Author: Taco Tuinstra

Smokers Confused About Relative Risk

Photo: auremar
Many smokers fail to understand the comparative risks presented by vapes and traditional cigarettes, according to a new Ipsos survey among 27,000 smokers in 28 countries carried out on behalf of We Are Innovation.
Currently, 74 percent of smokers worldwide mistakenly believe that vaping is either as harmful or more harmful than smoking combustible cigarettes. This misinformation challenges public health messaging about vaping as a safer alternative to traditional smoking methods.
The survey identified countries including Brazil, the Netherlands, Slovenia and Kazakhstan as having the highest proportion of smokers (over 80 percent) incorrectly perceiving vaping as equally or more harmful than smoking tobacco. On the other hand, countries such as Italy, the Czech Republic, France and the United Kingdom exhibited a more accurate understanding, although even in these nations, over half of smokers still hold false beliefs regarding the risks of vaping versus smoking.
“The consequences are grave,” said We Are Innovation CEO Federico N. Fernandez in a statement. “If smokers are under the incorrect assumption that vaping is no better than smoking, they are far less likely to explore potentially lifesaving products as a means to quit harmful combustibles. Misinformation is stifling innovation and obstructing smokers’ ability to escape the clutches of cigarettes.”
May 8, 2024
Regulators Urged to Distinguish Combustibles and Smoke-Free

Photo: Finn Bjurvoll Hansen
A study released on May 7 adds further evidence that the harm from nicotine use is determined primarily by the consumption method.
Titled No Smoke, Less Harm, the report details rates of nicotine usage in Sweden and a number of comparable countries, finding that nicotine use was not a factor in tobacco-related disease.
Karl Fagerstrom
While nicotine consumption in Sweden mirrors the European average, the country reports a 41 percent lower incidence of lung cancer and fewer than half the tobacco-related deaths of its European peers. This stark contrast is attributed to the widespread adoption of smoke-free nicotine products such as snus, nicotine pouches and electronic cigarettes.
“This distinction between smoking and the use of smokeless products is crucial,” says Karl Fagerstrom, a public health expert and contributor to the report.
“While nicotine is addictive, it does not cause the serious diseases associated with smoking. Our findings support a shift in focus from cessation to substitution with less harmful alternatives for those unable to stop completely.”
According to the authors, Sweden’s proactive measures in public health education and regulatory frameworks have encouraged a transition to these alternatives, significantly impacting public health outcomes. The report points out that embracing similar harm reduction strategies could be pivotal for other nations striving to reduce the health impacts of tobacco.
“The Swedish experience demonstrates that understanding and addressing public misperceptions about nicotine can lead to health policies that better protect and inform consumers,” said Fagerstrom.
May 8, 2024
Vaping Surpasses Smoking Among European Youth: WHO

Photo: Maksym Yemelyanov
Vaping has surpassed smoking among adolescents in Europe, according to a new report by the World Health Organization.
The global health body found that among 15-year-olds, 32 percent had used an e-cigarette and 20 percent consumed vaping products in the past 30 days.
“The widespread use of harmful substances among children in many countries across the European region—and beyond—is a serious public health threat,” said Hans Henri P. Kluge, WHO regional director for Europe. “Considering that the brain continues to develop well into a person’s mid-20s, adolescents need to be protected from the effects of toxic and dangerous products. Unfortunately, children today are constantly exposed to targeted online marketing of harmful products.”
Historically, there has been a difference between boys and girls, with more boys smoking than girls. With e-cigarettes, girls reach the same level of use by 15 as boys and even outpace them after 15.
While acknowledging that some health authorities view e-cigarettes as a positive alternative to smoking for adults, the WHO expressed concern about aggressive targeting by manufacturers of a younger market, which has contributed to a particularly sharp rise in consumption between the ages of 13 and 15, according to the organization.
The WHO report calls for e-cigarettes to be incorporated into smoke-free policies, with similar measures to restrict marketing, reduce toxicity, remove flavors and increase taxation.
The health body has already called for e-cigarettes to be made available only to those who are trying to quit smoking, where other proven cessation strategies have been exhausted. It has also called for e-cigarettes to be regulated like medicines rather than being sold as consumer products.
May 8, 2024
Reynold American’s WaterHub Recognized
Reynolds American Inc. (RAI) has been recognized with a 2024 SEAL Business Sustainability Award in the environmental initiative award category for its WaterHub project under construction at the Reynolds Operations Center in Tobaccoville, North Carolina, USA.
The SEAL Business Sustainability Awards honor leadership, innovation and commitment to sustainable business practices.
The Environmental Initiative Award evaluated applicants on impact metrics, innovation and uniqueness of the initiative, sharing of insights and best practices along with investment of organizational leadership capital.
Reynolds’ award-winning initiative, the WaterHub, is an advanced water recycling facility and product of a subsidiary of NextEra Energy Resources, and one of few water recycling projects of its scale. Once construction is complete, the WaterHub is expected to reclaim more than 60 million gallons of water per year, equivalent to the annual water supply of approximately 550 average U.S. households.
“We are proud of all the efforts being made across the Reynolds American organization to preserve and make efficient use of the precious natural resources we rely on to run our business,” said RAI Executive Vice President of Operations Bernd Meyer in a statement. “This SEAL recognition is a testament to our sustainability progress and the expected positive impact of the WaterHub, our advanced water recycling facility at our largest manufacturing facility, in collaboration with NextEra Energy Resources.”
May 8, 2024
Filtrona Launches HTP Filters

Photo: Filtrona
Filtrona has launched a series of new filters for heated-tobacco products (HTP), the Boreas range.
The new range includes Boreas SideFlow, a patent-pending filter with a simplified design, and Boreas CoolBridge, which combines the company’s ECO Paper Bridge cooling segment with mono acetate and its Finewall Tube to create a balanced retention and cooling mechanism.
“As more of our customers move into the rapidly growing HTP market, the launch of our Boreas range of HTP filters is timely and exciting for consumers and the wider industry alike,” said Filtrona Global Director of Innovation and ESG Hugo Azinheira in a statement. “We are thrilled to support our customers with a dedicated range of HTP filters that bear the hallmark of our innovative and unique designs.”
Azinheira said HTP customers would benefit from Filtrona’s considerable expertise. “Our industry knowledge helps companies to catch emerging trends, adapt to changes and build strong brands,” he said.
“For any of our customers that are looking to enter the HTP segment, collaborating with our team of experts can significantly speed up the product development and commercialization processes, giving them a crucial edge in the market.”
May 7, 2024
Registry Bills Harmfully Limiting Options: Critics

Photo: Andrey Popov
Premarket tobacco product application (PMTA) registry bills in the United States are harmfully limiting options for people seeking to quit cigarettes, according to critics.
The bills, which restrict sales to products that have either been authorized by the Food and Drug Administration under the PMTA pathway or are undergoing that process, have been spreading rapidly around the nation, according to Filter.
Alabama, Louisiana and Oklahoma already have PMTA registry bills in force while laws in Kentucky, Utah and Wisconsin are set to take effect in 2025.
To date, the FDA has authorized only a handful of e-cigarettes, all of which are owned by tobacco companies. The remaining vapes on the market are sold unauthorized and often imported from China. Limited FDA enforcement has prompted many states to step in with registry bills.
Tobacco harm reduction advocates have long condemned the PMTA process as excessively onerous. They point out that it’s easier to bring new cigarettes to market than it is to gain authorization for safer vapes that can replace them.
Tobacco companies are supporting PMTA registry bills in what critics say is a bid to dominate the market at the expense of people who smoke.
“Most legislators do not understand that PMTA registries aim to ban the sale of the vast majority of vaping products used by adults in their state,” said Greg Conley, director of legislative and external affairs for the American Vapor Manufacturers trade organization. “They think they are fighting Chinese scofflaws, but really they are making life worse for their own voters.”
May 7, 2024
Ex-STMA Chief Arrested

Photo: andriano_cz
Ling Chengxing, former head of China’s State Tobacco Monopoly Administration, has been arrested on suspicion of accepting bribes and abusing power, reports China Daily, citing a May 7 statement by the Supreme People’s Procuratorate.
Among other transgressions, Ling reportedly accepted banquets, sought benefits for relatives in employment and school admissions and secured benefits for others in the cadres selection and appointment.
Ling also accepted gifts, sought special treatment in transportation and medical care for his relatives and used his position to benefit others in business operations, employee hiring and job promotions.
In return, he accepted large amounts of property, according to the allegations.
Originally from Jiangxi province, Ling joined the Communist Party of China in 1977 and began working in 1980. He held positions, including executive vice governor of the province.
Ling was the head of China Tobacco from May 2013 until his retirement in July 2018. He was placed under investigation in October 2023.
In April, Ling was expelled from the Communist Party of China for violating the party’s disciplines and engaging in duty-related illegalities.
May 7, 2024
General Snus MRTP up for Renewal

Photo: Swedish Match
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s Tobacco Products Scientific Advisory Committee will hold a public meeting on June 26, 2024, from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Eastern Time at the FDA White Oak Campus in Silver Spring, Maryland.
Among other topics, the committee will discuss the renewal of a risk modification order submitted by Swedish Match USA for several loose snus and portioned snus products sold under the General brand name.
The meeting will also be webcast.
May 7, 2024
PMI Draws Fire for Supporting Doctors

Photo: Valeri Luzina
Philip Morris International is drawing fire for sponsoring doctors’ education, reports The Guardian.
According to the newspaper, the multinational has been supporting medical education programs on quitting smoking and harm reduction in South Africa, the Middle East and the United States. The sponsored courses allow participants to collect credits showing they are engaging in post-qualification learning.
Nicholas Hopkinson, a professor of respiratory medicine at Imperial College London, lambasted PMI’s medical sponsorships. “Based on its market share (around 15 percent), and the global death toll from smoking (more than 8 million annually), Philip Morris kills at least a million people every year,” he was quoted as saying. “The idea that it should have any role in medical education is grotesque.”
Hopkinson called for bodies that provide or regulate medical education to “produce explicit statements and policies that tobacco industry involvement is completely forbidden.”
A PMI spokesperson said the company believes science-based education on the topic of tobacco harm reduction is vital to improve public health.
PMI provides educational grants for science-based programs that are run independently from PMI and follow accredited standards, including a further independent third-party academic review, he said.
“Funding is clearly labelled and attributes support from PMI. We do not control the content, and it is unfounded to claim the programs are to promote PMI products. Our activities comply with all applicable laws.”
May 7, 2024
FDA Updates Authorized Products Database

Photo: Andrey Kuzmin
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has uploaded the first update to its recently created Searchable Tobacco Products Database, which provides an overview of tobacco products and vapor products that may be legally marketed in the United States.
Due to timing factors associated with the initial launch, the products included in this update cover a longer time period (January through mid-April 2024) than will typically be included in the future. The agency intends to update the database every month.
The current database updates include the addition of several tobacco products that were issued a substantial equivalence or exempt order, a number of tobacco products that were determined to be preexisting tobacco products through voluntary submissions, and links to redacted and 508-compliant order letters, decision summaries and other documents for various authorized products that were already in the database.
The database is available here.
May 6, 2024