Category: News This Week

Dutch Urged to Ditch Planned Flavor Ban
Photo: Laboko – Dreamstime.com
A recently proposed ban on vaping flavors in the Netherlands will endanger public health, according to the Independent European Vape Alliance (IEVA).
Around 65 percent of adult vapers in Europe use fruit or sweet liquids. According to the IEVA, the variety of flavors is one of the most important reasons for smokers to switch to e-cigarettes and for vapers not to go back to smoking.
Ignoring this fact, the Dutch State Secretary Paul Blokhuis announced a ban on all e-cigarette flavours except tobacco flavors in the Netherlands, to discourage youth smoking.
“This measure risks very negative consequences for public health and tobacco harm reduction,” the IEVA wrote in a statement. “With only tobacco flavors left, vapers’ threshold to relapse on tobacco smoking dangerously lowers.”
A public consultation on the plan will run until Jan.19, 2021. The vast majority of the comments so far come from vapers and scientists who reject the government’s plan.
According to the IEVA, the Dutch plan ignores important facts:
The number of young people in the Netherlands who have ever tried e-cigarettes has decreased by a quarter in the past five years.
Only 0.2 percent of 14-16 olds in the Netherlands vaped regularly in 2019.
8 percent of all Dutch users of e-cigarettes come from smoking.
“Removing flavours will not affect the rates of youth cigarette use,” said Riccardo Polosa, professor of internal medicine and specialist of respiratory diseases and clinical immunology at the University of Catania. “But, it will certainly reduce the number of options available for those adults who seek to quit smoking for good and find flavoured e-cigs effective.”
The IEVA also expressed concern about the impact of the Dutch flavor ban on the debate at the Conference of the Parties to the World Health Organization’s Framework Convention on Tobacco Control, which is scheduled to take place in November in The Hague.
“Implementing the ban on flavorings could have negative effects on the conference,” cautioned IEVA Chairman Dustin Dahlmann. “Rather, COP9 should pay attention to the topic of harm reduction through e-cigarettes, so that the number of smokers worldwide could be significantly reduced”
“Flavour is not a gateway to youth uptake of smoking. No evidence substantiates the association between vaping flavours and subsequent smoking initiation. We call on the Dutch government to drop this plan. There are no winners in a flavor ban, only losers.”
January 15, 2021
Vector Names Lampen Chief Operating Officer

Photo: Jakub Jirsák | Dreamstime
Vector Group has appointed its current Executive Vice President Richard J. Lampen to the additional position of chief operating officer (COO) and to serve as a member of the board of directors, effective immediately.
“On behalf of the board and management team, we are pleased to announce Dick’s new roles at Vector Group,” said Howard M. Lorber, president and chief executive officer of Vector Group, in a statement. “With his broad executive experience and deep operational understanding of the company, having served in a variety of senior leadership roles for Vector Group and its affiliates for more than 25 years, Dick is a valuable addition to our board and a natural fit to be COO.”
“I am honored and delighted to work alongside Howard and the rest of our very talented team as we continue serving our dedicated employees, partners and investors,” said Lampen. “I look forward to advancing Vector Group’s goals on behalf of all of our stakeholders.”
Lampen served as president and chief executive officer of Ladenburg Thalmann Financial Services from September 2006 to February 2020, and as chairman from September 2018 until February 2020, when the company was successfully sold for $1.3 billion to Advisor Group, a portfolio company of Reverence Capital Partners. From October 2008 until October 2019, Lampen served as president and chief executive officer and was a member of the board of directors of Castle Brands prior to its acquisition by Pernod Ricard. Vector Group held an approximate 10 percent interest in Ladenburg Thalmann Financial Services and an approximate 8 percent equity interest in Castle Brands.
Before joining Vector Group in 1995, Lampen was a managing director at Salomon Brothers and a partner at law firm Steel Hector & Davis in Miami, Florida. Lampen received a Bachelor of Arts degree from Johns Hopkins University and a Juris Doctorate from Columbia Law School.
January 15, 2021
Foundation for a Smoke-Free World Sued

Photo: Michal Kalasek | Dreamstime.com
A former employee of the Foundation for a Smoke-Free World claims she was fired for raising concerns about the organization’s ties to the tobacco industry, reports Bloomberg Law.
Lourdes Liz, who worked at the Foundation as social media director from February 2018 until February 2020, says she was terminated after objecting to activities “designed to increase the profits of and to do the bidding of Philip Morris International and Altria Group.”
In a lawsuit filed on Jan. 13 in the U.S. District Court in Manhattan, Liz maintains that the group’s close ties to the tobacco industry violate its status as an independent nonprofit organization.
The Foundation, which has received millions of dollars in funding from PMI, has met fierce opposition from health groups. Shortly after its creation in 2017, the World Health Organization (WHO) said it would not interact with it, citing a fundamental conflict of interest between the tobacco industry and public health.
The Foundation is led by Derek Yach, an anti-smoking crusader who, while working at the WHO, was the primary architect of that agency’s Framework Convention on Tobacco Control.
January 15, 2021
Scandinavian Launches Distribution Firm

Photo: STG
Scandinavian Tobacco Group (STG), the parent company of General Cigar Co. and other cigar companies, will launch a new cigar distribution company, the Forged Cigar Co., next month, reports Halfwheel. This company will serve brick-and-mortar retailers.
Scandinavian Tobacco will be splitting its catalog of cigar brands between General Cigar Co. and the new company. Forged Cigar Co. will operate independently from General Cigar Co.
Forged Cigar Co.’s portfolio will include Bolivar (U.S. distribution), Chillin’ Moose, Cofradia, Diesel, La Gloria Cubana (U.S. distribution) and Partagas (U.S. distribution). General Cigar Co.’s portfolio will include CAO, Cohiba (U.S. distribution), Hoyo de Monterrey (U.S. distribution), Macanudo, Punch (U.S. distribution) and other brands.
Forged Cigar Co. could also distribute third-party brands not owned by General Cigar Co.
Forged Cigar Co. will be led by Sean Hardiman, who has worked for General for the last decade and is now the national sales manager for Forged. Forged Cigar Co. will receive “independent marketing and customized programming” initiatives, according to Scandinavian Tobacco.
“When we announced last year our withdrawal from the annual PCA Show, we committed to investing funds back into the premium cigar category,” said Regis Broersma, senior vice president of North American Branded and Rest of World division for Scandinavian Tobacco, in a press release.
“Today, with the Forged Cigar Company, we are doing just that with a multimillion-dollar investment in the brick-and-mortar channel. In having two separate sales companies, we will have more feet on the street to better serve the needs of STG’s retail partners and the ability to be more agile in supporting our current and future brands.”
January 14, 2021
Illicit E-Cigarettes Seized at Dallas Airport

Photo: Flynt – Dreamstime.com
U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers at the Dallas Fort Worth International Airport working in conjunction with agents from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) have seized 33,681 units of e-cigarettes with a manufacturer’s suggested retail price of $719,453.
In December 2020, CBP seized 42 separate shipments arriving from China destined to various Texas counties. The shipments included individual disposable flavored e-cigarette cartridges resembling the Puff Bar brand, including Puff XXL and Puff Flow.
As part of an ongoing joint operation with FDA, officers and agents were looking to intercept counterfeit or other violative e-cigarettes, including certain flavored e-cigarettes imported to the U.S. that did not meet the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act requirements, as amended by the Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act.
“Many counterfeit, unapproved or unauthorized products are likely produced in unregulated facilities with unverified ingredients posing a serious health concern to consumers. It is especially alarming when these types of counterfeit and unauthorized products find their way into the hands of children as studies indicate,” said CBP Port Director Timothy Lemaux in a statement. “We will continue to take every opportunity to work with our partners at the FDA to intercept and seize products that threaten U.S. consumers.”
Tobacco products including e-cigarettes imported or offered for import into the U.S. must comply with all applicable U.S. laws.
“The FDA continues to prioritize enforcement against e-cigarette products, specifically those most appealing and accessible to youth,” said Mitch Zeller, director of the FDA’s Center for Tobacco Products. “We are very concerned about how popular these products are with youth. This seizure makes clear to tobacco product manufacturers, retailers and importers that the FDA is keeping a close watch on the marketplace and will hold accountable those companies that violate tobacco laws and regulations.”
CBP’s trade enforcement mission places a significant emphasis on intercepting illicit products that could harm American consumers. In fiscal year 2020, CBP seized 93,590 units of e-cigarettes that did not meet U.S. federal regulations.
In July 2020, the FDA issued a warning letter to Cool Clouds Distribution (doing business as Puff Bar), to remove their flavored disposable e-cigarettes and youth-appealing e-liquid products from the market because they do not have the required premarket authorization.
“Protecting American consumers from illicit and especially harmful tobacco products, such as counterfeit or flavored e-cigarettes, is of utmost importance to the FDA,” said Judy McMeekin, FDA associate commissioner for regulatory affairs. “We will continue to investigate and remove from the marketplace products that pose a particular danger to the public health.”
While the Puff Bar website appears to have recently stopped online sales and distribution in the U.S, it does not mean that the firm ceased distributing products to other retailers or selling products at brick and mortar retail stores, according to the FDA. The website’s store locators are still active, indicating that potential consumers can still search for products located for sale at retail stores.
January 14, 2021
Keller and Heckman Announces Partners
Keller and Heckman has announced two new partners, Kathryn Skaggs and Natalie Rainer.
Kathryn Skaggs
Skaggs is a resident in the firm’s Washington, D.C., office and practices food and drug law. She counsels clients on the regulation of food contact materials in a host of jurisdictions throughout North America, Europe, South America and Asia. Skaggs assists companies in bringing to market new food contact substances through submissions to government agencies in the U.S. and abroad.
She manages post-market issues for food contact substances, such as accidental adulterations, and advises on compliance with state laws including California’s Proposition 65. In addition to her extensive experience with food contact regulatory matters, Skaggs is an active member of the firm’s tobacco and e-vapor practice. She helps companies in the tobacco and e-vapor industries comply with the U.S. Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act.
Natalie Rainer
Rainer is a resident in the firm’s San Francisco, California, office and practices food and drug law, advising clients on regulatory requirements for foods, dietary supplements, cosmetics, and food and drug packaging in jurisdictions around the world, including North America, Latin America, Europe, Asia and the Middle East.
January 14, 2021
Graphic Warnings May Reduce Cigarette Gifting

Photo: Tobacco Reporter archive
Having pictorial health warnings on cigarette packages may reduce the sharing and gifting of cigarettes in China, according to a new study published in Tobacco Control.
Sharing and gifting cigarettes are common in China. These social practices promote cigarette consumption, and consequently may reduce quit rates in China. This study investigated sharing and gifting cigarettes, and the relationship of observing pictorial health warnings to attitudes towards sharing and gifting cigarettes in China.
The researchers conducted an online nationwide cross-sectional study of 9,818 adults in China. They assessed experiences of sharing and gifting cigarettes, and attitudes towards sharing and gifting cigarettes before and after viewing text and pictorial health warnings on the packages.
Most current smokers reported experiences of sharing (97 percent) and gifting (around 90 percent) cigarettes. Less than half of nonsmokers reported sharing cigarettes and receiving gifted cigarettes, but more than half (61.4 percent) gave cigarettes as a gift to others. More than half of non-smokers but less than 10 percent of smokers disagreed with sharing and gifting cigarettes.
After observing both text and pictorial health warnings on the packages, disagreement with sharing and gifting cigarettes increased by more than 10 percentage points among both smokers and nonsmokers.
January 14, 2021
Acetate Market to Reach $5.67 Billion
Photo: Tobacco Reporter archive
The global market for cellulose acetate is expected to grow from $4.31 billion in 2020 to $5.67 billion by the end of 2025 at a compound annual growth rate of 5.66 percent, according to a new report offered by Research and Markets.
The report categorizes the cellulose acetate to forecast the revenues and analyze the trends in each of the following sub-markets:
Based on type, the cellulose acetate market is examined across fiber and plastic.
Based on application, the cellulose acetate market is examined across cigarette filters, photographic films, tapes and labels, and textiles and apparel.
Based on geography, the cellulose acetate market is examined across Americas, Asia-Pacific and Europe, Middle East and Africa.
January 14, 2021
Modi Asked to Withdraw Indian Tobacco Bill

Photo: Tobacco Reporter archive
A prominent Indian farmers group has asked Prime Minister Narendra Modi to withdraw a proposal to amend the law regarding cigarettes and other tobacco products, saying it will create hardship for tobacco growers, reports CNBC.
Proposed by the Ministry of Health, the Cigarettes and Other Tobacco Products Act (COTPA) Amendment Bill 2020 disallows retail sales of loose cigarettes, prohibits sales of tobacco products to persons below 21 years and restricts in-shop advertising and promotion, amongst other provisions.
The Federation of All India Farmer Associations (FAIFA), which represents farmers and farm workers of commercial crops across Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Karnataka and Gujarat, said the bill will significantly boost the illicit cigarette business in India.
FAIFA President Javare Gowda said the amendments will ”terrorize retailers and traders and they would not want to engage in the sale of legal cigarettes. Criminal syndicates, he cautioned, will gain ground and flood the Indian market with illicit cigarettes.
Since these illicit cigarettes do not use tobacco produced by Indian farmers, the result would be loss of earnings and livelihood of millions of tobacco farmers who are dependent on the crop in the country, he added.
January 14, 2021
Public Smoking Banned Across South America

A cigarette vendor in Ciudad del Este, Paraguay
(Photo: Taco Tuinstra)
Following the recent enactment of smoke-free laws in Paraguay, every South American country bans public smoking.
Under Decree No. 4624, approved by Paraguay’s presidency on Dec. 29, consuming lit, heated, or electronic tobacco products is permitted only in uncrowded open air public spaces that are not transit areas for nonsmokers.
“This is a great achievement for the people of Paraguay,” said Carissa F. Etienne, director of the Pan American Health Organization, in a statement. “The country has taken an enormous step toward protecting its citizens from the devastating health, social, environmental and economic consequences of smoking and exposure to tobacco smoke.”
Following Paraguay’s recent ban on public smoking, all South American countries have comprehensive smoke-free laws.
“This is a great moment not only for the health of Paraguayans, but for the entire region of South America,” said Adriana Blanco, head of World Health Organization (WHO) Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC) Secretariat. “Paraguay’s decree creates a subregion of the Americas that is totally free of tobacco smoke.”
According to the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids, some 430 million people are now protected by laws requiring smoke-free public places and workplaces. These laws also ban designated smoking areas.
This progress is the result of years of commitment and action from political leaders and civil society groups in South America working to fulfill their obligations under the FCTC.
When the FCTC came into force more than 15 years ago, only one country in South America, Uruguay, provided its citizens with broad protection against secondhand smoke.
January 13, 2021