Author: Taco Tuinstra

  • Korea Seeks to Restrict Synthetic Nicotine

    Korea Seeks to Restrict Synthetic Nicotine

    South Korea is working to restrict the use of synthetic nicotine e-cigarettes, reports The Korea Times.

    Korea’s current law defines tobacco products as those made from the leaves of tobacco plants. Some companies saw this as an opportunity to sell products using synthetic nicotine created in a lab rather than from tobacco leaves.

    Recently, BAT Rothmans Far East, launched its synthetic nicotine vape product, Nomad Sync 5000, which currently does not meet the definition of “tobacco-leaf products” and thus avoids multiple taxes and special charges.

    In recent months, lawmakers have filed more than a dozen bills to amend the law.

    The latest bill, proposed by lawmakers of the opposition Democratic Party of Korea on Nov. 26, aims to redefine what constitutes tobacco products, seeking to include vapes that use synthetic nicotine.

    Another group of lawmakers are attempting to require sellers to put warnings on vape packaging just as cigarette sellers do, in addition to the expansion of the legal tobacco definition.

     The Ministry of Health and Welfare has vowed to support such legislation efforts.

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  • IQOS Marks 10th Anniversary

    IQOS Marks 10th Anniversary

    Photo: vfhnb12

    Philip Morris International marked the 10th anniversary of the introduction of its IQOS tobacco heating product.

    Tobacco harm reduction advocates credit the availability of heated tobacco products such as IQOS with lowering rates of traditional smoking. In Japan—the first market where IQOS was launched in 2014—cigarette smoking prevalence dropped from 19.6 percent of all adults in 2024 to 10.6 percent in 2022. According to PMI, the country continues to have the highest number of heated-tobacco-product users, and tobacco prevalence has not increased since they were introduced.

    A decade after it was launched in Japan, IQOS now generates over $10 billion of PMI’s annual net revenues, the product is available in over 70 markets worldwide, and 30.8 million adults use it.

    “With the debut of IQOS, we launched PMI’s vision of a smoke-free company, creating an opportunity to solve the problem of smoking,” said PMI CEO Jacek Olczak in a statement.

    “Every day, IQOS demonstrates its potential for this, as evidenced by the approximately 22 million adults around the world who have fully switched to it and stopped smoking. IQOS is the world’s leading smoke-free product, and we are committed to continuing to lead the way to a future where better alternatives have completely replaced cigarettes, while moving forward to become a predominantly smoke-free company by 2030.”

  • Korea Expands E-cigarette-Only Lounges

    Korea Expands E-cigarette-Only Lounges

    Image: Yakobchuk Olena

    South Korea is expanding the number of vaping-only lounges to accommodate the growing popularity of e-cigarettes, reports Korea Bizwire.

    E-cigarette-exclusive lounges have emerged at airports and commercial hubs, catering to vapers who wish to avoid the strong odors and cramped conditions of traditional smoking booths.

    Incheon Airport, for instance, has converted three existing smoking areas to vaping-only lounges by, among other things, removing ashtrays.

    According to the airport, these lounges serve an average of 4,000 users daily, with a satisfaction rate of 4.2 out of 5, as measured by a September survey. Incheon Airport is the only top-10 international airport to provide exclusive e-cigarette smoking lounges.

    “We prioritized convenience for both traditional and e-cigarette smokers by considering accessibility and foot traffic in our lounge locations,” an airport spokesperson said.

     Lotte World Tower offers dedicated e-cigarette areas, as do shopping centers like Starfield Suwon and Starfield City Wirye. Local governments in districts such as Gangnam and Seongdong have also piloted separate smoking booths for traditional and e-cigarette users.

  • EU Lawmakers to Vote on Outdoor Smoking

    EU Lawmakers to Vote on Outdoor Smoking

    Photo: Taco TUinstra

    Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) will vote on a draft resolution on smoke-free and aerosol-free environments this week, according to Euractiv.

    The resolution proposes extending the ban to key outdoor areas such as outdoor restaurants and cafes, workplaces, surroundings of healthcare facilities, educational institutions, care facilities and public transport, including bus stops and tram stops as well as train stations. Railway platforms, airports, recreational areas and other areas of high congregation would also be included in the rule.

    The draft resolution also calls for research on the risks of secondhand exposure to heated tobacco and aerosols, including from e-cigarettes. The document highlights the need to combat illicit sales, stating that “the Commission and member states should commit to taking stricter measures.”

    MEPs expect the Commission to provide member states with necessary funding to implement health policies, and the MEPs are likely to call on the Commission to present a report to Parliament and the Council on the progress and implementation of the Council Recommendations in EU countries no later than four years after the resolution is adopted.

  • Lawmakers Urged to Reject Generational Ban

    Lawmakers Urged to Reject Generational Ban

    Image: magicbones

    Campaigners are urging British lawmakers to reject plans to ban the sale of cigarettes and other tobacco products to future generations of adults.

    Ahead of the second reading of the Tobacco and Vapes Bill on Nov. 26, the smokers’ rights group Forest says the proposal is “unnecessarily divisive” and is not supported by the majority of the public.

    According to a recent poll commissioned by Forest and conducted by Yonder Consulting, 60 percent of respondents said that if people are allowed to drive a car, join the army, purchase alcohol, and vote at 18, they should also be allowed to buy cigarettes and other tobacco products.

    Fewer than a third (31 percent) said they should not be allowed to purchase tobacco when legally an adult, while 9 percent said, “don’t know.”

    MPs need to think very carefully about the unintended consequences of raising the legal age of sale of tobacco.

    Simon Clark, director, Forest

    “A generational ban on the sale of tobacco is unnecessarily divisive because it will create a two-tier society in which some adults have different rights to others,” said Forest Director Simon Clark.

    “Eventually it will create the absurd situation whereby a 40-year-old can purchase cigarettes and other tobacco products, but someone born a few days later could be denied the same right.

    “MPs need to think very carefully about the unintended consequences of raising the legal age of sale of tobacco.

    “Denying future generations of adults the right to buy cigarettes and other tobacco products legally won’t stop people smoking.

    “Creeping prohibition will simply drive the sale of tobacco underground and into the hands of criminal gangs and illicit traders.”

  • Spain Starts Consultation on Flavor Ban

    Spain Starts Consultation on Flavor Ban

    Image: MSCT

    Spain has started a public consultation on new rules for vaping devices, reports Sur.

    The proposed legislation would ban the ban on the use of non-tobacco flavorings in e-cigarettes with the goal of making these products less attractive to young people.

    The decree also aims to regulate the labeling of electronic cigarettes without nicotine. As with traditional tobacco, they will have to have a list of ingredients and health warnings indicating that their consumption is harmful to health.

    They will also have to include a leaflet with information on contraindications and possible adverse effects.

  • French Senate Approves Tobacco Tax Hikes

    French Senate Approves Tobacco Tax Hikes

    Photo: Richard-Villalon

    The French senate approved tax hikes on tobacco products, reports The Connexion.

    With the measure, lawmakers want to raise funds for France’s social security budget, which faces a deficit of €16 billion next year, and reduce the strain on healthcare services by discouraging smoking.

    The tax increases will see the average price of a packet of cigarettes increase to €12.70 in 2025, €0.40 more than envisaged in an anti-tobacco plan outlined by the previous government last year.

    The measure is expected to raise around €200 million per year. The government wants a pack of cigarettes to cost  €13 by 2027.

    Lawmakers are also considering tax increases for nicotine pouches, nicotine sachets and oral gum/beads, although the health minister is looking to ban some of these products.

    The increased taxes should be in place until the products are banned.

  • Kyrgyzstan to Ban E-cigarettes

    Kyrgyzstan to Ban E-cigarettes

    Photo: Taco Tuinstra

    Kyrgyzstan will ban vapes from mid-2025.

    President Sadyr Japarov signed a law prohibiting the import, circulation and use of electronic cigarettes.

    After July 1, 2025, those caught vaping will risk a fine $115 and sellers of e-cigarettes will be subject of a penalty ranging from $230 to $750.

    Importing electronic cigarettes will result in correctional labor for two months to one year or a fine of up to $1,390. Meanwhile, importing electronic cigarettes in large quantities will result in a fine of up to $2,300 or imprisonment for up to two years.

    The law, titled “On Amendments to Certain Legislative Acts in the Sphere of Protecting Citizens’ Health,” will come into force on July 1, 2025.

  • U.S. E-Cigarette Sales Up Nearly 50 Percent

    U.S. E-Cigarette Sales Up Nearly 50 Percent

    A new report from the CDC Foundation and Truth Initiative showed that from 2019 to 2023, there was a 47 percent increase in e-cigarette unit sales at U.S. retail outlets. Flavors like fruit, candy, mint, menthol and desserts accounted for more than 80 percent of sales.

    The report, Monitoring E-Cigarette Trends in the United States: Urgent Action Needed to Protect Kids from Flavored E-Cigarettes, urges states to adopt comprehensive statewide policies restricting flavored e-cigarette sales. The report found that the most effective policies to restrict these sales clearly define products and include comprehensive flavored tobacco restrictions without flavor or product exceptions, incorporate community and retailer education and are supported by enforcement.

    “The rise in e-cigarette sales, particularly those with youth-appealing flavors and graphics, is deeply concerning, especially as manufacturers evolve e-cigarette products to feature gamified devices and increased nicotine strength,” said Judy Monroe, president and CEO of the CDC Foundation, in a statement. “However, the data from states like Massachusetts, California and New York demonstrate how comprehensive policies can effectively curb youth access. This report underscores the urgent need for widespread adoption of similar measures to protect our young people from the risks associated with e-cigarette use.”

    “E-cigarette sales have skyrocketed in recent years, with an explosion of new products—many designed to attract and addict our youth with increasingly high levels of nicotine,” said Kathy Crosby, CEO and president of Truth Initiative. “Today’s e-cigarettes are available in a vast array of enticing flavors and feature sleek, colorful designs. They’re also bigger, stronger and cheaper than previous devices, which only heightens their appeal. Even more concerning, over 80 percent of e-cigarettes are on the market illegally. While enforcement is vital to ending the youth e-cigarette crisis, retailers also must do the right thing, take responsibility to protect their young customers and remove all illegal products from store shelves.”

    “While the latest data from the CDC Foundation and Truth Initiative show a dangerous rise in sales of e-cigarettes, they also reveal a notable decline in sales where strong policies restricting flavored e-cigarettes are implemented,” said Kelly Henning, public health program lead for Bloomberg Philanthropies. “The progress in states with strong policies underscores the urgent need for more action to swiftly and successfully combat the flavored e-cigarette epidemic among youth across the United States.”

  • Study: No Major Respiratory Symptoms Among Vapers

    Study: No Major Respiratory Symptoms Among Vapers

    A groundbreaking international study conducted as part of the Veritas cohort project has provided crucial insights into the respiratory health of exclusive e-cigarette users with no established history of smoking. Published in Scientific Reports, the study assessed respiratory symptoms among adults who had never been habitual smokers but used e-cigarettes, offering a rare glimpse into the health effects of vaping in this specific population.

    Led by researchers from CoEHAR and their global collaborators, the study compared respiratory symptoms between a cohort of e-cigarette users and a control group who had never smoked conventional cigarettes. The results indicate that individuals who have never smoked but exclusively used e-cigarette devices do not exhibit clinically relevant respiratory symptoms. Moreover, the study highlights the importance of distinguishing between statistically and clinically significant results when evaluating the health impacts of e-cigarettes.

    “Veritas lays the groundwork for longitudinal research to further assess the long-term effects of e-cigarettes on respiratory health. These findings are essential for shaping public health policies based on scientific evidence, especially as we work to differentiate the effects of vaping from those of traditional smoking,” said Riccardo Polosa, founder of CoEHAR.

    “What makes the Veritas project unique is not only its reach across six geographically diverse areas,” said Jeffrey Zamora, the study’s lead author, “but also its ability to provide data on the real-world use of e-cigarettes, including the most commonly used device types (refillable, disposable, pod-based) flavor preferences, and variations across different socio-cultural groups.”