Tag: vaping

IKE Tech, Ispire to File Age Gating Technology PMTA
Credit: Thapana Studio
Ispire Technology and IKE Tech announced a successful pre-premarket tobacco product application (PMTA) meeting with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s Center for Tobacco Products (CTP) for their age verification technology for electronic nicotine delivery systems (ENDS).
According to an e-mailed release, the technology aims to prevent youth access while expanding adult market access to flavored PMTA-authorized products. IKE Tech is a joint venture among three leading technology and research companies Ispire and Touch Point Worldwide d/b/a Berify and Chemular Inc.
IKE Tech will submit a component PMTA, which would allow ENDS manufacturers to incorporate their blockchain-based age-gating solution if authorized. The FDA indicated potential priority review consideration and acceptance of a component PMTA. The company plans to complete the required studies in Q1 2025.
This critical regulatory milestone marks an essential step in the journey to provide an innovative, secure universal solution aimed at preventing youth access to ENDS and expanding the market for adults who choose to use flavored PMTA-authorized products, according to the release.
“The IKE Tech identity and age verification technology unlocks opportunities for adults who choose to use flavored vapor products while introducing a pioneering approach to reducing youth access and usage,” the release states.
Due to its innovative design, reliance on blockchain technology, and partnership with leading identity and age verification providers, the IKE Tech system is an advanced component that could be used — in any ENDS device — to ensure only authorized adult users can access vaping products.
FDA alignment on key points:

Component PMTA: IKE Tech will submit a PMTA for a component, as opposed to a finished tobacco product to be sold to consumers, and the FDA indicated it will accept such a component PMTA if all statutory requirements are met. Additionally, due to the fact this component employs novel point-of-use technology, the FDA indicated it will consider a request to grant the IKE Tech system priority review. If authorized, the component PMTA would allow ENDS manufacturers to use the IKE Tech system in their finished tobacco product PMTAs, as a plug-and-play age-gating solution, which may allow for the approval of a variety of flavored ENDS products.
Creation of Tobacco Product Master File (TPMF): IKE will create and file a TPMF for the IKE component. Once authorized, the component and TPMF can, subject to agreement, be available to ENDS device manufacturers for incorporation into products.
IKE Tech anticipates completing the required studies for the component PMTA for the IKE Tech system, including the Identity and Age Verification component in Q1 2025.
“Our commitment to harm reduction through innovation and our collaborative efforts with regulators are central to Ispire’s mission,” said Michael Wang, Co-CEO of Ispire. “We are proud to introduce technologies that are designed to responsibly support adult consumer choice while significantly reducing youth access. This technology represents our dedication to aligning with regulatory guidance and setting new standards for safer
November 18, 2024
THR Group Asks Kazakhstan to Reassess Policies
Credit: Zero Photo
The Coalition of Asia Pacific Harm Reduction Advocates (CAPHRA) today called on the government of Kazakhstan to reassess its stance on tobacco harm reduction (THR) products, citing compelling evidence from Japan demonstrating the significant health and economic benefits of embracing safer alternatives to smoking.
A recent study published in the journal Healthcare reveals that if 50 percent of smokers in Japan switched from combustible cigarettes to heated tobacco products (HTPs), it could prevent 12 million patient cases and save JPY 454 billion in healthcare costs. This data underscores the immense potential of THR strategies in countries with high smoking rates.
Nancy Loucas, the executive coordinator of CAPHRA, stated that the Japanese example clearly illustrates that HTPs can be an effective harm reduction tool in nations where smoking prevalence remains high, and other safer nicotine products are unavailable.
“Kazakhstan, with its significant gender disparity in smoking rates and tobacco-related health issues, could greatly benefit from adopting a more progressive approach to THR. Kazakhstan’s current policies treat all nicotine products, including less harmful alternatives, the same as traditional cigarettes,” Loucas explains in an e-mailed release. “This approach, coupled with the recent ban on vapes and high taxes on smokeless alternatives, demonstrates a concerning lack of acceptance for harm reduction strategies.
“By ignoring the potential of THR products, Kazakhstan is missing a crucial opportunity to save lives,” Loucas added. “Our analysis suggests that embracing harm reduction policies could prevent 165,000 premature deaths in Kazakhstan over the next four decades.
The government must reconsider its stance for public health, stated Loucas. CAPHRA urges Kazakh policymakers to:

Review and revise current regulations to differentiate between combustible cigarettes and less harmful alternatives.
Following Japan’s successful model, the introduction of HTPs should be considered as a harm reduction tool.
Engage with public health experts and THR advocates to develop evidence-based policies.
Implement a tiered taxation system encouraging smokers to switch to less harmful products.
“The time for Kazakhstan to act is now,” Loucas stated. “By embracing tobacco harm reduction, the country can significantly improve public health outcomes, reduce healthcare costs, and potentially narrow the life expectancy gap between men and women. We stand ready to support Kazakhstan in developing and implementing effective THR policies.”
November 18, 2024
Report: Transition to Safer Products Underway

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A new report from Knowledge Action Change (KAC) describes the extent to which safer nicotine products (SNP) are replacing and substituting for combustible and risky oral tobacco products.
Co-authored by experts in harm reduction, data science and economics, The Global State of Tobacco Harm Reduction 2024: A Situation Report (GSTHR 2024) considers what is driving these changes, how different regulatory environments have developed, and the complex interplay between products, consumers, and policy and regulation.
The latest market data shows that while sales of combustible tobacco remain significantly higher than sales of SNP, two key shifts are occurring in the tobacco and nicotine market: first, the total market share of SNP is increasing, and second, inflation-adjusted combustible tobacco sales are declining, while SNP sales are experiencing rapid growth.
Although the nominal value of combustible tobacco sales increased from $752 billion in 2015 to over $1 trillion in 2024, when adjusted for inflation (and assuming a constant currency value), combustible tobacco sales actually decreased to $685 billion in 2024—an 8.9 percent decline. Meanwhile, inflation-adjusted SNP sales grew nearly sixfold from 2015, reaching, in non-adjusted terms, $96 billion in 2024.
Further analysis shows, however, that Chinese data skews these figures. China’s tobacco market accounts for an astonishing $344 billion of the $1 trillion global combustible tobacco market. Despite being the global center of production for nicotine vapes, the Chinese market for all SNP is extremely small, at less than 1.2 percent of its market for combustibles. GSTHR analysis removing China from the calculations reveals the true scale of the acceleration in the global SNP market: it has reached 12.3 percent of the total tobacco and nicotine market in 2024, up from virtually zero in 2004.

The evidence from this report shows that when safer products are appropriate, acceptable, accessible and affordable—people will switch.
Gerry Stimson, founder, KAC
According to KAC, legal access to a range of SNP will be essential for the billion people who smoke worldwide to benefit from tobacco harm reduction (THR). Research undertaken for GSTHR 2024 shows that more than two-thirds of the world’s adult population can now legally access at least one form of SNP. Access to combustible tobacco products, by contrast, remains legal for 100 percent of the world’s adult population. The report also reveals that the global number of vapers has increased from 58 million in 2018, to reach an estimated 114 million in 2023. With 30 million people using other safer nicotine products, this means the GSTHR estimates there are now around 144 million users of SNP worldwide.
“Harm reduction is often thought about as policies and strategies, driven by public health. But it isn’t only this. It’s also what people do themselves to reduce risks and improve their own health,” said KAC Founder Gerry Stimson in a statement. “Governments and both international and national health organizations, need to help create an environment in which people can be informed and empowered to make those safer choices. And the evidence from this report shows that—when safer products are appropriate, acceptable, accessible and affordable—people will switch, in fact they are already switching, in their millions.”
November 18, 2024
Tucker Carlson Launches Nicotine Pouch Brand

Tucker Carlson has launched his own nicotine pouch brand, ALP, which the conservative American commentator touts as “the first nicotine pouch brand made by and for adults who unapologetically love nicotine.”
ALP will be sold, marketed and distributed through ALP Supply Co., a newly formed 50/50 joint venture between the Tucker Carlson Network and Turning Point Brands. The product comes in three nicotine strengths—3 mg, 6 mg and 9 mg—and in four distinct styles, including Chilled Mint, Mountain Wintergreen, Refreshing Chill and Tropical Fruit.
“There’s no reason consumers should be forced to buy nicotine pouches from soulless, pronoun loving, politicized conglomerates that despise them and their culture,” said Carlson in a statement. “With ALP, they now have an alternative that is delicious and far better than Zyn, which in case you haven’t noticed is as dry as a teabag.”
A portion of ALP profits will go to charities that align with the values of its consumers, such as forest restoration, protecting former K9 servicemembers and funding trade school scholarships for Americans.
According to an earlier article in The Wall Street Journal, Carlson decided to enter the tobacco business because of the way Zyn manufacturer Philip Morris International responded to an off-color remark he made in 2023 about America’s bestselling nicotine pouch.
Until recently, Carlson styled himself as an unofficial spokesman for Zyn. He talked up the brand on frequent podcast appearances. “The truth is, Zyn is a powerful work enhancer and also a male enhancer, if you know what I mean,” Carlson told comedian Theo Von in an interview last October.
Carlson’s representatives then pitched PMI on forming a partnership with the brand. The multinational declined, citing Carlson’s commentary.
“While we understand that these may be Mr. Carlson’s views or made in jest, these statements lack a scientific foundation,” the tobacco company wrote. “Given Mr. Carlson’s popularity and reach, these statements could promote a misunderstanding and misuse of our products.”
Carlson said the message enraged him.
“Of course I wasn’t making a medical claim about their product. I was just joking,” he told The Wall Street Journal. “So I thought: ‘I’m going to launch my own product that’s not controlled by, you know, humorless, left-wing drones.’”
November 18, 2024
Colorado CBD Company Settles Suit With State

Colorado US state flag with statue of lady justice, constitution and judge hammer on black drapery. Concept of judgement and punishment
Bee’s Knees CBDs, based in Colorado, has reached a $225,000 settlement with the state attorney general after an investigation revealed that the company misrepresented its product offerings, falsely claimed partnerships with nonprofits, and failed to verify the ages of its customers.
The fines could increase to $495,000 if the company fails to comply with the settlement’s terms, which include the initial $225,000 over a series of payments and the company’s pledge to “fully comply with state law” moving forward, Colorado AG Phil Weiser’s office said in a press release.
Bee’s Knees sells industrial hemp-derived cannabinoid products both wholesale and on its website directly to consumers. While many of the company’s offerings include non-intoxicating products like CBD gummies and topicals, some of the products are infused with hemp-derived THC — and, while the website lists the products as being restricted to customers aged 21+, the products could previously be purchased without providing proof-of-age, the release said.
Colorado Attorney General Phil Weiser, in a statement, said, “Colorado is committed to maintaining an effective system of overseeing the sale of legal cannabis products — one that keeps it out of the hands of kids, ensures safety standards, requires chain-of-custody tracking, and gives consumers important information about the products they buy, according to reports.
“In this case, the company misrepresented to their customers the source and nature of their products and sold intoxicating products without verifying the age of customers. This settlement will hold them accountable for those violations of the law and will ensure compliance in the future.”
November 17, 2024
North Carolina County to Restrict Tobacco Shops

Credit: Rex Holster
The Columbus County Board of Commissioners in North Carolina is slated to vote on a proposed ordinance restricting locations of retailers selling tobacco, hemp and kratom during its meeting Monday.
At the board’s previous meeting, Commission Chair Ricky Bullard said he wanted to restrict the locations of new shops “the maximum amount we can.”
The current proposal requires a much wider distance between retailers and places used by minors than a version of the ordinance discussed on Nov. 4, according to media reports.
The expanded ordinance would also set a four-year deadline for retailers already in business to move out of the protected zones. If passed, the vape shop regulation would only affect unincorporated areas of the county.
The board tabled discussion Nov. 4 of an earlier vape shop ordinance, saying it didn’t go far enough. That proposal defined the targeted products and prohibited retail shops selling them from opening within 1,000 feet of schools, child care centers, public parks, group homes or rehabilitation facilities.
Commissioner Giles “Buddy” Byrd called the 1,000-foot barrier “not enough” and asked county staff to rewrite the ordinance to expand it to at least half a mile. County Planning and Economic Development Director Gary Lanier’s new recommendation does just that, setting 2,640 feet as the nearest a vape, tobacco or hemp shop may set up from one of the listed areas.
Lanier also based the new recommendation on ordinances in other eastern N.C. counties that “amortize” the right of existing shops to operate. The new wording would require existing tobacco and hemp retailers to move outside the half-mile boundary within four years.
November 17, 2024
Robert Kennedy, Jr. Tapped to Lead Trump’s HHS

Robert Kennedy Jr. (Credit: Cage Skidmore)
President-elect Donald Trump has nominated Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. to serve as the new secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). The effects Kennedy will have on the nicotine market remain unclear. Kennedy must still be confirmed by Congress.
“For too long, Americans have been crushed by the industrial food complex and drug companies who have engaged in deception, misinformation, and disinformation when it comes to Public Health,” Trump posted. “The Safety and Health of all Americans is the most important role of any Administration, and HHS will play a big role in helping ensure that everybody will be protected from harmful chemicals, pollutants, pesticides, pharmaceutical products, and food additives that have contributed to the overwhelming Health Crisis in this Country.”
As the leader of HHS, Kennedy will oversee the FDA, which regulates vaping, nicotine pouches, and all other nicotine and tobacco products through its Center for Tobacco Products.
Kennedy’s position on vaping, nicotine, and tobacco harm reduction (THR) remains an unknown. During the presidential campaign, Trump promised that, if elected, he would “save vaping” after meeting with Tony Abboud of the Vapor Technology Association.
“I saved Flavored Vaping in 2019, and it greatly helped people get off smoking,” Trump said on his Truth Social platform in September. “I raised the age to 21, keeping it away from the ‘kids.’ Kamala and Joe want everything banned, killing small businesses all over the country. I’ll save Vaping again!”
November 15, 2024
UK Vaping Industry Association Forum Starts Nov. 15
The U.K. Vaping Industry Association’s (UKVIA) annual Industry Forum will take place at the London Marriott Hotel Regents Park on Friday, Nov. 15.
The event will feature a program of timely panel discussions, including “Politics in the Spotlight”; “Closing the Trust Gap”; “Adding Consumers to the Conversation”; and “The Balancing Act,” which will explore the best route to further unlock vaping’s potential to improve harm reduction while also protecting young people.
It will also include a panel discussion titled “Killing the Black Market, Not the Consumers,” which will look at how interventions such as a vape retailer and distributor licensing scheme could put a stop to rogue traders for good and bring about a new age of responsibility and accountability for the sector.
“The industry has long been calling for stronger action against the unscrupulous sellers who flout the law and put young people, consumers and legitimate businesses at risk, and we were delighted to see the inclusion of licensing in the new government’s Tobacco and Vapes Bill,” said UKVIA Director General John Dunne in a statement.
“Earlier this year, the UKVIA was involved in the development of a vape retailer and distributor licensing framework, which would prevent inappropriate businesses—including sweet shops—from ever selling these products, would bring into force stronger penalties for those breaking the rules and would generate upward of £50 million [$63.65 million] per year in self-sustaining funding, which could be used to empower Trading Standards.”
This year’s UKVIA Forum will also feature a keynote on the “new era of enforcement” from Kate Pike, lead officer for vaping with the Chartered Trading Standards Institute, as well as a Q&A with Orla Menzies, the vaping policy lead for HMRC, and—for the first time—an onstage showcase where five companies will discuss how they are adapting their product offerings and leading on innovation across the sector.
November 14, 2024
Northern Ireland: Many Vapers Avoid Verifying Age

Credit: Miroslav
According to a recent survey, 4 out of 5 vape users in Northern Ireland have never been asked to verify their age compared to 45 percent of UK users.
Despite this, the survey showed retailers would support checks coming into force where the minimum age to purchase a vape in Northern Ireland or the UK is 18 years old.
Campaigners say vapes are just as threatening to our nation’s health as other age-restricted items, like cigarettes and alcohol, but currently have a hold over our youth who have access to vapes. The tools for age verification are more accessible to sources too for convenience stores.
The topic of age-restricted sales, which made it into the King’s Speech, also tackles shoplifting. Identification has been an essential aspect in delivering, according to media.
The Tobacco and Vapes Bill, driven by Rishi Sunak to stop under-15-year-olds being legally sold tobacco products.
Knowledge has evolved around vaping culture; suppliers like Vape Supplier Limited (VSL) have distributed ITL’s MyCheckr scanners to convenience stores.
November 13, 2024
Navajo Nation Increases Nicotine Tax, Adds Vapes

Credit: Pabrady63
The Navajo Nation Budget and Finance Committee Vice Chair Carl R. Slater joined Navajo Nation President Dr. Buu Nygren as he signed Legislation 0145-24 into law, amending the Tobacco Products Tax to include electronic smoking devices and other nicotine products.
Council Delegate Slater, who sponsored the legislation, thanked President Nygren for signing the bill, emphasizing its potential to reduce tobacco and nicotine use among Navajo youth.
“We’ve seen the tobacco and nicotine industries evolve to target our young people in new ways, making them lifelong users dependent on these harmful substances,” Council Delegate Slater said. “Our traditional and sacred tobacco serves a much different purpose. It’s not about quick gratification, but about purifying our minds so our thoughts are strong, clear, and aligned with our teachings.”
The newly implemented Nicotine Products and Electronic Smoking Products Tax applies a 22 percent tax rate to nicotine and electronic smoking devices, according to media reports. It also increases taxes on tobacco products, including an additional 12.5 cents per cigarette, $3.85 per ounce of smoking tobacco, snuff, and chewing tobacco, $1.25 per ounce of plug or twist tobacco, $2.50 per package of small cigars, and $3.62 per larger, single cigar.
Council Delegate Slater highlighted how the Fund Management Plan for the new tax will support the Office of Traditional Culture and Spiritual Healing, which has not been funded since its creation. Additionally, the new tax revenue will support the Department of Health’s projects in partnership with traditional Navajo healer non-profit organizations.
November 13, 2024