2021 ordinance approved by the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians, which legalized medical cannabis within the Qualla Boundary.
“We’re a sovereign nation, so we set it up to let people come visit, explore our community, visit our people, just come in and help themselves to any cannabis need they need,” Boyd Allen, a Cherokee tribal representative, said Saturday, according to local media.
Despite laws passed by the ECBI, marijuana remains illegal in the rest of the state. The sheriff of Swain County, which borders Cherokee land, said in a June interview that his department would enforce state law.
“They need to educate their people up there that when they come off the boundary, they’re in a different world,” Sheriff Curtis Cochran said. “We’ll educate them if we catch them with it. We’ll charge them for it.”
While there is a heating element to produce warmth and flavor, it does not make direct contact with the nicotine contained in the Nico Capsule. This eliminates any potential toxins resulting from heating or combustion. The result is a smooth, clean draw with a warming sensation and a subtle tingle of nicotine on the tongue.
