Category: News This Week

Call for end to vaping ban
The authors of a new report have recommended that vaping products should be primarily regulated in Australia as consumer goods rather than as therapeutic, medicinal or tobacco products.
The report, Legalising Vaping in Australia, was published on Saturday by the McKell Institute, and was the subject of a story posted on the website of the Australian Harm Reduction Association.
In the report’s executive summary, the authors said that ‘legalising vaping has enormous potential to improve public health, particularly for disadvantaged smokers who are disproportionately affected by smoking-related diseases’.
‘We recommend that vaping products should be primarily regulated as consumer goods rather than as a therapeutic, medicinal or tobacco product,’ they said.
‘Regulation should aim to maximise the benefit for adult smokers while reducing any potential risks to users and harm to the wider population, especially young people who have never smoked.
‘Regulation should be proportionate to the risk of vaping.
‘The authors strongly recommend that Australia’s successful tobacco control policy continues and is supplemented by two changes: first, ending the de facto ban on vaping; and second, re-introducing appropriately funded mass media campaigns and supporting counselling to increase quitting rates.’
The McKell Institute is described as an independent, not-for-profit, public policy institute dedicated to developing practical policy ideas and contributing to public debate.
The report’s co-authors are: Dr. Alex Wodak AM, Conjoint Associate Professor Colin Mendelsohn.
March 12, 2019
JUUL joins UKVIA
JUUL Labs UK has joined the UK Vaping Industry Association (UKVIA), according to a joint press note issued yesterday.
Since the UKVIA was formed by top vaping brands in 2016, it has been at the forefront of spreading the positive public health message about vaping to the UK’s smokers.
“The UKVIA is a partnership of the leading most respected vaping brands in the UK,” John Dunne (pictured), director of the UKVIA was quoted as saying.
“We only allow companies to become members if they share our ambition to set high standards for the industry and our aim to help the UK’s seven million adult smokers make a life changing switch to a safer alternative.
“Our new code of conduct confirms the standards that all of our members follow every day as they work to grow and expand the dynamic vaping industry.
“That’s why we are delighted that JUUL have decided to join the Association in recognition of our shared aims and values. We are excited to work with them to achieve the ambitious aims of the UKVIA.”
Meanwhile, Dan Thomson, JUUL Labs UK’s MD said the UKVIA’s new code of conduct had been a crucial part of JUUL’s decision to join the Association.
He made special note of the UKVIA’s Challenge 25, which was aimed at restricting youth access – a key policy that JUUL had enforced since it launched in the UK last year.
“This is alongside a wider program of responsible measures that we have implemented exceeding regulatory or legal requirements, including sanctions for any non-compliant retailers on Challenge 25; two-factor authentication for purchase online; a limited range of adult-focused flavours; marketing which is entirely focused on adult smokers over 30 years; and zero presence on social media,” he said.
“JUUL’s mission is to improve the lives of the world’s one billion adult smokers and to achieve this we are committed to having an open dialogue with government and stakeholders to promote vaping and its benefits over combustible cigarettes. Greater collaboration across the sector will provide both the wider industry and the UKVIA with a more credible voice to achieve our mission.”
March 12, 2019
Dust-up in Bangladesh
At least 20 ‘tobacco dust factories’ in the Kaliganj and Aditmari upazilas (sub-districts) of Bangladesh have been in operation for years, without official permission and posing ‘serious health hazards’ to thousands of locals, according to a story in The Daily Star.
The factories apparently process the tobacco dust into smokeless tobacco products such as jarda and gul.
The story reported that, on the roadside at Baninagar village in the Kaliganj upazila, five such ‘illegal’ factories have been in operation for the past eight years.
The factories have been set up in the vicinity of homes, a primary school and a village market.
Locals said that though they had complained repeatedly to the appropriate authorities, the factories had not been closed. They did not know why.
A student was quoted as saying that he and his fellow students had to hold their noses while passing the factories on their way to and from school so as to protect themselves from the wretched smell.
And a local shopkeeper said that whenever the dust factories were in operation, he was unable to stay for long at his shop.
But an owner of one of the tobacco dust factories at Baninagar village said tobacco dust did not pollute the environment and that the factories provided employment opportunities for many locals.
March 12, 2019
Appointment at LLFlex
LLFlex has hired Curtis Conley as director of global supply chain.
In this role, Conley will be responsible for all aspects of the company’s supply chain operations, including inventory control, supplier management, logistics and customer service.
Prior to joining LLFlex, Conley served as a global commodity manager at Woodward, Inc, and for Amcor Flexible Packaging.
LLFlex is said to be North America’s largest supplier of cigarette inner bundling material, as well as custom-printed laminations for cigar, pipe and smokeless tobacco.
March 12, 2019
Creditor protection granted
The Canadian tobacco manufacturer JTIMacdonald Corp has been granted protection from its creditors following a March 1 court judgement under which it is liable for an award that exceeds its capacity to pay.
In a note posted on Japan Tobacco Inc’s website on Saturday, the company said that, as announced previously, the Quebec Court of Appeal had dismissed an appeal by JTIMacdonald Corp. (JTI-MC), a member of the JT Group, and other Canadian tobacco manufacturers of a lower court decision in the two class action lawsuits heard together in Montreal.
‘JTI-MC filed for protection from its creditors under the Companies’ Creditors Arrangement Act (CCAA) on March 8, 2019, local time,’ the note said. ‘This filing followed the Quebec Court of Appeal’s judgment on March 1, 2019, local time, making JTI-MC liable for up to C$1.77 billion, of which it is required to pay C$145 million as an initial deposit.
‘As the amount of the award exceeds JTI-MC’s capacity to pay, JTI-MC has decided to seek protection from its creditors under the CCAA so as to continue its business operations. The Ontario Superior Court has granted the CCAA application and extended protection in favor of JTI-MC. Whilst all of the proceedings pending against it are now stayed, JTI-MC intends to continue to proceed with an appeal to the Supreme Court of Canada.
‘JTI-MC filed for protection as it considers doing so to be the best possible option for JTI-MC. It enables JTI-MC to carry on business in the ordinary course.
‘JTI-MC is the only JT Group company that is party to these proceedings and the financial impact of JTI-MC’s protection under the CCAA is currently under review. If any material impact on JT Group’s consolidated financials is identified, JT will announce it in a timely manner.’
March 11, 2019
Hospital vapors
The UK pro-smoking group Forest (Freedom Organisation for the Right to Enjoy Smoking) has called for the lifting of restrictions on vaping within hospital grounds.
Fifty-five percent of National Health Service (NHS) trusts did not allow electronic cigarettes to be used outdoors last year, according to a report by Forest, Prejudice and Prohibition: Results of a study of smoking and vaping policies in NHS hospital trusts in England.
This was despite Public Health England (PHE) advice that it should be made easier for people to vape on site.
Forest is calling also for greater freedom for patients, visitors and staff who want to smoke cigarettes at hospitals.
Freedom of Information requests were made to 200 NHS trusts in England by Forest, 170 of which provided a response.
‘Around 45 percent said they allowed e-cigarettes to be used outside in 2018 and 11 percent of trusts, mainly specialising in mental health, permitted vaping indoors,’ the research was said to have found.
‘However 14 percent said they were planning to amend their policies in 2019 to allow vaping outside buildings, in shelters or in wards.’
Forest said vaping should be permitted in all outdoor areas at hospitals and inside buildings and on wards if management considered it appropriate.
Seventy-six percent of NHS trusts did not allow cigarettes to be smoked anywhere on hospital grounds while 22 percent provided smoking shelters, the research also found.
Meanwhile, thirty two percent of trusts said they had installed a button which triggers a recorded message when pressed by a member of the public or staff, to help deter smokers.
Forest described the devices as ‘shame-a-smoker buttons’.
“We welcome the fact that some trusts are reviewing their policies on the use of e-cigarettes, but adopting a more sensible approach to vaping shouldn’t come at the price of a complete ban on smoking,” Simon Clark, director of Forest, was quoted as saying.
“Banning smoking on hospital grounds demonstrates a staggering lack of compassion for smokers who may be stressed, upset and in need of a comforting cigarette.
“A reasonable policy would lift restrictions on vaping, but give those who prefer to smoke the option of sheltered smoking areas.”
The NHS trust responses were collected between July and December 2018.
March 11, 2019
Tobacco fails to inspire
None of Nepal’s local governments is seen to be serious about controlling and regulating the consumption of tobacco products, according to a story in The Kathmandu Post.
While the Tobacco Products (Control and Regulatory) Act, 2011, made it mandatory for local governments to submit to the Ministry of Health and Population annual reports on measures taken to control and regulate tobacco products, none of them had submitted a report.
And the Ministry said that because local governments had not been submitting reports, it was facing difficulties in preparing a national strategy for tobacco control.
“Not a single local government has submitted its annual report to the ministry,” said Pushkar Raj Nepal, under-secretary at the legal section of the ministry. “This makes it difficult for us to find whether they are performing their responsibilities as per the act or not.”
The Act prohibits smoking in educational institutions, libraries, training and health-related institutions, cinema halls, cultural centers, theatres, religious places, child welfare homes, hermitages for senior citizens, parks and other public places.
It bans also smoking in houses or private vehicles in a way that affects another person.
March 11, 2019
Fuming over smoke
The Toyota Motor Corp. has said it will ban all its Japanese employees from smoking by the end of this year, according to a story in the English-language daily, The Japan News, quoting the Yomiuri Shimbun newspaper.
The ban is due to be imposed at its headquarters, and its branch offices and production facilities nationwide.
The company is said to be planning to do away with all indoor smoking areas and persuade its employees to quit smoking.
According to a Teikoku Databank survey in October 2017, less than 20 percent of major companies said they had completely banned smoking in all workplaces. The figure for production facilities is about 10 percent.
But the decision by Toyota is likely to affect other companies’ efforts to introduce total smoking bans.
Toyota has been organizing classes to encourage employees to quit smoking and handing out medication to treat nicotine addiction.
The story said the company had banned smoking during working hours in principle in 2013.
It said that, as a consequence, the smoking rate within the company had fallen from 51 percent in 2004 to 25.4 percent in 2018, but it is likely that a host of other issues were involved; perhaps including the employment over these years of a higher proportion of women, who are less likely than men to smoke.
The story said that Japan’s revised Health Promotion Law would take full effect in April 2020 ahead of the Tokyo Olympics and Paralympics. ‘The law will, in principle, completely ban smoking at workplaces, restaurants and other facilities,’ it said.
March 11, 2019
Taxing question
A Portuguese member of the EU Parliament has asked the Commission for information on how minimum cigarette taxes are arrived at in member states.
In a preamble to his question, which will be answered in writing by the Commission, Miguel Viegas said Council Directive 2011/64/EU of 21 June 2011 on the structure and rates of excise duty applied to manufactured tobacco made it obligatory for all taxes on cigarettes to be based on a mixed system made up of two components: a proportional (ad valorem) duty, applied to the selling price, and a specific duty, which is defined as a fixed value paid per individual cigarette.
‘The Directive allows each country to introduce a minimum tax for each tobacco product category, thus preventing the placing on the market of very cheap brands,’ he said.
‘The formula used to calculate the minimum tax varies from country to country, whether in the base price for calculating this minimum tax threshold or the multiplier used. Of course, the choice of method strongly affects how the tax burden is spread between brands.’
Viegas asked:
‘Can the Commission provide a comparative study on the methodologies used in the member states to calculate the minimum tax, particularly with regard to the two main indicators, the most popular price category (MPPC) and the weighted average price (WAP), including the respective multiplier for each?’
March 8, 2019
Slowly does it
A federal court on Tuesday ordered the US Food and Drug Administration to issue a final rule mandating graphic health warnings on cigarette packs and advertising, according to a statement issued by a number of health and anti-tobacco organizations and posted on the website of the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids.
The order by Judge Indira Talwani of the US District Court for the District of Massachusetts was said to have been made in response to a lawsuit filed in October 2016 by eight public health and medical groups and several individual pediatricians.
‘In a September 2018 ruling, Judge Talwani agreed with the health groups that the FDA has both “unlawfully withheld” and “unreasonably delayed” agency action to require the graphic warnings,’ the statement said.
‘In response to Judge Talwani’s ruling, the FDA proposed issuing the final graphic warnings rule by May 2021. ‘Instead, Judge Talwani ordered the FDA to issue a proposed rule by August 15, 2019, and a final rule by March 15, 2020.
The current cigarette warnings, which are printed on the side of packs, date back to 1984.
The March 6 statement was issued on behalf of the American Academy of Pediatrics, the Massachusetts Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics, the American Cancer Society, the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network, the American Heart Association, the American Lung Association, the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids and the Truth Initiative.
March 8, 2019