Category: Featured

  • Streamline Launches ‘Fruit-Forward’ Pouches

    Streamline Launches ‘Fruit-Forward’ Pouches

    Photo: The Streamline Group

    The Streamline Group has launched Juice Head pouches, the latest addition to its line of premium, fruit-flavored nicotine products.

    Featured in 6 mg and 12 mg tobacco-free nicotine strengths, Juice Head pouches are available in five premium, fruit first, mint second flavors: blueberry lemon mint, watermelon strawberry mint, mango strawberry mint, peach pineapple mint and raspberry lemonade mint.

    Juice Head pouches are thin, white pouches that are made with Zero Tobacco Nicotine—a trademarked synthetic nicotine brand—and are available in 20-pouch cans and 5-can sleeves.

    Compared to other nicotine pouches currently on the market, which are mainly offered in a variety of mint or mint with light fruit flavors, Juice Head pouches offer adult users a unique “fruit first, mint second,” rich flavor experience that’s on par with the brand’s world-renowned e-liquid flavors, according to the company.

    “As the needs of our customers continue to evolve, we are proud to introduce a new product that’s unlike any other currently on the market and offers discreet, convenient, smoke-free, and tobacco-free nicotine satisfaction for adults around the world,” said Patrick Mulcahy, CEO and co-founder of the Streamline Group, in a statement.

    “With the launch of Juice Head pouches, we plan to not only expand our product offering for our existing global customer base but to also introduce the Juice Head brand to an entirely new demographic of consumers, retailers and distributors that we had previously been unable to reach.

    Juice Head is manufactured and distributed by Streamline Group, which is based out of Huntington Beach, California, USA.

  • Kaival Expands Distribution for Bidi Vapor

    Kaival Expands Distribution for Bidi Vapor

    Photo: Kaival Brands Innovations Group

    “We are encouraged by growing sales volumes in our second fiscal quarter generated by both established wholesalers and retailers selling the Bidi Stick in new stores, as well as new wholesale and retail accounts being added to our distribution network,” said Kaival Brands CEO Niraj Patel in a statement. “We anticipate the activation of approximately 3,900 new store locations over the next 45 days, including one new major retailer having already placed orders totaling more than $1.1 million.”

    According to Kaival Brands, the expansion represents a positive development for the company since the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued its marketing denial order (MDO) to Bidi Vapor this past September, as it did for about 96 percent of all manufacturers of flavored electronic nicotine delivery systems.

     In February 2022, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit granted Bidi Vapor a judicial stay of the MDO, pending the resolution of Bidi Vapor’s ongoing merits-based litigation. In effect, the judicial stay means that the MDO, which covered the non-tobacco flavored Bidi Sticks, is not legally in force.

    Accordingly, Kaival Brands anticipates marketing and selling all 11 flavored Bidi Sticks, subject to the FDA’s enforcement discretion, while Bidi Vapor continues with its merits case challenging the legality of the MDO.

    The FDA has indicated that it is prioritizing enforcement against companies that have either not submitted premarket tobacco product applications (PMTAs), or whose PMTAs have been refused acceptance or filing by FDA, or whose PMTAs remain subject to MDOs.

    Patel says he sees signs of growing confidence in the vaping industry as the MDOs for Bidi Sticks and products of several other companies have been placed on hold.

    “This was a significant event not only for Kaival Brands and Bidi Vapor, but the entire industry,” said Patel of the court decision. “The judicial stay granted in February allowed us to resume sale of all 11 flavored products in the Bidi Stick lineup. We are eager to return our flavored products to the shelves of retailers that comply with the Prevent All Cigarette Trafficking Act so adult consumers can enjoy their preferred flavors once again. As a result of the judicial stay, we expect revenues to resume an upward trajectory as renewed distribution ramps up and sales of flavored Bidi Sticks increase.

    “Additionally, we believe that the FDA’s new authority over products using synthetic nicotine will only bolster Kaival Brands’ market position, as more retailers understand the nearly insurmountable compliance hurdles facing those manufacturers of non-compliant, synthetic products. “

    “Products in the vaping industry should be developed and placed in the market under a high degree of supervision, such as the FDA’s PMTA process or the FDA’s drug-approval process,” continued Patel. “We anticipate that as the FDA begins enforcement against illegally marketed and synthetic-nicotine vaping products, there may be an increased demand for compliant and legal vaping products, such as the Bidi Stick.”

  • Most Doctors Confused About Risk Continuum

    Most Doctors Confused About Risk Continuum

    Photo: pathdoc

    More than 60 percent of all U.S. doctors incorrectly believe all tobacco products are equally harmful, making them less likely to recommend e-cigarettes for people trying to quit smoking, according to a study led by Rutgers University and published in JAMA Network Open.

    Researchers asked more than 2,000 doctors in the U.S. in 2018 and 2019 about how they would advise patients on using e-cigarettes as a method of combustible smoking cessation. One in four physicians discouraged all use of e-cigarettes and were also more likely to advise against them if the hypothetical smoker they were counseling were a younger, light smoker compared to an older, heavy smoker.

    “These findings show it is critical to address physicians’ misperceptions and educate them on e-cigarettes’ efficacy, particularly correcting their misperceptions that all tobacco products are equally harmful as opposed to the fact that combusted tobacco is by far the most dangerous,” said lead author Cristine Delnevo, the director of the Rutgers Center for Tobacco Studies.

    The belief that all tobacco products are equally harmful was associated with lower rates of recommending e-cigarettes, the study found, demonstrating the need for physician education.

    “As the evidence base grows for e-cigarette efficacy for smoking cessation, physicians’ understanding of e-cigarettes in the context of harm reduction must keep pace with the emerging scientific evidence through effective educational opportunities,” the study’s authors wrote. “Such opportunities should address e-cigarette safety and efficacy and correct misperceptions that all tobacco products are equally harmful.”

     

  • Groh to Lead U.S. Tobacconist Association

    Groh to Lead U.S. Tobacconist Association

    Photo: jirsak

    Jennifer Groh is the new president of the Tobacconists’ Association of America (TAA), according to Halfwheel. Groh is associated with Metro Cigars in Germantown, Wisconsin, USA. Her tenure began at the end of March when she took over for Joe Arundel of Rain City Cigars in Seattle, Washington, USA.

    The TAA consists of some of the top tobacconists in the U.S., including about 80 retailers and 40 manufacturers. The board of directors is largely made up of retail store owners who are members of TAA.

    The TAA convenes annually to discuss issues facing the industry and retailers and to have its annual trade show. 

  • Aquios Labs Presents Water-Based Vaping

    Aquios Labs Presents Water-Based Vaping

    Photo: luchschenF

    Aquios Labs plans to introduce water-based vaping technology this month, according to a press release published by Vaping360.

    Most traditional vaping devices and e-liquids contain no water, and in those that do, the water content is 3 percent or less. Until now, the low viscosity of water made it unsuitable for use in vaping devices at any meaningful level.

    Dubbed AQ30, the first generation of Aquios Labs’ technology can support up to 30 percent water content using a combination of specially formulated e-liquid and hardware design. Aquios says it is already developing the capability to support even higher levels of water content.

    According to Aquios Labs, water reduces dehydration and irritation, helps to deliver nicotine more efficiently and produces a more natural flavor. In addition, the operating temperature of water-based vaping is much lower than traditional vaping, which enhances the chemical stability of the vaping process.

    “We founded Aquios Labs because there’s still a long way to go in terms of improving the vaping experience,” said Aquios Labs founder Jack Sanders. “We believe that water-based vaping is the new frontier of nicotine delivery, and AQ30 is already demonstrating this by drastically reducing the dehydrating effects of vapor while delivering clean flavors. We welcome new and existing vape brands to consider how this technology can be adopted as part of a growing product offering.”

    Innokin, a leading vape brand and manufacturer, plans to integrate Aquios Labs technology into a wide range of its entry-level devices. Consumers can expect to see Innokin devices with AQ30 technology debut in the second quarter of 2022.

    “Innokin has always believed that new technology has the power to eliminate the need for combustible tobacco,” said Innokin co-founder George Xia. “When we were introduced to Aquios, our product development team was immediately sold on the unique advantages of water-based vaping. We look forward to hearing feedback about our range of water-based devices when they launch this April.”

  • Juul Labs Settles Louisiana Vape Suit

    Juul Labs Settles Louisiana Vape Suit

    Photo: steheap

    Juul Labs has agreed to pay $10 million to settle a lawsuit filed by the Louisiana Attorney General’s Office over the e-cigarette manufacturer’s marketing practices. Juul has settled similar cases in Washington state, Arizona and North Carolina.

    “This settlement is another step in our ongoing effort to reset our company, and we applaud the Attorney General’s plan to deploy resources to combat underage use,” reads a statement from Juul Labs. “We will continue working with federal and state stakeholders to secure a fully regulated, science-based marketplace for vapor products.”

    In the Louisiana case, Attorney General Jeff Landry had accused Juul Labs of marketing its e-cigarettes to youth, according to a news report.

    In a 76-page filing in November, Attorney General Jeff Landry claimed Juul used marketing tactics that included designing sleek, concealable devices that featured “fun flavors like mango and cool mint” and edgy ad campaigns directed toward youth.

    Landry also accused Juul of “deceptive marketing practices” regarding the device’s concentrations of nicotine. Landry’s office had sought to prevent Juul from selling the product to minors and wanted to limit available flavors to tobacco and menthol. Prosecutors also sought financial penalties from Juul.

  • 22nd Pilots its Low-Nicotine Brand in Illinois

    22nd Pilots its Low-Nicotine Brand in Illinois

    Photo: 22nd Century Group

    22nd Century Group’s VLN cigarettes are now available through a national pilot in select Chicagoland Circle K stores, the company announced in a press release.

    Containing 95 percent less nicotine than conventional cigarettes, VLN cigarettes in December 2021 became the first combustible cigarettes to receive authorization from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to be marketed as modified-risk tobacco products.

    When choosing Chicagoland for the pilot, 22nd Century noted smokers are found within every segment of the population, many of whom are looking for alternatives. The Centers for Disease Control estimates 15.5 percent of Illinois adults aged 18 years or older smoke cigarettes, higher than the national average of 12.5 percent, according to 2018 state and 2020 national statistics.

    A pack of VLN cigarettes will be similarly priced to full nicotine premium brands, approximately between $9 and $12, depending on tax. Illinois is the second most expensive cigarette retail market in the United States.

    The three- to six-month pilot will be the first U.S. sales of VLN King and VLN Menthol King cigarettes. 22nd Century is also launching VLN cigarettes in South Korea, its first international market. Following the pilot, 22nd Century and Circle K intend to expand sales nationwide to more than 7,000 stores in 48 states.

    On April 4, 2022, the Illinois Attorney General’s Tobacco Enforcement Bureau added 22nd Century Group’s VLN cigarettes to the Illinois Directory of Participating Manufacturers listing. The registration was the final step before 22nd Century could begin distribution.

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  • Bentley: Banning Menthol is a High-Risk Strategy

    Bentley: Banning Menthol is a High-Risk Strategy

    Guy Bentley

    The U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s plan to ban menthol cigarettes may have unintended consequences, such as increased black market sales and more incarceration, while doing little to advance public health, according to Guy Bentley, director of consumer freedom at the Reason Foundation.

    Writing on the organization’s website, Bentley says the desired public health gains could also be achieved by applying the harm reduction model to tobacco policy.

    In his article, Bentley examines the experiences of Canada, the European Union and Massachusetts, which have already banned menthol cigarettes, and finds the results to be underwhelming.

    “In the aggregate, the experience of menthol bans in the real world, as opposed to forecasts about them, is that the bans have minimal effects on tobacco consumption but do engender unintended consequences, even in markets where menthol is relatively unpopular,” he writes.

    According to Bentley, banning menthol cigarettes is a radical policy with significant implications for the criminal justice system and personal autonomy. “Rather than resorting to the failed policies of the past, the FDA and the Biden administration should apply the harm reduction model to tobacco policy,” he writes.

    “Educating the public and taking a harm reduction approach has been successful in the fields of sexual health and drug addiction, and it would be far more effective in reducing smoking than banning menthols.”

  • FDA to Provide PMTA Updates Every Three Months

    FDA to Provide PMTA Updates Every Three Months

    Photo: Niroworld

    The U.S. Food and Drug Administration will be required to give premarket tobacco product application (PMTA) status reports every 90 days. The first reports are due on April 29, according to a revised order from District Judge Paul Grimm for the United States District Court for the District of Maryland.

    The revised order, signed on April 15, granted a motion filed by American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) and other plaintiffs that requires the FDA to “forecast the percentages of such products for which it expects to have taken ‘action’ by June 2022 and quarterly thereafter.” Subsequent reports will also be required to state any revisions to prior estimates.

    The order states that “covered applications” means all applications for newly deemed tobacco products “sold under the brand names Juul, Vuse, NJoy, Logic, Blu, Smok, Suorin or Puff Bar.” Additionally, any product with a reach of 2 percent of more (vaping product brands deemed to have the greatest public health impact) in “Retail & Sales” in Nielsen’s “Total E-cig Market & Players” or “Disposable E-Cig Market & Players.”

    The FDA has approved some products from Vuse and Logic, while denying applications for Blu’s Myblu products.

    The decision was expected by the vaping industry. Speaking during Keller and Heckman (K&H) annual E-Vapor and Tobacco Law Symposium Feb. 2–3, K&H Partner Azim Chowdhury said the FDA had appeared to concede to the requested requirement to submit status reports on many of the remaining submissions under review, adding that the updated requirements requested by the anti-vaping groups appeared to be even broader than the original.

    It’s been more than eight months since the 12-month continued compliance policy for products subject to timely submitted PMTAs ended, but the agency is still sitting on some 88,000 reviews, including some of the vaping products with the highest market shares as measured by Nielsen.

    Requiring the FDA to provide the status reports comes with some controversy. Chowdhury says that it wouldn’t be appropriate for the protection of public health (APPH) or positive for the vaping industry if a requirement for status updates forced the regulatory agency to make PMTA decisions only to appease the anti-vaping groups or politicians.

    “These status reports could be used as a tool to pressure FDA to act—i.e., deny— applications quickly,” Chowdhury told Tobacco Reporter’s sister publication Vapor Voice. “Rather, we want FDA to review the science carefully and take the time it needs to determine whether a particular product is APPH.”

    In November 2021, the anti-vaping organizations whose lawsuit brought forward the deadline for filing PMTAs asked U.S. District Judge Paul Grimm to reopen the case. The plaintiffs asked him to require the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to regularly report on the status of the applications for the 10 bestselling vapor brands according to Nielsen rankings.

  • Juul to Pay Washington State $22.5 Million for Youth Vaping

    Juul to Pay Washington State $22.5 Million for Youth Vaping

    Photo: steheap

    Juul Labs has agreed to pay Washington State $22.5 million to settle claims that it unlawfully targeted underage consumers with deceptive advertisements.

    “Juul put profits before people,” Washington Attorney General Bob Ferguson said on April 13 in a statement. “The company fueled a staggering rise in vaping among teens.”

    Among other complaints, Washington State argued that Juul failed to disclose clearly that its products contain nicotine. For more than 20 months, from August 2016 until April 2018, it “unlawfully sold hundreds of thousands of vaping products to Washington consumers,” the state’s attorneys wrote in their complaint.

    As part of the settlement, Juul committed to reforms, including stopping all advertising that appeal to youth and ending most social media promotion in the settlement, according to Bloomberg.

    “This settlement is another step in our ongoing effort to reset our company and resolve issues from the past,” the company said in a statement. “We support the Washington state attorney general’s plan to deploy resources to address underage use, such as future monitoring and enforcement.”

    The deal is the latest in a series of settlements of youth vaping-related court cases brought by U.S. states.

    In November 2021, Juul agreed to pay $14.5 million and change its business practices as part of an agreement with Arizona. In June 2021, it settled a similar case brought by North Carolina for $40 million.

    Juul Labs continues to face similar suits from several states, including New York and California.