Category: Featured

TPB Quarter In Line With Expectations

Photo: MIND AND I
Turning Point Brands (TPB) reported net sales of $101.72 million in the three months that ended Sept. 30, down from $107.8 million in the comparable quarter of 2022. Net income was $10.83 million, compared with $11.54 million in the prior-year quarter.
“Our third quarter results were consistent with our expectations,” said TPB President and CEO Graham Purdy in a statement.
“The Zig-Zag segment was stable sequentially from the second quarter and notwithstanding some transitory headwinds posted its third-highest revenue quarter. Stoker’s had another solid quarter of performance led by double-digit growth year-over-year in Stoker’s MST. We further de-levered the balance sheet with an opportunistic purchase of $15 million in aggregate principal amount of our convertible notes during the third quarter.
“With a new $75 million ABL revolving credit facility, our strong cash balance and our free cash flow generation, we now have more than ample liquidity to address the remaining balance of convertible notes maturing next year.”
November 8, 2023
Online Shopping Spikes After Flavor Restrictions

Photo: Ngampol
Eric Leas
Online shopping for cigarettes and vaping products increased significantly in the weeks following the implementation of a 2022 California law prohibiting the sale of flavored tobacco products.
Reporting in Tobacco Control, researchers at the Herbert Wertheim School of Public Health and Human Longevity Science at University of California San Diego assessed the impact of California’s statewide flavor restriction on online shopping behavior among consumers. Comparing observed rates of shopping queries with expected rates, researchers discovered that shopping queries were 194 percent higher than expected for cigarettes and 162 percent higher than expected for vape products.
“Retailer licensing programs have proven to be effective in enforcing tobacco control laws. However, the exclusion of e-commerce retailers from these programs can undermine their impact,” said principal investigator Eric Leas in a statement.
Despite the flavor restriction, analysis of the first 60 websites returned in the search queries presented at least two online retailers offered access to flavored vaping products or menthol cigarettes to consumers in California—with one query returning as many as 36 websites (60 percent of the search results).
The study authors recommend strengthening regulations to include e-commerce retailers within the scope of retailer licensing programs.
November 8, 2023
Panama’s Vapes Ban Heads to Supreme Court

The Supreme Court of Panama has decided to hear a lawsuit challenging the constitutionality of the country’s ban on e-cigarettes and heated tobacco products.
In early August, the Panamanian Tobacco Harm Reduction Association (ARDTP) filed a lawsuit with the Supreme Court, arguing that Law No. 315, which prohibits the use, sale, and import of e-cigarettes and heated tobacco in the country, is unconstitutional and should be repealed.
The Panama Association for Tobacco Damage Reduction (ARDTP) had its appeal case advanced by the Supreme Court on Sept. 21 following a lawsuit, according to media reports.
If the Supreme Court deems the unconstitutional statement valid, the 315 bill will return to the legislative body for modifications.
Once the bill is amended, it will be resubmitted to the Supreme Court to confirm its constitutionality. A proposed new law is being drafted to replace the current 315 bill, thereby supporting provisions based on “risk.”
Panama is one of several Latin American countries, including Mexico, Argentina, and Venezuela, that have implemented strict legislation since 2022 to restrict the use, sale, and import/export of vaping products.
Many harm reduction advocates argue that the enactment of such legislation has resulted in the creation of a black market for safer nicotine products within their respective countries.
The World Vapers Alliance (WVA) states that Panama’s Supreme Court’s decision to hear this lawsuit is a positive first step.
November 8, 2023
Vapers Cheer EU Recognition of E-cigs as Possible Quit Aid

Photo: Maren Winter
The EU’s Subcommittee on Public Health (SANT) has endorsed the potential role of vaping in supporting smoking cessation, according to the World Vapers’ Alliance (WVA).
Parliament’s report on non-communicable diseases acknowledges that vaping is a way for smokers to gradually quit.
“Parliament’s recognition that vaping can help smokers quit is a step in the right direction,” said WVA Director Michael Landl. “With the well-documented success of vaping as a smoking cessation aid, it’s crucial for the EU to fully embrace this tool within its strategy to reduce smoking-related illnesses. Vaping not only offers a way out for smokers but is instrumental in achieving public health goals.”
Despite this recognition, the WVA views the report’s proposal to extend smoking bans to vaping as problematic.
“Treating vaping the same as smoking in public spaces sends the wrong message to smokers who want to quit,” said Landl. “There is no evidence of harm from secondhand vaping. The Subcommittee must reconsider the broader impact, including the risk of former smokers relapsing. A more thoughtful regulatory approach based on common sense is imperative to ensure that vaping remains a viable option for those committed to quitting cigarettes.”
The WVA believes that for the EU to significantly lower smoking rates and effectively tackle NCDs, supportive measures for harm reduction strategies like vaping must be integrated into public health policies.
November 8, 2023
No Added Harm from Vape Substitution: Study

Photo: fedorovacz
A new systematic review conducted by the Center of Excellence for the acceleration of Harm Reduction on the available scientific research showed no difference in respiratory parameters in human clinical tests on the respiratory effects of electronic nicotine delivery systems (ENDS) use in participants who smoke tobacco cigarettes.
In their study “Respiratory health effects of e-cigarette substitution for tobacco cigarettes: a systematic review,” the researchers analyzed 16 studies from 20 publications. They found that the large majority of the studies showed no difference in respiratory parameters. According to the authors, this indicates that electronic nicotine delivery systems substitution for smoking likely does not result in additional harm to respiratory health.
One of the problems the researchers found during their evaluation is that many studies were not of sufficient duration for observing any harmful or beneficial effects because these may take time to manifest. In fact, the researchers observed a general low quality of the studies included in the review, with 10 of 16 studies rated at high risk of bias.
In light of the findings of no change in respiratory function plus the presence of reporting spin bias, the researchers call for long term studies that include diverse participants and to assess smoking behavior and history. Furthermore, they note that exclusive ENDS use and dual use with cigarettes should be identified as separate categories for analysis and findings. They also stressed that additional studies are necessary to assess the potential benefits or risks of e-cigarette substitution for tobacco cigarette smoking.
November 8, 2023
BAT Ups Investment in Organigram

Credit: Roxxy Photos
Organigram Holdings Inc. has extended its relationship with British American Tobacco. The move boosts the Canadian cannabis producer’s financial strength and positioning it to expand globally.
Organigram said in a statement that BAT is investing a further $90.5 million in the business, building on an initial $160 million injection back in 2021.
Organigram said the investment will allow it to extend its footprint beyond Canada, and also strengthen its financial position for long-term, sustainable growth, according to media reports.
“This investment bolsters an already strong balance sheet and solidifies our position as a leading cannabis company,” said Beena Goldenberg, chief executive of Organigram.
The firm said the deal enables it to invest in growing the topline of its core business, while optimizing operations to deliver on cost-saving efficiencies, thus accelerating earnings growth.
Organigram will use the majority of the investment to create a strategic investment pool, named Jupiter.
Jupiter will target investments in emerging cannabis opportunities that will enable Organigram to apply its industry-leading capabilities to new markets, it said.
November 8, 2023
Quit for Good Signs THR Statement

Lorenzo Mata Jr. | Photo: Quit for Good
Quit for Good, a public health advocacy group based in the Philippines, has joined other scientific organizations and associations across the world in calling for the adoption of tobacco harm reduction (THR) to save smokers and help improve people’s lives.
“We endorse the consensus statement of SCOHRE—the International Association on Smoking Control and Harm Reduction—to remind the World Health Organization Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (WHO FCTC) Conference of the Parties of the growing support and scientific basis for THR strategies that it continues to ignore,” said Lorenzo Mata Jr., president of Quit for Good.
“The THR approach, which the Philippines acknowledged when it approved the vape law in 2022, provides smokers with better options, such as smoke-free alternatives, when quitting is not achievable,” said Mata, a Filipino doctor.
Quit For Good is one of the 14 scientific organizations on four continents that support the consensus statement of SCOHRE that the WHO FCTC should no longer ignore the evidence in support of THR. It is also one of the two organizations based in the Philippines that signed the statement, the other being the Harm Reduction Alliance of the Philippines (HARAP).
SCOHRE, an international scientific association of independent experts who promote a new approach to smoking control policies, issued the statement as the WHO FCTC prepares to convene the 10th session of the Conference of the Parties (COP10) Nov. 20–25, 2023, in Panama.
“Rather than viewing them [THR products] as a threat to public health, the WHO FCTC should look at them as tools that can help more than a billion smokers around the world quit smoking. It has been well documented that it is the smoke, and not nicotine, that causes serious diseases among smokers,” said Mata.
Mata said the U.K. and Sweden models prove that harm reduction works. He said providing safer nicotine products to reduce harm for smokers is common sense as smokers are already offered nicotine-replacement therapy (NRT) to quit or reduce harm.
“NRTs, however, are largely ineffective in making smokers quit. Why not give them highly successful and innovative products that are at least 95 percent less harmful than cigarettes?” said Mata, referring to smoke-free products such as vapes. “These products are much better than confining smokers to a lifetime of smoking without any viable alternatives. Other doctors should explore these options if they really care about their patients.”
Mata said the COP10 meeting in Panama should focus on scientific evidence that there are safer nicotine products and that restrictive and prohibitionist policies that penalize smokers only lead them to continue smoking and suffer from the lack of better alternatives.
The consensus statement of SCOHRE noted the mounting scientific evidence that THR strategies can contribute to reducing the detrimental effects of smoking and that switching to less harmful products will have a tremendously positive effect for many people who smoke cigarettes.
“Healthcare and public health professionals need to continuously raise awareness to every person who smokes cigarettes and to the overall population about the adverse effects of smoking and that they can be also limited by tobacco harm reduction, i.e., with novel safer alternatives to cigarettes. We need to increase the knowledge that empowers people to pursue better health,” according to the consensus statement.
Aside from Quit for Good and HARAP, other groups that supported the SCOHRE consensus statement are the European Medical Association, New Nicotine Alliance in Ireland, Platform for the Reduction of Harm due to Tobacco Consumption in Spain, Indonesian Tar Free Coalition (KABAR), DIRETA in Brazil, Tunisian Society of Tobaccology and Addictive Behaviors, Associazione Nazionale Consumatori Vaporizzatori Personali (ANPVU) in Italy, Densaulyk Harm Reduction Association in Kazakhstan, Polish Society of Public Health, New Nicotine Alliance in the U.K., UKVIA and the Hungarian Scientific Association for Harm Reduction and Environmental Diseases.
November 7, 2023
FDA Warns Nic Nac ‘Nicotine Mints’

Image: FDA
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration issued a warning letter to Nic Nac Naturals for the marketing of their unauthorized dissolvable nicotine products, which the company describes as “nicotine mints” and which resemble a pack of mints. These products are of particular concern because of their resemblance to popular candies and the potential to cause severe nicotine toxicity or even death if accidentally ingested by young children, according to the FDA.
“FDA remains steadfast in our commitment to actively monitor the marketplace and to crack down on companies selling unlawful products, particularly those that can appeal to youth,” said Brian King, director of the FDA’s Center for Tobacco Products (CTP). “Our goal is to identify and prevent these emerging threats to our nation’s youth before they become mainstream.”
The manufacturer markets these tobacco products in a variety of mint and fruit flavors, all of which come in two nicotine strengths (3 mg or 6 mg). The packaging states the products contain nontobacco nicotine. The FDA regulates tobacco products containing nicotine from any source, including nontobacco nicotine. Nic Nac Naturals does not have a marketing authorization order from the agency to sell or distribute these products in the U.S.
One container of 15 of these mints can have as much as 90 mg of nicotine total. According to research, the FDA stated, ingesting 1 mg to 4 mg of nicotine could be toxic or severely toxic to a child under 6 years old, depending on body weight. This means ingesting one mint could be severely toxic to a child under 6 years old. Nicotine toxicity among youth of any age can lead to nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, increased blood pressure and heart rate, seizures, respiratory failure, coma and even death. The FDA also stated that nicotine is highly addictive and exposure during adolescence can harm the developing brain.
“Today’s action is another example of our ongoing efforts against illegal nontobacco nicotine products,” said Ann Simoneau, director of the CTP’s Office of Compliance and Enforcement. “We remain unwavering in our use of compliance and enforcement resources to curb unlawful marketing of tobacco products, particularly those that youth could easily confuse with something that they consume regularly—like candy.”
The company has 15 working days to respond to the FDA with steps they will take to correct and prevent future violations. Failure to respond and correct violations may result in addition FDA action, such as an injunction, seizure and/or civil money penalties.
November 7, 2023
Cyprus: One in Three Smokes

Image: eyegelb
About one-third of Cyprus residents smoke, according to statistics from Marc, a research company, reports The Cyprus Mail.
Marc interviewed 801 households across Cyprus, finding that 30.1 percent of respondents are smokers. The research was done on behalf of Philip Morris Cyprus.
The number of smokers last year was 31.3 percent.
Though the number of smokers remains high, about 90 percent of respondents said they are concerned about the health effects of smoking, and 80 percent of smokers said their main motivation for quitting would be the impact quitting would have on their health and physical condition. Only 22 percent of smokers stated that they are fully informed about available alternatives, and 81 percent said information should be available to them.
November 7, 2023
Western Australia: New School Vaping Policies

Image: steheap
The government of Western Australia (WA) has introduced new school behavior policies to prevent students from vaping.
Students caught vaping will risk being unable to attend school events, such as balls, graduations and other extra-curricular activities. The new rules also include mandatory programs for students in years five to seven that teach them about the dangers of vaping; new teaching and learning resources for prevention education for students in years eight to 10; and a trial of vape detectors in up to 10 schools across the state.
“The prevalence of vapes in our community is a serious issue,” said Tony Buti, WA’s education minister. “The biggest misunderstanding is they are harmless compared to cigarettes—this is not true—vapes are not safe, and they are contributing to a new generation of nicotine dependency.”
It’s illegal in WA to sell e-cigarettes and nicotine vaping products to anyone without a doctor’s prescription. These devices are only allowed for smoking cessation purposes and must be obtained from a pharmacy.
Youth often purchase vapes online, from retail stores or from friends and contacts, according to the WA Department of Education. More than 70 percent of participants in an October survey of over 3,000 individuals aged 12 to 18 found it easy for a young person to “get a vape,” and many respondents stated that the products are prolific, especially in schools. The survey was used in a report on vaping by Jacqueline McGowan-Jones, WA commissioner for children and young people.
November 7, 2023