Author: Taco Tuinstra

Study Warns of ‘Thirdhand’ Smoke

Photo: stokkete
A new U.S. study, published in Environmental Science and Technology, warns against the risk of “thirdhand” smoke, which forms when particles from a cigarette seep into materials like hair, clothes and furniture.
Researchers at the Berkeley Lab in California carried out a series of experiments on humans and mice.
In one study, three volunteers who did not smoke were asked to wear the clothes of a heavy cigarette user for three hours.
Tests showed they had up to 86 times higher levels of the toxic compounds NNK and NNN in their urine after the experiment.
In another study, researchers exposed the same carcinogens to human lung tissue and showed they can cause DNA damage, which is one of the triggers of cancer.
“These findings illustrate the potential health impacts of thirdhand smoke, which contains not only TSNAs but hundreds of other chemicals, some of which are also known carcinogens,” said author Neal Benowitz, a medic at the University of California, San Francisco.
“Next steps for this research will explore in more detail the mechanisms of adverse health effects associated with tobacco and cannabis residues, effective remediation strategies and translation of scientific findings to tobacco control practice.”
August 24, 2022
Retailers: HTPs Require Commitment

Photo: VPZ
While offering various benefits, heated-tobacco products (HTPs) require lots of dedication from tobacco retailers to be successful, according to an article in the U.K. publication Better Retailing.
Although vaping has rapidly taken off since its introduction in the U.K. two decades ago, HTP is a younger technology that has taken some time to build momentum. Philip Morris Limited (PML) entered the market in 2016 with IQOS, and Japan Tobacco International debuted its Ploom device in the U.K. in 2020.
In 2021, HTPs represented 18.6 percent of the total reduced-risk product market in the U.K., up 86 percent compared to 2020, suggesting considerable gains for retailers who can invest the time, energy and research that this category demands.
The retailers interviewed by Better Retailing reported hit-or-miss success with heat-not-burn products, with one shop owner keeping IQOS Heets in store for a single customer and another bringing in more than £1,000 ($1,183) per week with the product.
JTI advises retailers to maintain good stock levels and to have devices available for in-store demonstrations and for using platforms, such as JTI’s trade website jtiadvance.co.uk, to generate repeat sales.
Kate O’Dowd, head of commercial planning for U.K. and Ireland at PML, urges retailers to not limit themselves by a “stock-and-sell” mentality. “Build connections with customers to understand their preferences so you can offer a smoke-free alternative that meets their needs,” she says.
August 22, 2022
Vape Vouchers Help Smokers Quit in Pilot

Photo: witsarut
Giving out vape starter kit vouchers could help even hardened smokers quit, according to a new study from the University of East Anglia (UEA) in the United Kingdom.
Researchers worked with general practitioners and the National Health Service (NHS) to set up a pilot vape shop voucher scheme to help patients who had tried and failed to quit smoking in the past.
An evaluation of the scheme, funded by Norfolk County Council, showed it was a big success as 42 percent of the entrenched smokers who were referred to it and redeemed their vape voucher quit smoking within a month.
“Research shows that vaping is an effective way of quitting smoking compared to nicotine-replacement therapies like patches and gum,” said lead researcher and addiction expert Caitlin Notley of the UEA’s Norwich Medical School.
“This innovative approach saw the NHS local stop-smoking service, vape retailers and researchers working together, recognizing that other forms of smoking cessation support do not work for everyone.
“This scheme enabled 42 percent of entrenched smokers who redeemed a voucher to have successfully quit smoking at four weeks. This is especially important because it helped those who have tried and failed to quit smoking many times to move away from tobacco.”
Following its initial success, the scheme has been rolled out across Norfolk.
August 22, 2022
Activists Laud New Vaping Law Philippines

Peter Dator
(Photo: Vapers PH)
Vaping activists have praised the Philippines for enacting progressive e-cigarette legislation.
On July 25, legislation took effect that lowers the purchase age for e-cigarettes and heated-tobacco products, removes a two-flavor limit on e-liquids and allows vaping sponsorships beyond industry associations and trade events.
“Enacting some of the most progressive vaping legislation in Asia-Pacific now makes the Philippines an international leader in effective tobacco harm reduction,” said Nancy Loucas, executive coordinator of the Coalition of Asia Pacific Tobacco Harm Reduction Advocates (CAPHRA). “It’s a massive wake-up call for other countries to also enable smokers to switch to safer nicotine products.”
Peter Dator, president of Vapers PH, says the new law protects minors, helps to eradicate black markets, ensures safety standards and gives adult smokers access to viable cigarette alternatives.
“By adopting a successful THR strategy, we now join about 70 countries worldwide which are all seeing smoking rates fall,” said Dator. “This is truly a landmark piece of legislation which I hope other countries now follow. Embracing vaping is the only way to eradicate smoking.”
Dator also praised Philippine lawmakers for resisting foreign attempts to influence the country’s health policies.
“It’s well established that the Philippines has been a target of American billionaires and their so-called philanthropic foundations fueling anti-vaping sentiment,” he said. “Our leaders have now stood up to the bullies with a legacy that will endure for generations.”
August 22, 2022
Zimbabwe: More Money From Less Tobacco

Photo: Taco Tuinstra
Zimbabwe has sold 201.05 million kg of tobacco worth US$614.27 million since the marketing season opened in March, reports The Star, citing statistics from the Tobacco Industry and Marketing Board.
While being close to matching last year’s output, the value of the crop sold so far this year has surpassed last year’s figure, reflecting firmer prices due to good quality leaf. During the same period in 2021, Zimbabwe’s tobacco growers sold 207.18 million kg for US$578.78 million.
Despite being grown under difficult conditions characterized by erratic rainfall, the seasonal price averaged above US$3 per kg compared to US$2.79 per kg last year.
Ninety-five percent of Zimbabwe’s tobacco crop is grown under the contract system. Only 5 percent of farmers self-finance their crop production, which they then sell through auction floors.
Zimbabwe’s tobacco auction season officially closed July 20, but contract sales are still ongoing.
August 22, 2022
Keating to lead Imperial’s U.K./Ireland Corporate Affairs

Photo: Casimirokt | Dreamstime.com
Imperial Tobacco has appointed Lindsay Mennell Keating as head of corporate and legal affairs for the U.K. and Ireland, reports Talking Retail.
Previously, Keating held the positions of head of corporate affairs EU and senior government affairs manager at Imperial Tobacco. Prior to joining the business in 2014, she worked as a public affairs and communications consultant in Brussels.
“I am delighted to be heading up the corporate and legal affairs team at Imperial Tobacco and welcome the opportunity to work closely with our trade partners as the tobacco and next-generation categories continue to evolve,” said Keating.
“The government’s forthcoming Tobacco Control Plan will present a period of regulatory change, and I look forward to building on our existing networks to ensure our customers are in a strong position to successfully manage these changes.”
August 22, 2022
Judge Boosts PM’s Infringement Award

Photo: New Africa
R.J. Reynolds Vapor Co. owes Philip Morris Products more than $14 million after a federal judge on Aug. 17 increased a jury’s June patent-infringement award over vapor products to include prejudgment interest and supplemental damages, reports Bloomberg Law.
Judge Leonie M. Brinkema amended the judgment entered June 15 in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia to reflect a total judgment amount of $10.9 million for infringement of one patent and $3.16 million for infringement of another.
In its June 15 judgement, the jury found that RJR’s Vuse Solo and Alto devices infringe two Philip Morris patents covering parts of a vaping device for heating substances and preventing leaks. At the same time, the jury cleared Vuse Alto of infringing one of the patents.
The verdict concerned counterclaims in RJR’s ongoing patent lawsuit over PMI’s IQOS heated-tobacco device. RJR won an order blocking IQOS imports at the U.S. International Trade Commission last November.
Philip Morris succeeded earlier this year in invalidating parts of some patents RJR accused it of infringing at a U.S. Patent Office tribunal.
RJR parent company BAT has also sued Philip Morris over IQOS in the United Kingdom, Germany and elsewhere. A PMI filing with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission earlier this year said IQOS patent lawsuits and challenges outside of the U.S. have “repeatedly and universally failed.”
Altria has separately sued Reynolds for patent infringement in North Carolina over the Vuse line.
August 21, 2022
Hedge Fund Might Force PMI to Raise its Swedish Match Bid

Photo: Swedish Match
A hedge fund might force Philip Morris International to raise its bid for Swedish Match, according to an article in The Wall Street Journal.
On May 11, PMI offered SEK161.2 billion ($16.14 billion) to purchase Swedish Match. The acceptance period for the offer was initially set to expire on Sept. 30, 2022, but was later extended to Oct. 21, 2022, as the bid awaits approval from the European Commission.
The offer is conditional on PMI gaining more than 90 percent of Swedish Match’s Stockholm-listed shares.
Since the companies announced their deal, Elliott Management Corp. has acquired an undisclosed stake in Swedish Match. According to Massimo Stabilini, a hedge-fund manager at London-based Sinclair Capital, Elliott is trying to get a better price from PMI.
Elliott would need to buy close to $1.6 billion worth of Swedish Match stock to stop Philip Morris reaching 90 percent, suggesting it might need others to join its campaign. Under Swedish rules, it will also have to disclose its holding if its stake reaches 5 percent.
Elliott is not the only Swedish Match shareholder seeking better terms. Earlier this year, shareholder Bronte Capital also opposed the takeover, saying the offer price was “unacceptable,” according to Reuters.
Investors holding out for a better price are betting that PMI will cough up rather than walk away from the deal. The acquisition is key to the cigarette giant’s stated goal of generating more than 50 percent of its net revenue from smoke-free products by 2025, up from 29 percent last year.
Elliott has proven willing to play a longer game before, according to The Wall Street Journal. In 2016, it took a more than 10 percent stake in Arcam after General Electric Co. agreed to buy the Swedish 3-D printing company. GE later raised its bid and lowered its minimum approval threshold to 75 percent.
August 19, 2022
FDA Warns VPR Over Nicotine Gummies

Photo: Ljupco Smokovski
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration on Aug. 18 issued a warning letter to VPR Brands (doing business as Krave Nic) for marketing illegal flavored nicotine gummies—the first warning letter for this type of product.
According to the FDA, these types of gummies are of particular public concern because of their resemblance to kid-friendly food or candy products and the potential to cause severe nicotine toxicity or even death among young children.
VPR Brands markets gummies that have 1 mg of nicotine each and are available in three flavors – Blueraz, Cherry Bomb and Pineapple. The packaging claims that the products contain tobacco-free nicotine. This firm has not submitted a premarket tobacco product application to the FDA, and does not have a marketing authorization order to manufacture, sell or distribute these products in the U.S.
“Nicotine gummies are a public health crisis just waiting to happen among our nation’s youth, particularly as we head into a new school year,” said FDA Commissioner Robert M. Califf in a statement. “We want parents to be aware of these products and the potential for health consequences for children of all ages—including toxicity to young children and appeal of these addictive products to our youth. The FDA will not stand by as illegal products infiltrate the marketplace.”
August 18, 2022
Respira Appoints Brian Quigley as CEO

Photo: jirsak
Respira Technologies as appointed former Altria Group executive and current Respira COO Brian Quigley as its new CEO. Respira’s founder, Mario Danek, will transition to the role of chief technology officer.
Quigley spent 16 years at Altria Group, with seven years as president and CEO at Altria’s smokeless and innovative products/vapor businesses. Quigley has been an active investor in both the cannabis and alcohol spaces and sits on the boards of Mustgrow Biologics and Belle Isle Craft Spirits.
With Respira in the midst of securing financing for clinical trials, Danek made a significant change to the structure of the company’s leadership team. Quigley’s background as a successful business leader and Fortune 150 CEO in the space will help drive Respira to its next phase as it advances to an investigational new drug submission to begin human clinical trials. This transition will enable Danek to focus on the technology behind Respira, concentrating on inventing and refining its innovative inhalation device across multiple potential indication areas and target markets.
Respira is a California venture-backed health tech company focused on commercializing proprietary inhalation device technologies to improve patient outcomes. The company is currently engaged with U.S. Food and Drug Administration Center for Drug Evaluation and Research to pursue a combination product authorization as the first inhalable prescription smoking cessation therapy.
August 18, 2022