Category: News This Week

  • Study: States With Legal THC had Fewer EVALI Cases

    Study: States With Legal THC had Fewer EVALI Cases

    States with laws legalizing recreational marijuana had fewer cases of e-cigarette/vaping-related lung injury (EVALI) than states without such policies in 2019, researchers reported.

    In states that had legalized recreational marijuana, the EVALI case rate averaged 1.7 per million population (95% CI 0.3-3.1), far lower than states where it’s legal only for medical purposes (8.8 per million, 95% CI 5.1-12.5) or completely illegal (8.1 per million, 95% CI 4.1-12.0), reported Alex Hollingsworth, PhD, of Indiana University in Bloomington, and colleagues, according to an article on medpagetoday.com.

    Moreover, the number of cases was significantly lower in states with legal recreational marijuana compared to those where it was not after adjusting for vaping rates (difference 7.2 cases per million, 95% CI -11.8 to -2.6, P=0.003), they wrote in a JAMA Network Open research letter, according to the story.

    “It appears states that have legal access to marijuana have lower rates of EVALI cases, which is consistent with the hypothesis that people have demand for marijuana products, and in states where they don’t have access to them in this regulatory fashion, they end up purchasing them elsewhere,” Hollingsworth told MedPage Today.

  • Tabacalera Donates $50,000 to Support Coronavirus Victims

    Tabacalera Donates $50,000 to Support Coronavirus Victims

    Tabacalera USA and its business units Altadis USA, JR Cigar and Casa de Montecristo are donating $50,000 to support those impacted by the Coronavirus in Broward County, Florida, USA.

    The contribution comes in response to the United Way of Broward County’s request for members of the community to assist its humanitarian efforts in the face of this unprecedented crisis affecting the entire community.

    “We share United Way of Broward County’s concerns—and, indeed, a concern shared around the world—regarding Covid-19,” said Javier Estades, CEO of Fort Lauderdale-based Tabacalera USA. “Our contribution to the United Way of Broward County’s virus relief fund is one small way we can help our community as we focus on the safety of our employees, customers and the broader community.

    “We urge everyone who can to join in this effort,” he said. “We also remind our fellow citizens to follow the guidance of local, state and federal officials concerning best practices to prevent the spread of this virus. 

    “Our thoughts and prayers are with our neighbors here in our own community and everywhere around the world who have been impacted by this pandemic,” Estades said. 

  • BAT Urges South Africa to Lift Cigarette Ban

    BAT Urges South Africa to Lift Cigarette Ban

    Photo: Taco Tuinstra

    British American Tobacco South Africa (BATSA) is urging the South African government to lift a cigarette ban that went into effect with a stay-at-home order to prevent the spread of the coronavirus.

    The government imposed a 21-day lockdown, closing all nonessential services and banning essential businesses from selling tobacco and alcohol. The ban on tobacco sales is meant to help prevent smokers from suffering from severe complications of the virus—studies have shown that smokers and vapers may face more severe complications from the respiratory illness.

    BATSA, however, argues that the ban may thwart the efforts to contain the virus. “It will unintentionally force 11 million smokers to go outside of their neighborhood in search of outlets willing to defy the ban, as we’ve seen in some media reports,” the company said. “This would lead to greater movement of people and more interactions than if smokers were able to buy cigarettes at their nearest legal outlet at the same time as buying all their other essential goods.”

    The company also fears the ban would lead to more illegal trade, forcing smokers to search for cigarettes and other tobacco products on the black market.

    The Fair Trade Independent Tobacco Association (FITA) supports lifting the ban. “Uplifting the ban would, amongst other things, save jobs, bring more money into the state coffers, stimulate the economy and decrease the psychological impact on South Africans of the lockdown period,” said Sinenhlanhla Mnguni, FITA chairperson. 

    BATSA holds a 78 percent market share of the legal cigarette market in South Africa.

  • Tax Stamp Group Recruiting to Fight Illicit Trade

    Tax Stamp Group Recruiting to Fight Illicit Trade

    The International Tax Stamp Association (ITSA) is recruiting new members, including government authorities, universities, foundations, nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) and other associations, who can help fight the fraudulent trade of tobacco, alcohol and other products. 

    All prospective associate members must have a legitimate and established interest in tax/security stamps or secure track-and-trace systems. Associate membership is not open to individuals or to organizations that collaborate significantly with manufacturers, distributors or sellers of excisable products or with their subsidiaries and associates.

    “We want to increase our influence in the fight against the illicit trade of tobacco and other products by forging closer links with NGOs, research bodies, government authorities and other key bodies,” said Juan Carlos Yanez, chairman of the ITSA. “Tobacco fraud in particular leads to a rapid increase in poor health and costs revenue authorities millions of pounds in lost excise duty.”

  • FDA Likely to Delay PMTA Deadline to September

    FDA Likely to Delay PMTA Deadline to September

    Photo: Jhvephotos | Dreamstime.com

    While not yet official, the deadline for submitting premarket tobacco product authorizations (PMTA) to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is one step closer to being delayed from May 12, 2020 to Sept. 9, 2020 due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

    Judge Paul Grimm of the U.S. District Court for the District of Maryland issued an “indicative ruling” granting the FDA’s request to delay the deadline by 120 days.

    The ruling is not yet final, however, due to procedural issues that are expected to be resolved expeditiously. Due to appeals filed by several organizations, including the Vapor Technology Association and the FDA itself, Grimm no longer has the authority to modify his original ruling which moved the deadline to May 2020. That power now lies with the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit.

    For the ruling to become valid, the Fourth Circuit must remand the case back to Grimm’s court where Grimm says he would modify the order to allow the FDA to delay the change. The FDA will then need to update its regulations to move the PMTA date to Sept. 9, 2020.

  • Philter Labs Gets $1 Million in Vapor Filter Funding

    Philter Labs Gets $1 Million in Vapor Filter Funding

    Philter Labs, a San Diego-based technology company that produces micro-sized air filters to help reduce the impacts of secondhand smoke, announced it has received $1 million in new investments.

    The capital will be used for research and development, building out an extensive product roadmap, and launching what the company says will be first-of-its-kind personal filtration products, according to an article on Benzinga.com.

    This new round of funding brings Philter’s total to $3 million. Bravos Capital and Explorer Equity both participated in the effort.

    Philter Lab’s patented zero-5 technology utilizes a five step filtration process that manipulates smoke and vapor at the molecular level to dissipate up to 97 percent of emissions and dissolve harmful particulates and pollutants. Also unique to Philter is it’s pocket-sized design, allowing for ease of use and portability.

    For over 20 years, the team behind Philter has been working to solve major medical problems, and identify consumer-centric solutions for common issues. Philter also aims to help re-frame popular associations behind controversial human behaviors, according to the article.

    Philter’s technology encourages consumers to practice responsible vaping and empowers them to protect those they love, and the environment, by drastically reducing harmful emissions and airborne contaminants. The company’s overarching mission is to change the way people perceive vaping tobacco and cannabis.

    CEO Christos Nicolaidis told Benzinga the goal at Philter Labs is to eliminate the impacts of secondhand smoke and harmful emissions while empowering consumers to vape responsibly, according to the article.

    “This new series of funding builds on our momentum and will allow us to expand on our scientific research and launch new innovative, cutting-edge filtration products,” Nicolaidis said. “We want to lead the charge on a cultural shift for cleaner air and a better environment — and hopefully change the way people vape for the better.”

  • Multinationals Halt Cigarette Manufacturing in Russia

    Multinationals Halt Cigarette Manufacturing in Russia

    Several multinational cigarette makers including Philip Morris International (PMI), Japan Tobacco International (JTI) and British American Tobacco (BAT) have suspended their cigarette manufacturing operations in Russia pending clarification about coronavirus policies.

    The Russian government has listed tobacco products as “non-food” commodities and therefore prohibited them from operating during this stage of the pandemic.

    JTI, which announced a “Putin break” from March 30 to April 3, stated, “This decision was due to the ambiguity of how various regulatory measures taken in the past week, and the definition of continuous production and nonbusiness days, relate to each other, and also the fact that tobacco products were excluded from the list of non-food commodities.”

    The spokesperson noted that JTI has taken measures to ensure an uninterrupted supply of its products to consumers. BAT has closed its St. Petersburg production facility until April 5 for similar reasons. PMI has closed its St. Petersburg production facility until April 3.

    These production slowdowns could lead to a cigarette shortage unless the government clarifies its intent.

  • Malawi Hopes Lower Production Will Bring Higher Prices

    Malawi Hopes Lower Production Will Bring Higher Prices

    Malawi is expected to produce 154.7 million kg of all tobacco types this season, 6.62 percent less than last year, reports The Nyasa Times, citing a recent assessment by the Tobacco Commission (TC) of Malawi. The trade also anticipates a 4.4 percent decline in demand for this year.

    The TC attributes the decline to the low prices offered for Malawi tobacco during the 2019 marketing season and excessive rainfall during the growing season, which caused the leaching of crop nutrients.  

    The trade hopes the decline in production will result in attractive prices this year.

    “With 2020 trade demand at 161.4 million kg, the 2020 estimated production is expected to attract competitive pricing as companies will out-compete each other to satisfy their requirements,” the report states.

    “Regionally, the outlook shows expected reduction in production from neighboring Zambia, Tanzania, Mozambique and Zimbabwe arising from erratic rainfall followed by drought experienced at critical vegetative stage of the crop.”

    The TC has suspended the opening of the 2020 tobacco marketing season due to coronavirus, which was declared a pandemic by the World Health Organization.

  • FTC Wants Altria to Sell its Stake in Juul Labs

    FTC Wants Altria to Sell its Stake in Juul Labs

    The U.S. Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has filed a complaint to force Altria to sell its stake in Juul Labs.

    The FTC complaint alleges that Altria and Juul Labs entered a series of agreements, including Altria’s acquisition of a 35 percent stake in Juul Labs, that eliminated competition in violation of federal antitrust laws.

    “For several years, Altria and Juul were competitors in the market for closed-system e-cigarettes. By the end of 2018, Altria orchestrated its exit from the e-cigarette market and became Juul’s largest investor,” said Ian Conner, director of the Bureau of Competition. “Altria and Juul turned from competitors to collaborators by eliminating competition and sharing in Juul’s profits.”

    A few weeks before announcing its $12.8 billion investment in Juul Labs, Altria announced that it would be taking its MarkTen e-cigarette brand off the market, a brand that had been the second most popular on the market.

    Along with the monetary investment in Juul, the companies’ agreement states that Altria will not compete with Juul for six years, according to the FTC.

    Altria rejected the complaint. “We believe that our investment in Juul does not harm competition and that the FTC misunderstood the facts,” said Murray Garnick, Altria’s executive vice president and general counsel. “We are disappointed with the FTC’s decision, believe we have a strong defense and will vigorously defend our investment.”

    Altria’s investment in Juul Labs has now decreased to $4.2 billion after a series of write-downs following a collection of lawsuits against Juul Labs regarding youth usage.

  • Study: Anti-Counterfeit Technology to Grow

    Study: Anti-Counterfeit Technology to Grow

    Anti-counterfeiting technology will continue to grow, according to a recent report cited by the International Hologram Manufacturers’ Association (IHMA).

    The market for holograms is expected to grow by 27 percent over the next five years. The global anti-counterfeiting packaging market is expected to reach $133.72 billion by 2026 with a compound annual growth rate of more than 10 percent from 2021 to 2026.

    “Digital solutions are a clear and growing addition to authentication solutions, sometimes in isolation, but within the holographic industry it’s the combination with packaging track-and-trace systems, among other solutions, that’s seen as the foreseeable future,” said Paul Dunn, IMHA chair. “In doing so, the opportunities for holograms to be at the forefront will drive sector growth.”