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  • Keagan Lenihan Joins PMI as Vice President

    Keagan Lenihan Joins PMI as Vice President

    Photo: akub Jirsák | Dreamstime.com

    Philip Morris International has appointed Keagan Lenihan as vice president of government affairs and public policy, and head of its D.C. office. Lenihan will serve as the Washington, D.C., lead for PMI’s U.S.-based external affairs efforts as the company continues to advance on its journey away from cigarettes, reporting to members of the company’s senior management team in the U.S. and globally.

    Lenihan joins PMI from Altoida, a medical device company that uses artificial intelligence and augmented reality technologies to predict neurological disease, where she served as vice president of operations. Over the previous two decades, she worked in government and corporate and public policy, most recently as associate commissioner for external affairs and strategic initiatives and then chief of staff of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.

    In these positions, she oversaw daily management of the agency and provided strategic direction to senior leadership on policy priorities, including efforts to promote medical product innovation, tackle opioid abuse, identify solutions to prescription drug shortages, and pursue a comprehensive plan for tobacco regulation, with an emphasis on preventing youth use of tobacco products.

    We are thrilled that Keagan will be joining us to further accelerate PMI’s journey toward a smoke-free future.

    Deepak Mishra, president of PMI Americas

    “We are thrilled that Keagan will be joining us to further accelerate PMI’s journey toward a smoke-free future,” said Deepak Mishra, president of PMI Americas. “Her passion for and expertise in healthcare, life sciences, and policy issues and her commitment to help our company reach the next phase in its ambitious transformation away from cigarettes make her an ideal addition to our global leadership team.”

    Prior to serving at the FDA, Lenihan was senior counselor to the secretary of health and human services, overseeing an extensive portfolio of policy initiatives and reforms, including comprehensive drug pricing reform, price transparency, and regulatory reform. Before that, she was special assistant to the president, charged with managing hiring for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Department of Education, Department of Housing and Urban Development, Department of Labor, and Office of Personnel and Management.

    Earlier, Lenihan was senior director of government relations for McKesson Specialty Health. She also worked for almost a decade on Capitol Hill, serving three members of Congress who held positions in House leadership, as well as senior members of the Ways and Means and House Rules committees.

    “Having spent two decades working to improve public health, I am delighted to join forces with PMI in their mission to move away from cigarettes and help current smokers who otherwise would not quit switch to less harmful alternatives while ensuring we protect youth,” said Lenihan in a statement. “PMI is not just transforming its business; with its smoke-free commitment, it is revolutionizing its industry and championing an unprecedented breakthrough for public health, including moving beyond nicotine to meet patient and consumer needs in the wellness and life sciences spaces. I’m excited to have been invited to play a role in making this happen even faster.”

  • Finland Tightens Tobacco Laws

    Finland Tightens Tobacco Laws

    Photo: sezerozger

    On May 1, 2022, a revised Tobacco Act took effect in Finland as part of a long-term strategy to eliminate smoking, according to reports by YLE News and Business Standard.

    Smoking at playgrounds and on public beaches is now banned. The beach ban is in effect annually from the beginning of May to the end of September.

    The ban aims to protect youth from secondhand smoke as well as reduce littering and environmental damage related to smoking.

    Tobacco flavoring products including flavor cards are also banned under the revised legislation. Characterizing flavors such as menthol or strawberry in cigarettes were illegal already. The new rules are targeted at products that enable consumers to flavor their unflavored tobacco products.

    Products already in stores and warehouses have until the end of April 2023 to be sold.

    By May 2023, stricter regulations on product packaging will go into effect. Brand images will no longer be allowed on packaging, with the goal of reducing the appeal of tobacco products.

    Finland has been gradually restricting public smoking since 1976, starting with bans on public transport and later extending to all public indoor areas.

  • U.S. Premium Cigar Imports Up

    U.S. Premium Cigar Imports Up

    Photo: Media Ingenious Corp

    The United States imported 21.4 million premium cigars in 2022, up 3.8 percent from the previous year, reports Halfwheel, citing the Cigar Association of America (CAA).

    Nicaragua supplied 14.73 million premium cigars while Honduras delivered 3.21 million, both showing increases from 2021.

    Imports from the Dominican Republic, on the other hand, decreased by more than 40 percent.

    The CAA calculates its report numbers based on import numbers from the U.S. Census Bureau, U.S. Customs Services and information reported by cigar companies. Numbers are not exact due to reporting differences, according to the association. The CAA estimates how many “large cigars” were actually “premium cigars.”

  • Prospect of Menthol Ban Divides Black Leaders

    Prospect of Menthol Ban Divides Black Leaders

    Photo: BrAt82

    The U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s recent announcement of its proposed menthol ban has divided leaders in the Black community.

    Menthol cigarettes are disproportionately popular among Black smokers in the United States. Out of all Black smokers, nearly 85 percent smoke menthol cigarettes, compared to 30 percent of White smokers who smoke menthols, according to the FDA.

    While proponents argue that the ban will help end “predatory marketing” of menthol cigarettes to Black communities, some civil rights advocates worry the measure might contribute to more violent interactions between police and communities of color.

    “What we said is, ‘Y’all have got to consider unintended consequences.’ Imagine some cop pulling a kid over, saying, ‘Where did you buy or get that Kool cigarette?’” Reverend Al Sharpton was quoted as saying by Politico after the FDA announcement. “People are not going to stop smoking Newports and Kools because of a rule. They’re going to go and get them from people that go to the street in the black market. Then what happens?”

    “The proposed ban could also have serious economic and criminal justice implications for communities across the nation,” Representative Donald McEachin said. It will “disproportionately impact African Americans and lower income communities while tobacco products commonly used by predominantly white or more affluent populations [go] unchecked.”

    On April 22, Family members of George Floyd, Eric Garner and Trayvon Martin—black men who were killed by either police or people acting as security guards—sent a letter to the White House urging President Biden to understand the unintended consequences of such a ban, according to The Hill.

    “Banning menthol cigarettes will only increase the value and attractiveness. While we have been told that Black smokers will not be criminalized for possessing menthol cigarettes, that does not match our experience with other cigarette policies,” said the letter.

    Representative Lisa Blunt Rochester, by contrast, welcomed the FDA plans. “I’ve seen in my own family and through my own life experience the consequences of the tobacco industry specifically targeting the Black community in America,” she said. “It’s time for these highly addictive menthol cigarettes to be banned.”

    The Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids, meanwhile, accused the tobacco industry of pushing “false claims” that a menthol ban will subject Black Americans to more law enforcement abuse. The FDA, it stated, has said that it rules will apply to manufacturers and retailers and that it cannot and will not enforce individual consumer possession or use of menthol cigarette or any other tobacco products.  

    “Racial bias in policing is a critical issue that must be addressed. But the tobacco industry’s cynical fearmongering cannot hide the fact that the industry itself has caused so much harm to Black Americans through the targeted marketing of menthol cigarettes,” the CTFK wrote in a statement.

  • Hong Kong Bans E-Cigarettes

    Hong Kong Bans E-Cigarettes

    Photo: Earnest Tse

    Hong Kong’s ban on the importation and sale of alternative smoking products, including vaping and heat-not-burn products, took effect on April 30, reports ABS-CBN.

    The Smoking (Public Health) (Amendment) Ordinance 2021 also prohibits using or carrying an activated vaping device in no-smoking areas. Offenders risk a fine of HKD1,500 ($191).

    The ban covers electronic smoking products, heated-tobacco products, herbal cigarettes and their accessories, according to The Star.

    The ordinance also prohibits the promotion, manufacture and possession for commercial purposes of novel tobacco products. Those convicted of violating the law will be fined HKD50,000 and imprisoned for six months.

    Several vape shops have already closed as a result of the ban, according to news reports. Sales before the ban took effect increased dramatically as users stocked up on products before they could no longer buy them legally.

    Heated Tobacco Concern Group HK said that the ban could encourage the smoking of traditional combustible cigarettes; about 90 percent of more than 800 vapers polled last year stated they would use traditional cigarettes following a ban on e-cigarettes. The other 10 percent indicated that they would buy alternative products on the black market.

    “The new policy has left users with no choice but to smoke traditional cigarettes,” said Joe Lo Kai-lut, convener of Heated Tobacco Concern Group HK. “It is a bad thing for public health … I hope the government will review the policy by looking into other countries’ regulatory measures.”

    Hong Kong customs arrested 11 people on charges of smuggling vaping and heated-tobacco products and confiscated HKD15 million worth of e-cigarettes and heated-tobacco products on Friday.

    Given Hong Kong’s proximity to Shenzhen—the world’s largest manufacturing hub for vapor devices, authorities are expected to have their work cut out in enforcing the ban.

  • Livestream to ‘Expose Anti-Vape Agenda’

    Livestream to ‘Expose Anti-Vape Agenda’

    sCOPe, a global livestream featuring leading tobacco harm reduction (THR) advocates, will broadcast again on both World Vape Day and World No Tobacco Day.

    During the event, European, African, Indian, North and South American, and Asia-Pacific THR consumer organizations will discuss advocacy and issues in their countries and take questions from viewers. 

    The two-day sCOPe22 livestream will broadcast for World Vape Day 2022 on May 30 and broadcast for World No Tobacco Day 2022 on May 31. It will run for eight hours each day from 07:00 CDT/13:00 BST.

    “This sCOPe livestream is so important. Too many smokers continue to die from the narrow-mindedness of an anti-vape agenda that has been funded by the likes of American billionaires,” says Nancy Loucas of the Coalition of Asia Pacific Tobacco Harm Reduction Advocates (CAPHRA).

    “The global evidence is overwhelmingly in favor of vaping, yet hundreds of millions of smokers are blocked from accessing harm reduced alternatives. People’s health and human rights are denied in favor of greed and ego. sCOPe 2022 will discuss where the money is coming from and expose the motivation,” says Loucas.

    The organizations set to feature include European Tobacco Harm Reduction Advocates, the Campaign for Safer Alternatives in Africa, Vaping Saved My Life South Africa, the Association of Vapers India, and the CAPHRA.

    The Americas are represented by Latin American-based ARDT Iberoamerica, Rights for Vapers Canada, the Tobacco Harm Reduction Association of Canada, and United States-based Consumer Advocates for Smoke-Free Alternatives Association.

    Last year, sCOPe livestreamed around the clock from Nov. 8 to Nov. 12 during COP9—the Ninth Conference of the Parties to the World Health Organization Framework Convention on Tobacco Control. The unprecedented broadcast gave a global voice to leading consumer advocates who were shut out of COP9.

  • Mixed Reactions to Menthol and Cigar Flavors Plan

    Mixed Reactions to Menthol and Cigar Flavors Plan

    Photo: Alicia

    The U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s recently announced plan to ban menthol in cigarettes and characterizing flavors in cigars has evoked mixed reactions among stakeholders.

    The Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids welcomed the move. “By issuing proposed rules today to prohibit menthol cigarettes and all flavored cigars, the FDA is taking historic and long-overdue action to protect our nation’s kids, advance health equity and save lives, especially among Black Americans and other populations that have been targeted by the tobacco industry and suffered enormous harm from the predatory marketing of these products,” the organization wrote in a statement.

    The Foundation for a Smoke-Free World (FSW), which is backed by Philip Morris International, said the FDA’s move could become one of the most significant actions in the fight to end the smoking epidemic in the U.S.

    “Menthol cigarettes are disproportionately used by African Americans and prohibiting their sale would help address the health disparities caused by these products,” the organization wrote in a statement

    “Tobacco product use is the leading cause of preventable death in the U.S. African Americans smoke menthol cigarettes at a rate that is far higher than menthol use prevalence in other racial and ethnic groups. The FDA cites modeling studies that indicate if menthol cigarettes were no longer available, smoking rates and deaths due to smoking would decline significantly in the U.S.”

    While describing the menthol ban as an important step, the FSFW stressed that adult smokers who are addicted to menthol cigarettes and who cannot or will not quit entirely require support. “Menthol-flavored harm reduction products (e-cigarettes, nicotine replacement therapy gum, heated tobacco, and snus) provide users with access to alternatives to switching to nonmenthol combustibles or turning to the black market for menthol products,” the group wrote.

    We strongly believe that there are more effective routes to deliver tobacco harm reduction than banning menthol in cigarettes.

    Kingsley Wheaton, chief marketing officer, BAT

    British American Tobacco said it was reviewing the details of the proposed regulations and would continue to actively participate in the rulemaking process by submitting science-based comments to the FDA.

    “We strongly believe that there are more effective routes to deliver tobacco harm reduction than banning menthol in cigarettes,” said BAT Chief Marketing Officer Kingsley Wheaton in a statement. “Evidence from other markets, including Canada and the EU where similar bans have been imposed, demonstrates little impact on overall cigarette consumption.

    “The scientific evidence shows no difference in the health risks associated with menthol cigarettes compared to non-menthol cigarettes, nor does it support that menthol cigarettes adversely affect initiation, dependence or cessation. As a result, we do not believe the published science supports regulating menthol cigarettes differently from non-menthol cigarettes.”

    22nd Century Group is confident its VLN Menthol King brand will be exempted from the FDA ban.
    (Photo: 22nd Century Group)

    22nd Century Group, meanwhile, expressed support for the FDA’s proposed menthol ban, saying it expected its VLN Menthol King reduced nicotine cigarettes to be exempted from the FDA ban. On Dec. 23, 2021, the FDA authorized 22nd Century Group’s VLN Menthol King brand to be marketed with modified-risk claims.

    In its press release announcing that decision, the FDA acknowledged its menthol plans, stating, “In reaching today’s determination [authorizing the MRTP applications for VLN], the FDA considered both the current legal status of menthol cigarettes and the available science demonstrating that these particular products are ‘appropriate for the protection of public health’ and could help addicted cigarette smokers reduce their nicotine consumption and the number of cigarettes they smoke per day,” according to 22nd Century Group.

    “Removing menthol from highly addictive cigarettes is a crucial public health step by the FDA, and we welcome today’s announcement,” said John Pritchard, vice president of regulatory science for 22nd Century, in a statement.

    “At the same time, we recognize, as the FDA has, that many adults who continue to smoke highly addictive cigarettes after the implementation of a final FDA rule will need access to suitably regulated alternative products. Our VLN products, including our recently authorized MRTP VLN Menthol King is an example of such a product, and we have already and will continue to represent our views to FDA on the importance of MRTP products in achieving FDA’s public health mission.”

    Stressing that the FDA’s April 28 announcement relates only to proposed product standards, Swisher, which is best known for its Swisher Sweets cigars, said it would continue business as usual. “The FDA announcement (…) is only a proposed rule and must go through a lengthy comment an approval process before it can be enacted,” the company wrote in a press note.

    Insisting there was little scientific evidence to support a ban on characterizing flavors in cigars, Swisher said it plans to vehemently oppose the measure with meaningful scientific and economic data.

  • White Coats, Fuzzy Facts?

    White Coats, Fuzzy Facts?

    Photo: Lisa F. Young

    Educating physicians on nicotine and the risk continuum.

    By Cheryl K. Olson

    In an earlier edition of Tobacco Reporter, I described the globally widespread, misplaced fears about the health risks of nicotine—and the critical need for credible messengers to counter those fears (see “Watch Your Mouth,” Tobacco Reporter, March 2022). People generally trust their doctors for health information. Smokers do too.1 The limited data available suggest smokers trust their doctors over other sources of information on e-cigarettes2 and that most patients using e-cigarettes would appreciate at least a brief discussion or handout.3

    Are physicians positioned to take advantage of that trust? Can they effectively guide patients who can’t or won’t quit nicotine toward lifesaving alternatives to smoking? Getting patients to stop smoking is top priority. Cigarettes are still the leading preventable cause of illness and death in the U.S. and many other nations. Smoking rates are stagnant among vulnerable populations, including those who are older, low-income or struggling with chronic physical or mental illness.4 Thanks in part to media-driven fears of vaping lung injuries and to e-cigarette flavor bans, cigarette sales are actually on the rise.5, 6

    Before doctors can help, they must be armed with accurate information and believe that taking action is necessary.

    Physicians are Confused About Nicotine

    One huge obstacle is a widespread physician perception that nicotine is dangerous. The first sentence in a 2021 survey report from the Journal of General Internal Medicine states, “Nicotine is responsible for the highly addictive nature of tobacco products, but most tobacco-caused disease is not directly caused by nicotine but rather by other chemicals present in tobacco or tobacco smoke.”7 Stunningly, four of five physicians in this U.S. survey strongly agreed (incorrectly!) that nicotine causes cancer, cardiovascular disease and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. There were only minor variations across medical specialties. Recent surveys across countries have similar findings.

    What effects might these beliefs have on physician willingness to recommend nicotine-replacement therapies to patients who smoke? And what about recreational nicotine products?

    Physicians Don’t Understand the Continuum of Risk

    Another barrier is ignorance about or fear of reduced-harm products that aren’t pharmaceuticals. I couldn’t locate any studies on what, if anything, doctors know about the full range of novel recreational nicotine products. However, a 2020 review from the University of Queensland8 found 45 qualitative and quantitative studies internationally that looked at what physicians believe and do regarding electronic nicotine-delivery systems (ENDS). Doctors were aware of ENDS but far from experts in their health effects and use for smoking cessation. Most of what they knew came from media stories or patients. “This lack of knowledge and feeling of being ‘uninformed’ was reported consistently by [healthcare professionals] across and within studies.”

    The latest and largest U.S. study of what doctors say to patients about vaping appeared in the April 2022 issue of JAMA Network Open.9 The Rutgers University authors surveyed a national cross-section of 2,058 board-certified physicians. The conclusion? “More than half of the physicians believed that all tobacco products are equally harmful, and this belief was associated with lower rates of recommending e-cigarettes.” The authors argue that “it is critical to address physician nicotine misperceptions and to correct misperceptions regarding the relative harm of various tobacco products,” as the “FDA authorization process” introduces more modified-risk products.

    What Might Start to Open Minds?

    I asked a young physician friend (a third-year resident at Virginia Commonwealth University) what he and his fellow doctors would want to know about reduced-harm nicotine products that their patients might be using. He immediately mentioned wanting to see results from randomized controlled trials (RCTs) on “products that will help patients quit harmful tobacco products but also data regarding health outcomes. For example, what are the rates of lung cancer in a patient who smokes cigarettes for 10 years versus someone who vapes for 10 years?”

    This is the sort of response we expect and was consistent with the JAMA Network Open survey findings. But can data alone change beliefs?

    An earlier study from the Rutgers researchers involving structured interviews with doctors gives reason for doubt.10 Most doctors they talked to were at least neutral about attempts to switch to e-cigarettes for patients who had failed with traditional smoking cessation methods. But five of the 35 doctors were adamantly opposed; they would not recommend vaping to patients even if future RCTs found e-cigarettes to be equal or superior to other quit methods. One oncologist said, “Based on what I’ve heard and read about them, I don’t think so. It seems like they’re actually, like I said, kind of dangerous.”

    A careful read suggests that physicians who believed e-cigarettes could be effective switching tools—about half of those interviewed—were so persuaded by a combination of stories and data. Patients, friends or family members had cut down or quit cigarettes through vaping. And, perhaps sensitized to the issue by these stories, the doctors recalled seeing one or more studies that backed up their personal observations. Interestingly, 11 of the doctors who doubted e-cigarette effectiveness cited the hand-to-mouth behavior similarities to smoking as a negative rather than a positive for switching. This suggests they don’t know smokers.

    Physician Harm Reduction

    Sudhanshu Patwardhan

    During his postdoctoral training as a primary care physician, Sudhanshu Patwardhan grew increasingly concerned about the ineffectiveness of the advice and treatments given to patients who smoked combustible cigarettes. Since then, he’s focused his clinical and research career on harm reduction for addicted smokers. He’s currently based in Great Britain, where he’s the director of the Centre for Health Research and Education.

    Patwardhan has researched physicians and nicotine in the U.K., Sweden, Greece and India. For the past year, he and I have been talking about the clinical and public policy challenges that come with shifting toward a harm reduction approach to smoking cessation.

    “Consistently, between 65 [percent and] 80 percent of surveyed physicians across all these countries harbor misperceptions about nicotine,” he said. “It’s no wonder that, universally, ‘Why replace one addiction with another?’ is one of the commonest attitudes [among physicians] for nicotine-replacement therapy for tobacco cessation using a harm reduction approach.

    “Doctors forget that in addition to its long-term effects, inhaling the smoke from burning tobacco induces the breakdown of many drugs, thus making those treatments ineffective. Many psychiatrists I interact with admit to simply increasing the dose of the administered medications to compensate for the loss of effectiveness due to smoke-induced breakdown but don’t offer cessation support simultaneously. This, of course, leads to higher side effects and poorer patient outcomes—all because physicians are not sensitized to and empowered about tobacco cessation and harm reduction.

    “Most freshly minted doctors would know how to recognize the most esoteric heart murmur but have no practical experience in the basics of behavioral intervention or the role of medications for tobacco cessations. Pharmacology and clinical medicine barely touch on nicotine-replacement therapy and give no clues to trainee doctors on what to prescribe, for how long and how to manage cravings and withdrawal symptoms effectively. Most noncommunicable diseases have tobacco use as a risk factor. Yet doctors simply do not address it along with the presenting complaint.

    “Our center’s strategy focuses on the root of the issue: We’re developing and conducting peer-based education of healthcare providers in a safe and nonjudgmental environment. Our approach and materials are country specific. For example, in the U.K., e-cigarettes are a part of the suite of potential harm reduction tools offered by the National Health Service. In India, however, e-cigarettes are currently banned and not licensed for smoking cessation. There, we focus on approved approaches, such as nicotine-replacement therapy, bupropion and varenicline.”

    “We need to start overhauling the medical education curriculum in this area. We’re conducting pilot programs at some medical schools with exciting results and will publish those data. Practicing physicians also need training to increase their effectiveness. Finally, scaling up of nicotine education for healthcare providers can be a significant challenge, especially for countries as wide as the U.S. or as populated as India. Digital tech tools, such as cessation apps, short media presentations, including online videos and smart print campaigns designed for social media, can all help.”–C.K.O.

    References

    1 Nelms E et al. Trust in physicians among rural Medicaid-enrolled smokers. Journal of Rural Health, 2014: 30(2), 214–220. doi:10.1111/jrh.12046.

    2 Wackowski OA et al. Smokers’ sources of e-cigarette awareness and risk information. Preventive Medicine Reports, 2015: 906–910, http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.pmedr.2015.10.006.

    3 Doescher MP et al. Patient perspectives on discussions of electronic cigarettes in primary care. Journal of the American Board of Family Medicine, 2018, doi: 10.3122/jabfm.2018.01.170206.

    4 Zhu S-H et al. Smoking prevalence in Medicaid has been declining at a negligible rate. PLoS One, 2017, https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0178279.

    5 Xu Y et al. The impact of banning electronic nicotine-delivery systems on combustible cigarette sales: Evidence from U.S. state-level policies. Value in Health, 2022, doi: 10.1016/j.jval.2021.12.006.

    6 Federal Trade Commission. FTC report finds annual cigarette sales increased for the first time in 20 years. October 2021. www.ftc.gov/news-events/news/press-releases/2021/10/ftc-report-finds-annual-cigarette-sales-increased-first-time-20-years.

    7 Steinberg MB et al. Nicotine risk perceptions among U.S. physicians. Journal of General Internal Medicine, 2020, doi: 10.1007/s11606-020-06172-8.

    8 Erku DA et al. Beliefs and self-reported practices of healthcare professionals regarding electronic nicotine-delivery systems (ENDS): a mixed-methods systematic review and synthesis. Nicotine & Tobacco Research, 2020 https://doi.org/10.1093/ntr/ntz046.

    9 Delnevo CD et al. Communication between U.S. physicians and patients regarding electronic cigarette use. JAMA Network Open, 2022, doi:10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2022.6692.

    10 Singh B et al. Knowledge, recommendation and beliefs of e-cigarettes among physicians involved in tobacco cessation: A qualitative study. Preventive Medicine Reports, 2017 http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.pmedr.2017.07.012.

    Cheryl K. Olson is a California-based public health researcher who specializes in behavioral health issues and consults on tobacco product behaviors via McKinney Regulatory Science Associates. She spent 15 years on the faculty of Harvard Medical School.
  • Combating Waste

    Combating Waste

    Photo: Timothy Donahue

    ALD Group is designing products that will help combat the growing concerns surrounding e-cigarette waste.

    By Timothy S. Donahue

    Disposable e-cigarettes produce a lot of waste. Many of today’s most popular vaping products are designed to be discarded after one use. While less wasteful than disposables, single-use plastic pod products also generate a lot of waste as pods can’t be recycled due to the residues left over from e-liquids. As the vaping industry converts more combustible cigarette smokers, vapor manufacturers are seeking to develop products that are less impactful on the environment.

    ALD Group, a leading China-based e-cigarette manufacturer, said that many industries are also facing new environmental regulatory requirements in some markets and that consumers are demanding more sustainable products. Business owners are responding by investing more in corporate social responsibility programs and the R&D required to create more environmentally friendly products. However, those goals come with challenges.

    One of the issues ALD faced in the development of its new disposable products was that traditional recycling programs for vaping products were time-consuming, inefficient and costly. Manufacturers struggled to keep retailers and consumers actively participating in recycling programs, such as e-waste drop-off sites. ALD wanted to develop an eco-friendly vape solution that satisfied consumers and used biodegradable and recyclable materials. The company wanted to redefine vaping systems to align with eco-friendly trends.

    ALD Group founder and President Eric Ding told Tobacco Reporter that ALD’s vision is inseparable from society and the environment. Innovation is part of ALD’s mission, and with social responsibility as a core principle, its new disposable product is “at the very heart” of ALD, according to Ding.

    “Before the development of this product, we always made a concerted effort in promoting environmental protection and awareness, including the implementation of power-saving management systems, regular environmental protection activities and so on,” Ding said. “While we are always developing products in response to challenges being confronted in the global market, ALD balances this with paying close attention to the reminders and warnings from the natural environment. It is ALD’s view that the uncontrolled production and disposal of single-use products that contain plastics, chemicals, batteries, etc., is ecologically damaging and cannot be sustained.”

    The latest ALD vaporizer is equipped with the company’s innovative iCot coil technology, which is the subject of more than 60 patent applications. Currently named the “Eco-friendly, Biodegradable Vape Solution” (EBVS), the new device was created in response to customer and market demand. Last year, numerous international tobacco customers approached ALD with requests to make e-cigarettes more environmentally friendly, ALD said in a statement.

    “Additionally, our insights are that reducing the carbon footprint of products will become a mainstream demand over the next two [years] to three years,” the statement said. “There are existing policies which point to these developments, such as requirements for the Environmental Protection Agency in the United States, packaging regulations in Europe and so on.” The EBVS device was created through the “redefinition of materials, structure and appearance.” There were also several breakthroughs in heat resistance, endurance, chemical resistance and other properties. However, the company is not yet sharing many of these innovations until after the product goes to market.

    “The key focus of the development process was improvement of product structure and the evaluation of the materials’ properties. Following this step, there was the inspection and evaluation of the finished product’s performance and research on the safety of the aerosol. The project has so far gone through two years of development.”

    The ALD eco-friendly vape solution’s plastic components use an innovative combination of biodegradable raw materials that obtained the German DIN CERTO biodegradable certification. The shell of the device and the structural parts don’t come into contact with e-liquid and are all made of biodegradable materials.

    “The innovative factor is that our extensive research showed that in the e-cigarette sector, there was currently no ready-made solution for the application of biodegradable materials. During development, we screened dozens of materials, repeatedly verified product performance and, finally, determined the seven best mix[es] of materials,” ALD stated. “Our processes included the verification of material strength, chemical resistance, extractability and degradability.

    “Additionally, this product can be easily disassembled with special tools. We have achieved this through an innovative structural design. If the product is recycled, the battery and electronic parts can be recovered easily because of the easy-to-disassemble structure. Also, 100 percent of its structural parts (i.e., plastic parts, which amount to 23 percent of the product’s total weight) are degradable after disassembly. If the product is not recycled, the plastic parts are still degradable naturally in the landfill.”

    The EBVS product will be available in all ALD markets, according to ALD. The Engineering Validation and Testing evaluation was completed in mid-2021, and the shelf life and biodegradability testing are expected to be completed in mid-2022. The launch date for ALD’s new product is planned for mid-2023.

    Timothy Donahue is the assistant editor of Tobacco Reporter. Since joining our team in January 2013, he has become not only an expert on the traditional tobacco business but also a well-respected voice in the rapidly developing vapor industry. Tim spends much of his time on the road, attending conferences and interviewing industry representatives. His networking skills, work ethic and quick mind are valuable assets to our diverse audience.
  • The Virtuous Loop

    The Virtuous Loop

    Illustration: Hauni

    Reducing waste and saving energy in manufacturing boosts revenues, improves customer satisfaction and reduces environmental damage.

    By George Gay

    Filter cigarettes and the hinge-lid packs in which, on many markets, most cigarettes are sold have been available in similar forms for 60 years to 70 years, and, during that time, their manufacture has been guided by increasingly specialized materials suppliers, brand owners and machinery builders that have become environmentally aware, commercially astute and technically advanced. So, on being asked to write a story looking at what tobacco machinery suppliers are doing to reduce the usage of energy and the creation of waste during the operation of their machines by tobacco manufacturers, my first thought was that perhaps, after so many years of development, there wasn’t much more that could be achieved.

    I needn’t have been concerned. While the central objects of the exercise, the cigarette and pack, remain, to the uninitiated at least, much the same, the focus and interests of machinery suppliers have broadened to take in everything from how their employees get from home to work through production materials to the new industrial revolution. There is even a focus by one company on the efficiencies of factories that might or might not use its machinery.

    Aiger recently installed a 350 MW solar power system on the roof of a new manufacturing bay. (Photo: Aiger)

    Nurturing a Mindset

    But what about the bit concerning how your employees get from home to work? How does that fit into the grand scheme of things? I hear you ask. Well, according to Courtland Macduff, Aiger’s sales director for Asia, this has to do with the idea that if you are going to improve the operational efficiencies of the equipment you offer in respect of such things as energy usage and waste, you need to build such thinking into the ethos of the company. Aiger had set up, for instance, a carpool system that allows its employees to get to work using less gasoline and creating fewer carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions than they would if they all traveled alone. Four years ago, the company introduced efficient waste management systems to deal with everything from machining waste to general consumables. And, on a larger scale, it recently installed a 350 MW solar power system on the roof of a new manufacturing bay, allowing it to function as a smart factory in which heating and lighting are based on zone scheduling, a system that has provided for a 20 percent saving in energy costs.

    As Macduff said during an email exchange, saving energy and reducing waste worked by example, so now, every design engineer was focused on smart solutions aimed at providing better machine performance because the faster a manufacturer was able to operate with the highest uptime, the less waste was generated. But this had to involve a joint effort. Machinery manufacturers could have only a limited impact on operational waste if factories didn’t maintain high efficiencies by optimizing their procedures and materials.

    But no operation could be perfect, so, at the same time, Aiger machinery “digested” rejects as far as possible by recycling tobacco shorts and reclaiming the tobacco. End-of-bobbin machine production wastage had been reduced as had glue application.

    In reducing energy usage, designers were, for instance, working on the optimization of drive selections and had already minimized the power consumption of heating elements by using a higher level of temperature control and new insulation materials to protect the areas heated to high temperatures, which was one of the major power drains. At the same time, designers were constantly looking to incorporate new technologies.

    In this regard, Macduff made the interesting comment that while new technologies were welcome, they came at a price, so they had to be introduced at the right time and for the right reasons. Tobacco companies would not pay more simply to have a machine that used less energy. Output mattered at the end of the day, and high efficiency was not negotiable.

    There was something of a trade-off to be made here. While modern machinery was generally faster and more reliable and consistently produced better quality products than was the case in the past, such improvements did not necessarily lend themselves to energy savings because the newer machinery used more controls, more automation and more drives.

    But there are other areas where savings of one type or another can be made, often working in conjunction with materials suppliers and tobacco manufacturers. Factory floor layouts could be optimized, said Macduff; optical fibers could replace cables; new, harder-wearing materials could ensure that parts had longer lives; and the 3D printing of parts at customer sites could cut the impact of transporting such materials. Coreless bobbins could be introduced, filters and packaging materials that are more environmentally friendly could be brought in and the use of plastics could be reduced in respect of packaging materials for tobacco products and even machinery exports.

    Finally, Macduff said Aiger was one of the leaders in machinery manufacturing flexibility, and the modular concepts engineered into its machinery helped to keep efficiencies high in the face of brand changes, which always created a degree of startup waste.

    Montrade now offers technology to help tobacco companies to manufacture plastic-free filters. (Photo: Montrade)

    Win, Win, Win

    Meanwhile, Montrade’s senior sales manager, Emanuele Massari, said his company’s machines were designed so as to map product flow because the focus was on maximizing product quality while minimizing material consumption and waste. The company had a division dedicated to the research and development of sensor and process control systems that, once integrated into its machines or even those of other companies, enhanced productivity optimally. “It is an essential step of the migration toward industry 4.0,” he said- in what I took to be a reference to the sorts of new processes that focus on interconnectivity, automation and machine learning.

    Artificial intelligence provided all Montrade’s sensors with auto-learning skills, so systems improved themselves autonomously, he said. And such autonomous maintenance initiatives helped provide for an increase in machinery MTBFs (mean time between failures), which, in turn, led to “a righteous path of real sustainability.” “This synergy allows us to optimize and reduce the material and energy consumption and the waste of spare parts,” said Massari.

    Sustainability was said to be one of the main drivers at Montrade because working to reduce waste and save energy created what Massari described as a “win-win-win virtuous loop.” The first win was that customers could use Montrade’s equipment to manufacture more high-quality products while spending less, thus increasing their revenues and consumer satisfaction. The second win saw Montrade’s business boosted because its customers were satisfied. And the third win meant that the environment and, consequently, the global community profited from the reduced impact of the tobacco industry.

    Massari said that his company’s machines were designed to constantly monitor the consumption of utilities with an eye on reducing usage. The levels of electrical consumption and compressed airflow rates, etc., were always available to view on human-machine interfaces, which was a standard feature not an optional one.

    Another issue on which Montrade had been focusing its sustainability efforts concerned the materials used on its machines. The company collaborated closely with its customers and with materials suppliers to rethink the product as more eco-friendly and more fit for the final consumer. Recent examples of this approach could be seen in the company’s machines for producing biodegradable cigarette filters and paper tubes. A unique crimping technology allowed conventional acetate filters to be replaced with paper ones while reducing by about 20 percent the paper consumption typical of other machines available on the market.

    As well as offering new filter-making equipment, Montrade also revamps older equipment to produce eco-friendly products. “For instance, we offer our paper crimper in a free-standing configuration to retrofit existing filter makers to convert them to make plastic-free filters,” said Massari. “In the same way, we have also recently developed a wide range of conversion kits for existing packing machines to reduce the wrapping materials and/or replace them with plastic-free ones.”

    The Holistic View

    Another way of looking at reducing waste is to examine just tobacco waste but over complete operations. Marco Castro, global head of Hauni Advanced Services (formerly Hauni Consulting), said that while the whole tobacco industry was currently working on reducing waste, his division had, in July 2020, set itself the ambitious challenge of approaching this objective in a different way. And, in doing so, it had pioneered a completely original approach, tobacco waste prevention (TWP), by developing an integrated methodology for preventing waste at critical points in green leaf threshing plants (GLTs) and during primary processing and secondary manufacture.

    Interestingly, TWP can be applied to all production facilities regardless of the machine base. “Our approach is strictly based on the existing conditions of our customers’ brands,” said Castro in announcing the initiative. “This enables them to prevent waste quickly and successfully, maintaining these gains over the long term.”

    TWP is said to offer immediate, measurable improvements, and figures said to have been achieved already in customer projects are impressive: The reduction of waste generation in GLT processes is up to 50 percent, in the primary it’s up to 70 percent and in the secondary up to 60 percent.

    “The first step is to quantify the potential for waste prevention at the customer’s site,” said Castro. “This is the basis on which we implement our TWP methodology, which aims to achieve the physical limits for waste prevention for the respective combination of blends, brands and equipment as quickly as possible.”

    The approaches adopted as part of TWP are said not only to prevent waste but also to reduce production complexity and technical costs by standardizing blend/brand and equipment combinations where they are relevant to waste.

    The starting point for every TWP project is the manufacturer’s own production facility. “This means that we not only strictly consider their specific blends and brands but also implement the TWP specifically for their existing production equipment,” said Castro. “No investments in equipment are necessary to achieve this new, optimized level of waste and costs—at least initially. Of course, on request, we can advise our customers on the potential of machine upgrades or other changes to their equipment while focusing on waste prevention.”

    What might well appeal to tobacco manufacturers is that the price of implementing TWP is performance-based, something that Hauni says underlines its belief in its new service. “We are certain that we can deliver the savings we promise our customers after quantifying the waste situation,” said Castro. “That is why payment for this service is performance-based. If we achieve less than we promise, the price is reduced. If the improvement falls below a set level, our clients pay nothing.”

    George Gay is Tobacco Reporter’s European editor, but his territory spans the globe. Based in London, George has covered the tobacco industry since 1982, initially for a U.K.-based publication and since 2004 for Tobacco Reporter. George’s understanding of industry issues, combined with his keen sense of observation and dry wit, have earned him a loyal following among Tobacco Reporter’s readers.