The market share of open pod systems on the Korean market is much higher than in other regions.
By VV staff report
Korea Vape Show 2023 (KOVAS) is the best launching point for entering the Korean market, according to a Wingle Group report of the show. Wingle is a Hong Kong-based business platform company founded in 2010 that facilitates mutually beneficial cooperation between consumer electronics, healthcare and e-consumer companies.
KOVAS is a vaping business exhibition that connects domestic and overseas distribution buyers and companies from more than 20 countries. The dynamic event exhibits the latest technologies from the vape industry, and more than 50 companies were given the opportunity to promote their products to more than 15,000 visitors. KOVAS was held in late July at the Korea International Exhibition Center, commonly known as KINTEX, located in Ilsanseo-gu, Goyang, Gyeonggi Province, South Korea.
Listed below are 10 takeaways from the Wingle report:
The Haka brand showcased its Haka Q (Metex Melux) heated-tobacco system with Bluetooth connectivity for consumption tracking. Haka also promoted its new disposable e-cigarette Haka S, Haka Glow with the FEELM Max ceramic heater. Haka is completely powered by Shenzhen Smoore Technology.
Aspire launched its prefilled pod system Gotek S. The next planned market is the U.K. The company also showcased its new Peboo pod mod.
Geekvape presented the Geekvape & PAX Vape pod mod with VPU technology for an improved vapor performance.
Daddy’s Vapor promoted the Pyro 6000 disposable powered by Smoore’s Topower battery solution, which claims to have 30 percent more capacity compared to mainstream batteries with the battery size remaining unchanged.
Korean wholesaler Dragon Vapes promoted Uwell’s upcoming releases: Valyrian Air, Valyrian Pro and Valyrian Max pod systems.
Pura presented two new products: Pura Legend pod system and the Pura MyBox 5000 disposable.
Smok showcased its new Spaceman SP7000 disposable with battery and e-liquid indicators.
Innokin launched Klypse Mecha and Innobar R2 open pod systems.
Several new high-capacity disposables with a display were highlighted: Vapengin Nimmbox 8500, Orca Air 7500, Yooz BC8000, Mosmo VD8500, Mosmo SO7500, Mosmo Jucy Punk II 7000, Oukitel Aqua 12000, Oukitel 9000, Sanyeah C290 5000, Firerose IN7500 and Nasty DX 8.5i.
There were also several new compact-size pod systems: Aspire GoTEK Pro, Smoant Levin, Pura Legend, Viento Magnum, Innokin Klypse Mecha, Innokin Klypse Zip, Innokin Innobar R2, Rincoe Jellybox V1, Rincoe Jellybox V2 and Rincoe Jellybox V3.
Most of the presented and marketed devices at KOVAS have futuristic electromechanical designs with transparent bodies, according to the Wingle report, which also detected a trend toward making pod systems less expensive. Additionally, the market share of open pod systems on the Korean market is much higher than in other regions.
Heat-not-burn players on the Korean market include Smoore (Haka Korea), Shenzhen SMY (Pluscig, Morex) and Shenzhen Yunxi Smart (UWOO), according to Wingle. Smoore, the world’s largest atomization company, seemed to also attempt to generate new leads and establish new relationships for the expansion of its FEELM-powered devices. Disposable vaping products had a strong presence, and the segment continues to grow globally.
KOVAS 2023 was a success, according to Wingle. That may be due to South Korea’s next-generation tobacco market showing a booming trend in recent years, according to data from Euromonitor. The country’s heated-tobacco market was valued at KRW2 trillion in 2021 and is expected to reach nearly 2.5 trillion won by 2025. And according to a survey by the South Korean Ministry of Strategy and Finance, the share of the entire tobacco market held by the e-cigarette segment in Korea rose from 2.2 percent in 2017 to 14.8 percent in the first half of 2022.
When it comes to advertising, vaping and alcohol have separate standards of regulation.
By George Gay
Here are a couple of newspaper quotes worth comparing:
“Marked with a label showing a cartoonish red beast [my emphasis] in shorts and high socks wielding some glasses, Chin Chin has become the wine of now, the Casillero del Diablo of Gen Z, relatively affordable, instantly recognizable, and it looks good on Instagram.”
“One of the recommendations was closing the loophole on free samples, but others included considering banning the online sale of vapes, banning cartoon characters [my emphasis] or images appealing to young people from vaping products ….”
The first quote is from a piece in the U.K. edition of The Guardian newspaper of May 8, “Chin Chin! The party drink putting fizz into summer”;the second is from a piece in The Guardian of May 31, “New laws for vaping mooted to deter sale [sic] to children.” The May 8 story was promotional; the May 31 story was denunciatory.
Yes, hypocrisy is alive and well. Apparently, according to The Guardian, cartoon characters on vaping products, never known to have killed anybody in the U.K. as far as I am aware, are beyond the pale, but a cartoon character on alcohol, the biggest risk factor for death, ill health and disability among people 15–49 years of age in the U.K., is just tickety-boo.
The Guardian has seemed lately to take every opportunity to issue dire warnings about unproven risks related to vaping, a habit that is helping many people to quit smoking, while it treats alcohol as a product worth promoting and drunkenness as just a bit of fun. On May 4, it ran a story under the headline “Solved: Why bubbles in champagne follow a straight line, unlike people who drink it.”
While I would admit there is something comical about a person staggering down the pavement under the influence of alcohol, seeing him step into the path of an oncoming vehicle is less so. And according to a National Institutes of Health study, “The most numerous group of road accident fatalities among pedestrians are men, with a particular emphasis on men under the influence of alcohol.”
It seems to me that The Guardian, a newspaper I have read daily for 40 years and that I generally admire, is lending its voice to the forces of those trying to ban vaping and generally undermine tobacco harm reduction in the U.K., something I find puzzling since the paper takes what I would describe as a generally liberal attitude to the use of recreational drugs.
Indeed, as I have indicated, it promotes alcohol. The Chin Chin story, cartoon character and all, took up about three-quarters of a right-hand page. The paper runs adverts for alcohol, and each week, it devotes a page of its half-page-format Feast magazine to the promotion of alcohol. On June 17, it included in its Saturday edition a 36-page supplement on Food and Drink, which probably should have read “Drink and Food,” partly because most of the front page was taken up with a picture of “this season’s hottest cocktail.”
Ironically, in a different section of the same paper, a book reviewer described how Drug Science, an organization set up by neuropsychopharmacologist professor David Nutt, had, in the past, published a table showing the relative risks of different drugs in which alcohol was rated by far the most dangerous.
It’s not that The Guardian doesn’t think about the ethics of what it does. In its June 16 edition, it announced a global ban on gambling advertising, arguing it was “unethical to take money from services that can lead to ‘addiction and financial ruin.’” The announcement, in my opinion, was nuanced and demonstrated that the paper’s position was not judgmental toward those who wanted to bet occasionally.
But vaping is not given a similarly fair hearing. The significant volume of negative vaping stories the paper carries and the way the stories are presented indicates to me a lack of objectivity over this issue. Here is one example taken from a story on June 6, “Disposable vapes should be banned to protect children, U.K. pediatricians say.” In this piece, the paper references Action on Smoking and Health (ASH) just once: “Action on Smoking and Health data also shows that experimental use of e-cigarettes among 11-to-17-year-olds is up 50 percent on [that of] last year.”
Credit: Beam Suntory
This quote is taken from the 2023 ASH-commissioned YouGov survey published online in May, “Experimental child vaping up significantly since 2022 but not current vaping.”1 It is based on the second bullet point of four that open the document, but the significant thing is that the story makes no reference to the first bullet point: “No significant change between 2022 and 2023 in the proportion of 11[-year-olds to] 17-year-olds currently vaping or smoking.”
There is no reference either to the statement made further down in the document: “However, fears that vaping is leading a whole generation to be addicted to nicotine are not justified by the evidence to date.”
What is happening here? I suspect that for some reason, The Guardian has picked up on the moral panic centered on “children” and “kids” that was whipped up in the U.S. and that proved successful in throwing doubt on whether it was appropriate to use vaping as a tool to quit smoking and decided to run with it.
I say this because what is striking is that there seems to be little interest at The Guardian in respect of the issue of tobacco smoking among young people, an activity that should be much higher up the agenda of concern. Why is this? Could it be that, as in the U.S., the vaping-and-children issue has risen to the top because it is the “children” of the financially better off who are vaping?
Let me be clear. I do not have a shred of evidence to support this speculation, but I think it is worth asking questions along these lines. Could it be that the offspring of financially impoverished people who tend not to have a public voice are still smoking tobacco while those of financially more secure parents who tend to be pushier have moved on to vaping?
If I am correct, nobody needs to be surprised because such a divide would be in line with what has become the natural order in the U.K., where the large and growing number of young people from disadvantaged backgrounds are to be found at the back of the queues when it comes to food, basic hygiene products, good health outcomes, clothing, education, recreational opportunities, employment prospects … well, you name it.
But, circling back to the question of alcohol, I don’t want to be unfair because The Guardian does occasionally run a negative piece on drinking. On May 24, for instance, it carried this story: “Government’s failures on alcohol have led to health crisis, say MPs.” Below are the first two paragraphs of that story, which was by Andrew Gregory, health editor:
“The government’s failure to tackle alcohol harm in England has caused a public health crisis affecting millions of people, according to a damning report by the public accounts committee published today,” the story stated.
“Problem drinking is fueling violent crime and costing the NHS [National Health Service] and wider society [GBP]25 billion a year, with deaths almost doubling in two decades, the report says. Ministers are accused of slashing funding for support services by hundreds of millions of pounds while breaking promises of action and ditching policies aimed at resolving the crisis.”
Two questions arise, I think. Why, when it is clearly aware of this stuff, does The Guardian promote alcohol and drinking and, indirectly, violent crime? And can The Guardian be surprised with what has been happening when the U.K. Parliament operates out of subsidized bars with attached debating chambers?
Another reason why I believe The Guardian’s coverage amounts to a campaign against vaping is that its stories drag in a lot of issues in support of its take on underage vaping that, while important, need to be addressed separately. The stories embrace such issues as illicit products, illegal sales and the environment, but no attempt is made to get to the root of these issues.
For instance, I would have thought it would have been worthwhile asking why the U.K. is seemingly awash with noncompliant vaping products. I would have thought it would have been worthwhile asking why retailers can apparently sell vaping products to underaged customers with near impunity. And I would have thought it would have been worthwhile asking whether underage people are the victims, the villains or both in respect of the environmental harms being caused by carelessly discarded vaping devices, especially “single-use” devices.
But even I found that such issues took a back seat when, on June 14, The Guardian’s coverage of vaping took an even worse turn. On that day, the “children”-and-vaping issue was relegated to a double-page spread in G2, which styles itself as the Life and Arts section of the paper. That’s a bit of a push. Most serious reviews seem to be presented in the news section of the main paper.
G2 is more about entertainment. There’s the television guide, some often light-hearted columns and a regular turnaround of pieces on how to sleep better, how to improve your sex life, how to eat more-nutritional food, how to understand your companion animal … oh yes, and, of course, there are the interviews with celebrities who have active agents and a book, film or album coming out and that always start with Joe Bloggs talking to Eoj Sgolb about … (insert three words from the list of drugs, loss, love, sex, drink, rehab …).
OK, I’m sure you know the sort of stuff. Harmless, perhaps, but G2 is not the sort of vehicle, I would have thought, for a discussion of vapes, whose primary purpose is to help shift smokers from their highly risky habit with its high cost to society in general and, especially, to the under-pressure NHS. But then, perhaps I am being unfair because The Guardian, which has otherwise undertaken some serious and important journalism, alone and in conjunction with other outlets, possibly doesn’t believe the vaping issue is serious. Certainly, in relegating it to the G2, it seems to have shown its hand; it believes the “children”-and-vaping issue is entertainment.
The first two-thirds of the opening page of the G2 splash was taken up with a close-up picture of somebody wearing a hoodie and holding a vape, a picture the art department had done its best to make look sinister. In fact, the picture tends to support the idea that we are dealing with a middle-class issue.
The hoodie is neat and clean, and underneath it (to indicate we are looking at a young person) you can see a smart shirt and what looks like a school tie, part of a uniform many financially impoverished people could not afford. The top button of the shirt is done up and the tie neatly secured. The fingers shown holding the vape are definitely not tattooed with H A T E.
In fact, in this guise, vaping has been relegated not only to entertainment but to something resembling a poorly scripted soap opera. The June 14 story was headed “Mum, I can’t go any longer —I really need a vape.” This plaintiff cry was apparently issued from the lips of 16-year-old Josh, who was taking exams, and the reaction of his mum, Hannah, was apparently to break the law and buy him a vape—only this once, she was quoted as saying, rather implausibly. There was no discussion in the story as to whether Hannah would have bought other drugs if Josh had said he needed amphetamines, cocaine or heroin.
Credit: Millstream Brewing Co.
Notwithstanding Hannah’s seeming lack of judgment, she is given a platform on which to expound her assumed expertise on addiction and relative addiction, whatever that might be. At one point, Hannah tells us Josh is “massively” addicted while later, she says he is more addicted than she thought, which presumably takes him into massively addicted-plus territory.
In fact, the June 14 soap was the second episode of the story that had started with what I would describe as a shamefully bad piece The Guardian ran in its main section on March 18—unbelievably on page 5. In the earlier piece, we were told about 14-year-old Liam, who, according to his mother, Sarah, was “completely addicted to vaping,” which raises the question of whether it is possible to be incompletely addicted. Sarah’s reaction? Apparently, to break the law and feed her son’s habit.
The soap’s two episodes are closely similar in format, with drawers full of vapes and seemingly naive, inadequate, middle-class parents blaming others for their offspring’s behavior. They admit to the apparent illegal purchase of vapes for their underage offspring, presumably their nearest and dearest, but complain about retailers, unrelated to the young people, selling them vapes.
And all the while these parents eschew any responsibility for their own actions or those of their offspring, preferring to present themselves as victims. I’m sure they would be shocked to learn that one of the main risk factors of drug-taking among young people is a lack of parental supervision while others are genes and alcohol “misuse” by parents.
But who are these victimizers? Having read columns of this stuff, I’m still not clear who these parents and The Guardian believe are to blame for the current situation as they see it. There is little attempt to get to the bottom of these issues, which seem to me to stem simply from acute and chronic government-imposed austerity measures that, predictably, have led to a failure of policing.
Disposable vaping products are quickly replacing cigarette butts as the most common form of litter.
VV staff report
It’s a real environmental issue. Studies suggest that disposable vaping products are quickly replacing cigarette butts as the most common form of litter found on streets and in waterways. More than 5,800 unique disposable products are now being sold in numerous flavors and formulations in the U.S., according to IRI data, up 1,500 percent from 365 in early 2020.
The disposable boom began in February 2020 when the U.S. Food and Drug Administration outlawed flavored nicotine e-liquids in prefilled cartridges for reusable vapes. This decision did not mention disposable vapes. As a result, sales of disposables shot up by 196.2 percent by March 2023, according to the CDC Foundation. By that time, about 11.9 million disposables were sold every month, surpassing cartridges with a 53 percent market share. Consumers in the U.S. throw away 4.5 disposable vapes per second. As the disposable market became popular in the U.S., it also began to go global.
In the U.K., Zurich Municipal, a subsidiary of insurance giant Zurich, published the results of its recent research that found that 2 million single-use vaping devices are discarded every week. The 2 million number quoted by Zurich Municipal is 700,000 units more than the 1.3 million that was estimated by Material Focus, which is funded through the country’s Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) compliance fee.
The number of vapers in the U.K. has grown exponentially from 3.7 million in 2021 to 4.3 million last year, Zurich reported. The research estimated that around 78 percent of the 138 million vapes sold in the U.K. end up in general waste instead of being recycled.
A recent PennEnvironment Research and Policy Center report titled “Vape Waste: The Environmental Harms of Disposable Vapes” found that the accumulation of electronic waste from single-use e-cigarettes is outpacing efforts to create infrastructure to recycle them properly. A major hazard that vaping products pose to public health is that disposable e-cigarettes contain hazardous materials that can leach into soil and contaminate groundwater. In addition to creating plenty of plastic waste, discarded e-cigarettes can also be considered both e-waste (because of their circuitry and lithium-ion batteries) and hazardous waste (because they contain nicotine).
While combustible cigarette pollution takes up to 10 years to degrade, disposable vapes are nonbiodegradable, according to a recent PennEnvironment report. “Who looked at cigarette butts polluting our beaches and thought, ‘How can I make a product that will more effectively trash our oceans by never decomposing?’” the PennEnvironment report authors’ question.
Compounding the issue, the report found that there is currently no standard for recycling disposable vapes anywhere. Typically, once all the liquid has been atomized, the vape cannot be refilled. Most end up in landfills. However, even if there were recycling centers for vapes, the PennEnvironment report authors suggest that single-use vapes are still a bad idea.
“We can’t recycle our way out of the problems caused by increasing electronics manufacturing,” the PennEnvironment report states. “While it’s better to recycle than not, our priority should be making fewer devices … not churning out junk we don’t need in the first place.”
The problem isn’t going away by itself. Disposable e-cigarettes have the potential to make a massive impact on the environment, according to a 2018 article in the American Journal of Public Health, and tighter regulations on one-use vapes are needed to avoid a potential environmental disaster, as noted in a letter published in 2022 in Lancet Respiratory Medicine.
Credit: Benny Robo
The United Nations reported that “recycling activities are not adequate to keep up with the expanding production of e-waste.” In the Americas, only 9.4 percent of all electronic waste is recycled—a statistic that further highlights the e-cigarette issue. Capacity isn’t the only factor here; many countries lack the technology necessary to take modern gadgets, such as disposable vapes, and convert them back into their component parts.
In 2019, the U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) began to accept vaping devices and cartridges at any of its drop-off locations during its National Prescription Drug Take Back Day. However, the agency stated that “it is important to note that DEA cannot accept devices containing lithium-ion batteries. If batteries cannot be removed prior to drop-off, DEA encourages individuals to consult with stores that recycle lithium-ion batteries.” However, few stores accept used vapes in the U.S.
In the U.K., stores must bear the responsibility for taking back and disposing of any small electronic items, even if customers did not purchase them from that specific shop. Smaller shops who are unable to do this themselves are required to pay a fee to support the collection, disposal and treatment of these products when they become waste. However, according to the U.K. Vaping Industry Association, vapers and members of the vaping industry may not always be aware of this rule. This means many disposable vapes sold in the U.K. also end up in the traditional trash heap.
For many, the only way to combat the waste from disposable vapes is to eliminate the product category entirely. “These products harm our health and environment,” write the authors of the PennEnvironment report. “They waste the finite resources needed for manufacturing new technology. The only solution is a ban.”
The U.K. government is expected to propose plans to tackle vape disposal before the end of the year as part of a more comprehensive reform of e-waste regulations. The proposal could include an outright ban on disposable products, according to experts. “Without a doubt, disposable e-cigarettes should be banned. There is absolutely no reason that these cheap, readily available, brightly colored, recreational products should be single-use,” said Mike McKean of the Royal College for Paediatrics and Child Health.
Though there’s some enthusiasm for a disposable vape ban among Members of Parliament (a separate bill for this is currently progressing through the House of Commons), the government is unlikely to go all the way in its revamp of the WEEE regulation, according to Euro News.
In the U.S., meanwhile, officials have recognized the recent actions by the FDA to get flavored disposable vapes off the market; however, the PennEnvironment report calls for more enforcement. Many of the FDA’s actions have had little impact on the market. While a few states and cities have prohibited flavored vaping products, none have prohibited disposable products completely.
It’s also the responsibility of consumers to keep the environment in mind when purchasing vape products, according to the PennEnvironment report. “Adult vape users should only use approved products with refillable or cartridge-based systems,” it states. “Using disposable products is unsustainable.”
Numerous companies are trying to make vapes that can more easily be recycled. Dubai-based e-cigarette manufacturer ANDS has created a disposable vape that is 99.29 percent recyclable, according to Waste Experts. ANDS’ Slix disposable vape device is constructed of an outer casing made of 100 percent recyclable high-grade cardboard with a biodegradable silicone mouthpiece and end piece. ANDS is also partnering with Waste Experts to create a recycling program.
“While the analysis carried out by Waste Experts suggests that our single-use vape is highly recyclable, we will continue to work toward zero waste,” said Marina Murphy, senior director of scientific and medical affairs at ANDS. “We aim to build a high rate of recyclability into all our products by using high-quality recyclable materials and simple construction that allows for highly efficient dismantling. This contributes to a fast, efficient overall recycling process, which reduces waste management costs. This in turn helps to keep product prices competitive, creating a win-win for the environment and adult consumers who value our products.”
Vaping industry companies have a vested interest in tackling one of the industry’s major issues. FEELM, which makes ceramic coils used in many popular vape brands, is behind a new initiative encouraging consumers to send their single-use devices off for recycling. FEELM is one of the largest closed-system vape solution providers in the world.
“At FEELM, we believe that the responsibility of building a sustainable future extends beyond creating innovations,” a FEELM representative said. “This is the first industrial end-to-end disposable recycling scheme, including manufacturers, brands, delivery companies, waste management companies, retailers and ultimately the consumers. The scheme allows us to contribute to the planet’s well-being while also positively influencing the public perception of the vaping industry.”
Fadi Maayta, president of ANDS, warned that an outright ban on disposable vaping devices could drive former smokers back to combustible cigarettes, so the industry must search for a viable solution. “If these single-use vapes are restricted or banned over environmental fears as is being talked about in some circles—smokers could lose what many believe to be a very convenient, accessible and compelling alternative to conventional cigarettes,” he said.
E-cigarette sales in Switzerland have increased over the past few years, with 10 million products imported in 2022. Most vapes end up in the landfill rather than being recycled as required by the Ordinance on the Return, Taking Back and Disposal of Electrical and Electronic Equipment.
In conjunction with various partners, SENS eRecycling has developed an industry solution for the environmentally friendly disposal of e-cigarettes, according to the company’s website.
Upon request, SENS eRecycling will deliver vape recycling bags to any e-cigarette sales outlet; the bags can be used to collect returned e-cigarettes and send them back to SENS eRecycling by post. Sales outlets and consumers can also hand in used vapes to any SENS collection point throughout Switzerland.
The success of e-cigarettes as a switching tool in the U.K. offers valuable lessons for the United States.
By Kim Hesse
Electronic nicotine-delivery systems (ENDS) have been discussed and disparaged for years in public health and policy circles in the United States, especially regarding their potential health risks. For many, the legacy of distrust from tobacco companies’ historic lack of transparency on the health impact of cigarettes has led to skepticism about the safety of ENDS products. And yet, we could learn from the accumulation of research studies and real-world evidence, which now makes it hard to deny that ENDS products are a better choice than combustible cigarettes.
The U.S. can look to the United Kingdom and Sweden for a pathway to positive public health impact. The U.K. government recommends the use of e-cigarettes as a smoking cessation tool. For example, current advice from the U.K.’s National Institute for Health and Care Excellence supports the use of e-cigarettes as a stop-smoking intervention. Sweden further leads the way in transitioning smokers to less harmful pouched tobacco products such as snus.
Kim Hesse
The guidelines state that e-cigarettes are a safer alternative to traditional cigarettes and that they should be recommended as a quit-smoking aid to smokers who are unable or unwilling to quit using other methods. The guidelines also recommend that e-cigarettes should be used in conjunction with other smoking cessation services, such as counseling and nicotine-replacement therapy (NRT). Many studies have shown an association between e-cigarette use and a significant reduction in the number of people smoking traditional cigarettes, particularly among the young.
One of the main reasons for the positive impact of e-cigarettes in the U.K. is the way they have been regulated. E-cigarettes are subject to safety and quality standards and are available only to adults. In addition, e-cigarettes are taxed at a lower rate than traditional cigarettes, which makes them more affordable for smokers who are looking to quit. This combination of regulation, taxation and availability has made e-cigarettes a popular choice for U.K. smokers eager to give up their habit.
By comparison, the U.S. has work to do in order to achieve the same level of impact being seen in the U.K. The first task before us is to debunk the myths that stand in the way.
Myth 1: The risks associated with the use of ENDS products are unknown—untrue! According to Sairah Salim-Sartoni of Salim-Sartoni Associates, there is at least 10 years’ worth of studies providing evidence that ENDS products are less damaging than combustible cigarettes. Salim-Sartoni points to the independent evidence review conducted by Kings College London in the U.K., which included approximately 400 studies.[1]
The authors reported: “Vaping poses only a small fraction of the risk of smoking and is at least 95 percent less harmful than smoking (that is, smoking is at least 20 times more harmful to users than vaping).” Of course, it is important to note that e-cigarettes are not without risks. They still contain nicotine, which is an addictive substance. However, compared to traditional cigarettes, e-cigarettes are a safer alternative. As Robert M. Califf, head of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, said in a Feb. 24, 2023, press release, “Certain e-cigarettes may help adult smokers transition completely away from, or significantly reduce their use of more harmful combusted cigarettes.”[2]
Myth 2: Big Tobacco started the vaping industry—false! The ENDS industry started with a few small companies creating products that slowly became popular with smokers who were trying to quit combustibles. The ENDS products helped smokers transition away from combustibles, and news spread until the industry became what it is today. In reality, the legacy cigarette companies have been in the alternative nicotine market for only a relatively short period of time. Initially, these multinational firms did not see e-cigarettes as a sustainable product and thought they would eventually disappear. It was only in more recent years that Big Tobacco began investing heavily in this market.
Myth 3: Nicotine causes cancer—not true! Tar from combustible cigarettes is the cancer-causing agent. Additionally, combustible cigarettes produce far greater harmful and potentially harmful constituents than those produced by ENDS products. The evidence is inadequate to infer the presence or absence of a causal relationship between exposure to nicotine and risk for cancer.3
If we can move beyond the myths and misconceptions to accept these truths, then stakeholders in the U.S. should be thinking about social media and other campaigns that spread the facts about the positive impact that e-cigarettes can have on public health. John Dunne, director general of the U.K. Vaping Industry Association, attributes the prevalence of the above myths in the U.S. in part to sensationalized headlines generating more clicks and attention than factual reporting. “‘Vaping causes you to grow a third ear’ will get more clicks than a headline reading ‘Vaping is the best thing in the world,’” he said.
“It seems the only ones wanting to speak positively about the vaping industry is the industry itself,” Dunne continued. “However, it is crucial to change this narrative and focus on education and good research to inform smokers, the public and physicians alike about the health benefits of switching to ENDS products.”
Credit: Fedorovacz
If the U.S. were to turn away from outdated myths and follow the U.K.’s guidelines on e-cigarettes, it could have a similarly positive impact on public health. Currently, e-cigarette regulations differ from state to state. However, if e-cigarettes were approved as a switching tool on a federal level, it could help to reduce the number of people smoking traditional cigarettes and improve public health.
In order to gain the benefits that the U.K. has seen, though, the U.S. must acknowledge and address concerns around the impact on youth. According to the study “Changes in Youth Smoking 1976–2002: A Time Series Analysis” by Fred C. Pampel and Jade Aguilar, youth cigarette smoking dropped in the late 1970s and leveled off to new lows in 1980. However, we saw an increase in smoking in the 1990s, and by 1997, a quarter of the youth population was reported to be smoking daily. While this news may seem alarming, let’s compare it to ENDS product use among youth today. “The youth vaping epidemic: addressing the risk of e-cigarettes in schools” reported that 27.5 percent of the youth population regularly use e-cigarettes. It further states that this number is approximately 22 percent higher than high schoolers who smoke normal cigarettes.”4 While the Brookings article does state that 27.5 percent of youth regularly use e-cigarettes, this does not match what is in the paper behind the data.
The 27.5 percent number applies only to high school students; middle school students were also surveyed and e-cigarette use within this group was much lower. From the data, 3,611 high school and middle school kids had past 30-day (i.e., “current”) e-cigarette use; this is approximately 19 percent of the kids’ population. The data also show that approximately 4 percent of kids smoked cigarettes in the past 30 days. But only a proportion of kids used e-cigarettes regularly (on 20 or more of the past 30 days). Given these data, rough calculations show that less than 6 percent of all kids were using e-cigarettes regularly, which is a lot lower than the reported 27.5 percent. Daily use of e-cigarettes is even lower, at approximately 3 percent.
Although individuals younger than 21 should not use tobacco products, youth who are experimenting are choosing a less harmful product than combustible cigarettes. If we remove these products from the U.S. market, this group of experimenters could go back to smoking cigarettes. With or without vape products, experimentation of some sort by youth will occur. This leads us back to the task at hand—to properly educate the public about the risks and benefits of ENDS products.
If we take the lead from our U.K. counterparts, we can learn from their experience in supporting e-cigarettes as a switching tool. There, they learned that the secret to getting people permanently off combustible products, such as traditional cigarettes, is to provide an enjoyable experience. Some of the side effects of NRTs can cause people to stop using them and go back to smoking. However, for some, e-cigarettes can provide an enjoyable experience without negative side effects.
The reason why ENDS products help many combustible smokers switch from traditional cigarettes is complex, according to both Dunne and Salim-Sartoni, who believe it is a combination of effective nicotine delivery and “the hand-to-mouth action.” For many smokers, this action is very important to keep when trying to limit or eliminate the smoking habit.
Others may want to eliminate the action and try to use only nicotine gum, patches, lozenges or pharmaceuticals. However, Salim-Sartoni said the chance of success increases if these cessation options are used in combination with ENDS or a spray.
A recent U.K. smoking cessation campaign supports this approach. Earlier this year, the Department of Health and Social Care announced it would provide nearly one in 5 of all smokers in England with a vape starter kit alongside behavioral support to help them kick the habit. Additionally, pregnant women are being offered financial incentives to quit smoking. The overarching goal is to reduce smoking rates in the U.K. to 5 percent or less by 2030.5
Despite support for ENDS as a cessation device, the U.K. medical community still has concerns, according to Salim-Sartoni. Physicians believe that ENDS have great potential, but they are unsure which product to recommend. They would like to see some standards and have assurances that the products they are recommending are truly safer alternatives.
The experience of the pharmaceutical industry may offer some guidance in this respect. When administering a drug, the pharmacist and physician know the potential side effects, and these are weighed against the benefit of the drug being prescribed. Pharmacists and physicians in the U.K. would like to see similar information on ENDS products and would like some reassurance that they are providing the best possible information to their patients and are guiding them to a safer alternative.
As an industry, we need to assess how people are using ENDS products on a wider scale. Creating acceptable levels of use or proper dosing formulas based on the specific products available on the market would be a good first step in educating the public on the impact of ENDS products. Sharing information regarding ingredients and compounds being produced by the products will allow consumers to compare and choose according to quality information.
Ultimately, the key is to work together to reduce the overall harm caused by tobacco use. This means educating the public, promoting switching from combustible cigarettes and investing in research to find new ways to ensure the safety of ENDS products. If we do not work together, more lives will be lost to combustible tobacco products.
Fentanyl misinformation could come with consequences much worse than those experienced with EVALI.
By Timothy S. Donahue
Earlier this year, media reports began to circulate that a dangerous trend was beginning to emerge in the vaping industry: the proliferation of fentanyl-laced vapes. “This lethal combination of the potent synthetic opioid fentanyl and electronic cigarettes has raised serious concerns among health experts, law enforcement agencies and the general public,” wrote PharmChek, a drug abuse data source.
The first report of fentanyl-laced vaping products appeared in September 2019, when the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) San Diego division was contacted by local authorities regarding a suspected fentanyl overdose death. The roommate of the deceased, who admitted to vaping fentanyl regularly, told agents there was fentanyl and possibly other drugs located in their shared residence as well as fentanyl-laced “vape” tanks, according to the DEA. The San Diego County Medical Examiner reports that this was the first case in which they had found fentanyl in vape pens.
The vaping devices were not sold in any store. They were not marketed as fentanyl vape pens. The products were adulterated products that were then sold on the black market, according to the DEA. Media reports at the time did not mention that vapes were altered illegally and instead blamed the nicotine vaping industry for the contaminated devices.
During the Next Generation Nicotine Delivery 2023 conference held in Miami in June, Tony Abboud, executive director of the Vapor Technology Association (VTA), said that vaping industry veterans may remember something similar in vaping’s recent past that resembles the fentanyl crisis.
In August 2019, an Illinois man succumbed in a hospital to a mysterious lung disease caused by a vaping product. Soon after, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported the initial instance of what it called e-cigarette or vaping product use-associated lung injury (EVALI). The number of cases hit its peak in September before dropping off through February 2020, at which point there were 2,807 reports and 68 deaths.
Experts believe that one of the primary causes of the EVALI outbreak was vitamin E acetate, which had been added to some vaping products as a thinner. Additionally, many cases included tetrahydrocannabinol (THC)-containing products, not nicotine vaping products. Neither the CDC nor the U.S. Food and Drug Administration challenged the disinformation being disseminated by media outlets and anti-nicotine groups blaming nicotine e-cigarettes for the EVALI crisis. It nearly decimated the vaping industry.
EVALI and the false reporting surrounding its cause boosted misinformation surrounding nicotine vaping products. A study led by researchers at the American Cancer Society at the time showed that perceptions of e-cigarettes as being “more harmful” than cigarettes by adults in the United States more than doubled between 2019 and 2020 and that perceptions of e-cigarettes as “less harmful” declined between 2018 and 2020 when the EVALI concern was at its peak.
It wasn’t until late October 2019 that any government organization stated publicly that nicotine vaping products were not the cause of EVALI. Abboud warned conference attendees that if the e-cigarette industry doesn’t react differently to the misinformation surrounding nicotine vaping and illicit fentanyl-laced vaping products, the industry may not survive.
“The misinformation that went along with the EVALI crisis had a traumatic impact not just on businesses but on consumers’ perceptions about vaping products in general. And it was driven largely by the media,” explained Abboud. “It was on the media every single day …. The most important thing, obviously, at this time, was for our regulatory bodies to figure out and speak clearly about what was causing the problem. That did not occur in the manner that it should have occurred.”
The false link between nicotine vaping products and EVALI was also hijacked by anti-nicotine advocates, such as Matthew L. Myers, who was with the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids at the time, and Michael Bloomberg, the billionaire philanthropist and financial backer of anti-vaping organizations. The day after the CDC EVALI announcement, Myers and Bloomberg hit the airwaves talking about flavored vaping products and their commitment to spend $160 million to remove flavored vaping products from the market. Flavors attract kids, and EVALI would kill them, the group claimed.
“What they said was frankly unconscionable because they leveraged the [then] current EVALI crisis that did not have anything to do with flavored nicotine products to their benefit. The impact of this kind of narrative led to the next day when President Trump announced [d] his ban on all flavors,” said Abboud. “At this point, we knew that the industry was facing somewhat of an existential crisis because they were talking about removing a huge segment of the market and a larger segment of the independent vaping industry. And that would have dramatic repercussions down the road.
“We immediately started acting. We had to get on TV to explain what was really going on with vitamin E acetate to make clear that this was an illicit THC issue. We had to frame the issue in terms of public health. We also had to create the issue in terms of jobs. But we had to do more than that. We had to launch a public affairs campaign that made clear what was at stake with this policy decision that was made in this vacuum without frankly any sort of regulatory process behind it.”
After several e-cigarette advocacy organizations sat down with President Trump to discuss flavors, the FDA only banned flavors in closed pod systems. Disposables were still going to avoid enforcement. Many in the industry say this FDA decision was the catalyst to the current issues of flavors and youth use. The FDA has not authorized a flavor other than tobacco. “But in that, the industry was largely preserved, and companies were able to stay in business,” said Abboud.
Credit: Momius
The next false flag
On May 18, Tom Price, a former U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services, published an op-ed on FoxNews.com where he started a narrative in the media about fentanyl-laced vaping products being imported from China in disposable vaping products. He offers no evidence of China’s involvement in the importation of fentanyl-laced vaping products other than China making most of the e-cigarette hardware.
“Reports suggest these Chinese manufacturers are also boosting disposable vapes with illegal levels of nicotine to increase addiction levels among our children. But while added nicotine makes e-cigarettes more addictive for our kids, adding fentanyl to them can make them deadly,” Price wrote. “Given the extent that China funnels fentanyl into America, it shouldn’t come as much of a surprise that reports indicate officials have found some of these vapes laced with fentanyl.”
There is no denying that fentanyl is a public health crisis. People are dying from overdosing on fentanyl because the U.S. has a huge problem in keeping illicit drugs out of the country, said Abboud. However, the “out-of-the-blue op-ed” tying fentanyl to Chinese-made disposable flavored vaping products is a new approach and new message.
Abboud then revealed a series of op-eds that were published in June all making the same points. “It was quickly [brought up again] in June by the former GOP National Committee member from Nevada who makes almost identical statements, ‘flavored disposable vaping products are dangerous, but those coming from communist China are especially dangerous because they include fentanyl,’” said Abboud. Now, according to the op-ed, “kids are experimenting with vaping fentanyl. You see what’s happening here. That was June 10. Then media reports began talking about fentanyl vapes from Mexico. On June 11, a Georgia State senator penned an op-ed (that toed the same line).”
The unsubstantiated claims that e-cigarettes contain fentanyl are increasing in frequency. Curiously, these cases have involved illicit THC vape pens or other devices—not disposables and not e-cigarettes purchased from reputable manufacturers, according to Abboud. Yet, a bill has now been introduced in the U.S. House filed by a member of Congress from the state of Florida that would remove flavored disposable vaping products from the market because of the fentanyl crisis. This call was amplified by a Florida-based retail association that made the same false claims about nicotine e-cigarettes.
The unsubstantiated association between vaping and fentanyl is showing up in regulatory conversations as well, but interestingly, only disposables are implicated even though the organic media stories have involved all device types, according to Abboud. He said the first place that he found the association made in a regulatory context was when R.J. Reynolds filed a citizen petition on Feb. 6, 2023, asking for the FDA to use its enforcement powers to remove flavored disposable vaping products from the market because “illicit market-supplied vaping products are being laced with products such as fentanyl, which is lethal in doses as small as 2 milligrams.” A few days later, a bill was introduced in Congress to force the FDA to act on removing flavored disposables.
In March, Robert Califf, commissioner of the FDA, testified before the House Appropriations Committee. “He is questioned by Representative Newhouse, and the question posed was ‘Can you tell us about your plan to get these potentially dangerous Chinese products off of the market and out of the hands of kids, and can you tell us what companies that you have (taken off the market) and that these products don’t contain harmful contents like fentanyl?’ There really hadn’t been much reporting on this issue before this, but (Califf) was asked this question,” said Abboud.
Califf told Congress that “There’s recently been some publicity,” and “it’s no surprise but of great concern to me that fentanyl may be showing up now in vaping products, [that] it was just a matter of time” and that the United States needs an all-of-government approach to protect kids from this threat.
The VTA reviewed all the stories that it could find that mentioned vaping and fentanyl. Abboud confirmed that the device in Reynolds’ petition was not disposable. The devices that were confiscated were vape pens, an open system and a pod device. The authorities, in that case, said that they found that the devices were altered when fentanyl or heroin was injected through the device into the e-liquid. All the other fentanyl reports involved cartridge-style vape pens or THC products. “Of all the cases that we looked at, only one of them even mentioned a disposable, a flavored disposable,” said Abboud. “Perhaps it’s time to ask the question ‘Why are we seeing this manufactured media narrative that is not supported by any publicly available data?’ Creating unfounded fears among consumers about fentanyl will harm the entire vaping industry and will make a mockery of the concept of tobacco harm reduction altogether.”
The ultimate issue is that misinformation, as it relates to e-cigarettes, drives people back to smoking. The FDA has also talked about this publicly. CTP Director Brian King has expressed concerns over the misinformation surrounding vaping products, and he understands that there are misperceptions as it relates to nicotine and many products. However, the vaping industry is once again in a position where disinformation is driving a false narrative that will spin out of control, according to Abboud.
“My perspective is that this is an intentional false flag. If, as asserted, millions and millions of illegally imported disposable vapes are coming into the country laced with fentanyl, where’s the outbreak? This is not something that would just ‘not’ be reported on. And as I’ve said, we looked at the reports, and there is just slim evidence that there is any connection between the fentanyl epidemic and nicotine vaping,” explains Abboud. “The problem, of course, is that we have illicit THC vapes [in] the United States that are the real issue. And given how unforgiving the Chinese government is toward illicit drugs, does anybody really believe [Chinese manufacturers] are going to make THC vapes adulterated with fentanyl and take the risk of being imprisoned or worse in their own country?”
It seems like deja vu all over again. Abboud said that if the vaping industry allows a manufactured crisis that associates fentanyl with nicotine vaping devices to take hold, the entire industry will never recover in the eyes of the consumer. “As soon as you say vaping and fentanyl, consumers will not distinguish between disposables and open systems. They will reduce their risk, and for many, that will, unfortunately, mean a return to smoking,” said Abboud. “As with EVALI, we have hyped and overgeneralized headlines in the media talking about vaping. We have had direct calls for eliminating flavored nicotine in vaping and specifically flavored disposable products.
“And we have regulators who contribute to this misleading narrative, specifically the statement made by the FDA commissioner in front of Congress. The bottom line is that I don’t think this industry gets three strikes. EVALI, strike one. I think this [fentanyl in vape devices] narrative, if it takes hold, the way it appears to be being pushed to take hold is strike two. The vaping industry won’t get a third at-bat.”
Last month, the Romanian Government enacted Governmental Ordinance No. 23/20.07.2023 amending and supplementing the Romanian Tobacco Law (GO 23). The move bans all flavored heated tobacco products.
The law takes effect on Oct. 23, 2023.
Prior to enacting GO 23 under the framework of Romanian Tobacco Law, only cigarettes and roll-your-own tobacco were subject to the prohibition of having a characterizing flavors and containing flavorings in any of their components such as filters, papers, packages, capsules or any technical features.
The aim of GO 23 is to extend this prohibition to heated tobacco products and to impose more restrictive requirements on packaging and labelling of such heated tobacco products, according to media reports.
For the first time, GO 23 enacts a legal definition of “heated tobacco products” which refers to “a novel tobacco product that is heated to produce an emission containing nicotine and other chemicals, which is then inhaled by user(s), and that, depending on its characteristics, is a smokeless tobacco product or a tobacco product for smoking.”
This definition will include any type of vaping devices that entail heating of tobacco in view of obtaining an inhalable emission containing nicotine and other chemicals.
Heated tobacco products with any type “characterizing flavor”, such as menthol, fruits, etc., will no longer be allowed in the Romanian market.
Additionally, each unit of and any outside packaging of heated tobacco products must carry the mandatory information message: “Tobacco smoke contains over 70 substances known to cause cancer.”
GO 23 also states that each unit packet and any outside packaging of heated tobacco products for smoking must carry combined health warnings that observe all the requirement set out in Art.
All producers and importers of heated tobacco products in Romania must notify the Romanian Health Ministry within 90 days after the enactment of GO 23.
The enactment of a new vape law in the Philippines last year has paved the way for products that provide smokers with better alternatives to cigarettes, according to Philip Morris Fortune Tobacco Co. (PMFTC) President Denis Gorkun.
In addition to moving regulation of vapes from the Philippine Food and Drug Administration to the Department of Trade and Industry, Republic Act 11900 lowered the purchase age for e-cigarettes and heated tobacco products from 21 to 18, removed a two-flavor limit on product flavors and allows companies to conduct corporate social responsibility-related activities.
In an interview with the Manila Bulletin, Gorkin said PMFCT would soon launch IQOS Luma, which uses induction technology to heat tobacco, and ZYN nicotine pouches in the Philippines. Made by Swedish Match, which was acquired by PMFTC’s parent company, Philip Morris International in 2022, ZYN is the best-selling nicotine pouch in the United States today.
Since PMFTC launched IQOS in the Philippines, around 75,000 local smokers had switched away from cigarettes, according to Gorkun.
Gorkun said PMI aims to eliminate cigarette consumption in line with its vision to deliver a smoke-free future. “We will continue to work towards our smoke-free future vision with products that are found by numerous international health authorities to be far better compared to continuing to smoke cigarettes.”
He said the passage of the landmark Vape Law a year ago is a “win” for public health. While providing smokers with less harmful options, the law also contains provisions to deter underage consumption, according to its proponents.
One of the authors of the vape law, former Representative Sharon Garin, said Republic Act 11900 provides that vaping isn’t made appealing to minors. “We don’t want non-smokers to pick up the habit of vaporized or electronic cigarettes,” she was quoted as saying. “What we want is a less harmful alternative for current smokers.”
Regulators in the United States are cracking down on online retailers selling vaping products that are attractive to youth. The Food and Drug Administration today issued warning letters to 16 (the agency reported 15, but lists 16) online retailers for selling and/or distributing unauthorized e-cigarette products packaged to look like cartoon characters, school supplies, toys, and drinks.
“The design of these products is a shamelessly egregious attempt to target kids,” said Brian King, director of FDA’s Center for Tobacco Products (CTP). “It’s a tough sell that adults using e-cigarettes to transition away from cigarettes need them to look like SpongeBob in order to do so successfully.”
The unauthorized products described in the warning letters include e-cigarettes that feature youth-appealing characters from TV shows, movies, and video games, including “SpongeBob,” “Lots-o’-Huggin’ Bear,” and “Mario.” The also imitate drinks from companies such as Starbucks and Dunkin coffee cups, soda and water bottles, according to press release.
“The retailers receiving these warning letters sell and/or distribute e-cigarettes in the United States that lack authorization from FDA, which is a requirement under the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic (FD&C) Act to legally market a new tobacco product,” the FDA states. “In addition to the specified products mentioned in the warning letters, the retailers were warned to address any violations that are the same as or similar to those stated in the warning letter, and promptly take any necessary actions to bring the tobacco products that they offer for sale in the United States into compliance with the FD&C Act.”
The retailers were given 15 working days to respond with the steps they’ll take to correct the violation and to prevent future violations. Failure to promptly correct the violations can result in additional FDA actions such as an injunction, seizure, and/or civil money penalties.
“CTP will continue to closely monitor all those in the supply chain, including retailers, for compliance with federal law,” said attorney Ann Simoneau, director of the Office of Compliance and Enforcement within the CTP. “As always, we will hold anyone accountable that sells unauthorized tobacco products labeled, advertised, and/or designed to encourage use by our nation’s youth.”
The companies receiving warning letters include:
VR Products I LLC d/b/a eJuiceDB
Titan Star Resources d/b/a Vape Vandal Ltd
Vapesstores.com
Disposable Vapes Wholesale
Vapestore.to
Venture Concept Groups d/b/a High Light Vape Co.
Best Vapes Store
Apex Vape
The Juice Machine
StrikesUSA
Finest Ounce Vape Stor d/b/a Finest Ounce Vape Malaysia
Spongbob Vape
Mini Cup Vape
Vape123
Viper Vapor d/b/a Viper Vapor Kelso
Mochivap
These new warning letters mark another step in the FDA’s continued efforts to remove illegal e-cigarettes from the market, particularly those that appeal to youth, the agency states. As of August 2023, the FDA has issued approximately 600 warning letters to firms for manufacturing and/or distributing illegal tobacco products, including e-cigarettes, filed civil money penalty complaints against 26 e-cigarette manufacturers, and worked with the Department of Justice to seek injunctions against 6 e-cigarette manufacturers.
The report highlights the Need for consumer participation in tobacco harm reduction policy making.
The Coalition of Asia Pacific Tobacco Harm Reduction Advocates (CAPHRA) released its Shadow Report on the (NON)-Implementation of the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC) Article 1 (d) on Harm Reduction Strategies.
The report is now available to policy makers, regulators in member states, and World Health Organization (WHO) FCTC officials.
The Shadow Report emphasizes the importance of consumer participation in policy making and highlights the benefits of tobacco harm reduction alternatives, including vaping, according to an emailed press release.
Nancy Loucas
“Tobacco Harm Reduction products have been shown to serve as a method of smoking cessation and as an alternative for smokers who are unable or unwilling to quit smoking altogether,” said Nancy Loucas, executive coordinator of CAPHRA.
“The WHO FCTC is meant to be an evidence-based treaty that reaffirms the right of all people to the highest standard of health. However, the current tobacco control measures have extensively promoted the abstinence-only approach, which has contributed to smokers’ inability to make informed choices about safer nicotine products,” said Loucas.
To access the full CAPHRA Shadow Report on the (NON)-Implementation of the FCTC Article 1 (d) on Harm Reduction Strategies click here.
Heat-not-burn players on the Korean market include Smoore (Haka Korea), Shenzhen SMY (Pluscig, Morex) and Shenzhen Yunxi Smart (UWOO), according to Wingle. Smoore, the world’s largest atomization company, seemed to also attempt to generate new leads and establish new relationships for the expansion of its FEELM-powered devices. Disposable vaping products had a strong presence, and the segment continues to grow globally.
