China’s State Council on Nov. 26 amended the country’s tobacco monopoly law to include vapor products, reports The Global Times. According to the amendment, new types of tobacco products, such as e-cigarettes, will be managed like combustible cigarettes.
Among other things, this means that manufacturers of new tobacco products will be required to reveal ingredients, warn consumers about the health risks presented by their products and pay higher tax rates. They will also be banned from opening stores near schools, analysts said.
To date, the vapor business in China has operated in a legal grey area.
China’s vapor business was valued at CNY8.38 billion ($1.31 billion) in 2020, according to the data from iimedia. China’s e-cigarette market experienced a compound annual growth rate of 72.5 percent between 2013 and 2020, the report said.
China is also the world’s leading manufacturer of vapor product hardware. In 2021, China’s e-cigarette exports will hit CNY100 billion, according to China’s Electronic Cigarette Industry Committee (ECIC).
While government regulation may hurt some e-cigarette businesses in the short term, some expect greater regulatory clarity to benefit the industry in the long run.
The State Council statement may speed up the introduction of a detailed e-cigarette national standard to raise the industry entry thresholds, which benefits leading companies with compliance advantages, TF Securities told Shine.
And it may bring more tax income in China, TF Securities said.
The growing e-cigarette market will usher in a healthy development under standardized supervision, said Shi Fanke, an analyst of Zheshang Securities.
Vapor market leader RELX said that it “firmly supports” amendment of the law and will actively implement regulation requirements later, according to media reports.
China’s tobacco industry is controlled entirely by a government monopoly, and strict controls determine which companies and retailers can produce and sell cigarettes.
The government outlawed the sale of e-cigarettes to minors in 2018 and banned online sales the following year, while Chinese state media have warned of the health and safety risks of using the products.
British vapers have been bullied and even fired for vaping in the workplace, according to a new study carried out by the online vaping retailer E-Cigarette Direct.
The company surveyed around 2,000 vapers to understand their attitudes and experiences to a host of employment issues around vaping.
It is thought to be the most comprehensive study of its type to be conducted in the U.K, coming just weeks after the government announced patients could soon be prescribed e-cigarettes on the NHS for the first time.
The E-Cigarette Direct Vaping in the Workplace Study found:
13 people lost their jobs through vaping, with men (nine) twice as likely as women (four) to get fired.
There were significant levels of discrimination aimed at vapers in the workplace. Two hundred and twenty-four vapers admitted to being discriminated against, with the northeastern U.K. a particular hotspot where they feel they are being treated differently.
Many vapers have also been bullied at work, with almost one in 10 respondents working in the Real Estate sector alone lifting the lid on this issue.
“It is quite shocking to learn people have actually lost their jobs due to vaping,” said James Dunworth, chairman of E-Cigarette Direct.” It is also concerning many people have experienced bullying and discrimination.
“Vaping in the workplace is a little-explored area so we devised our study to help understand the challenges faced by vapers in the working world, and gather data to help employers make informed decisions to aid staff retention, health and morale.
“We spend at least a third of our waking lives at work and our working environment has a huge influence on our health and happiness—so these issues are hugely significant for people who wish to vape while at work.”
However, E-Cigarette Direct’s research found 75 percent of vapers are allowed to vape at work only in dedicated smoking areas.
The company says this is in direct contravention of Public Health England guidance (now U.K Health Security Agency), which states, “…vapers should not be required to use the same space as smokers, as this could undermine their ability to quit smoking and stay smokefree, particularly among those most heavily addicted.”
New Zealand will ban smoking in cars with minors effective Nov. 28, reports The New Zealand Herald. The rule defines children as any person under the age of 18 and applies to moving and stationary vehicles alike.
The measure is part of the government’s commitment to achieve its “Smokefree 2025” goal and follows moves such as including plain packaging of cigarettes, a retail display ban and progressive vaping legislation that supports vaping use as a quit-smoking tool.
A 2018 Youth Insights Survey found that about 15 percent of 14- to 15-year-olds were exposed to secondhand smoke in vehicles, while 26 percent of Māori and Pacific students were exposed to it.
While welcoming the new law, Action and Smoking and Health (ASH) said more needs to be done to achieve the country’s target of being smokefree by 2025.
About one in eight New Zealand adults smoke cigarettes daily and this rises to one in three among Māori.
“We are not on track to get to the Smokefree 2025 goal,” said Ash Director Deborah. “What is needed immediately is greater investment in community-led initiatives to help people quit and mass media campaigns that support quit efforts.”
The International Tobacco Growers Association (ITGA) appointed Mercedes Vázquez as its new CEO during the organization’s 36th annual general meeting, which took place virtually Nov. 18-19. Vázquez succeeds António Abrunhosa, who announced his retirement after serving in the position since 1998.
Members expressed their gratitude and highlighted Abrunhosa’s role in positioning ITGA as a key player in the global tobacco sector.
“In my new role I will do my best to continue this learning process from all of you so I can ensure and reinforce the long-lasting relations with our partners so we can together overcome the common challenges we are facing in our sector,” said Vázquez in a statement.
The annual general meeting was accompanied by an “Issues Day,” which attracted more than 100 attendees from five continents, representing more than 20 countries, including Argentina, Brazil, Bulgaria, Colombia, Dominican Republic, France, Germany, India, Italy, Malawi, Netherlands, Portugal, Russia, Spain, Switzerland, South Africa, Turkey, Uganda, USA, Zambia and Zimbabwe.
During his keynote address, Reuben M’Tolo Phiri, the Minister of Agriculture of Zambia, highlighted the importance of ITGA’s mission by pointing out its main objective–to help improve growers’ members livelihoods through respectful agricultural practices. Phiri also noted that ITGA’s main strength is in its member associations around the world. “Thanks to them, ITGA can benefit from national and regional engagements and build up its global network,” he said.
ITGA President Abiel Masache Banda focused on the important role that tobacco growers’ associations are playing in the fight against child labor. “ITGA and its member associations in different regions are the perfect platforms to reach out to farmers, either to work with them or to provide support when needed,” he said.
Ivan Genov
Commenting on the prevailing market conditions, Abrunhosa highlighted that 2021 saw some growth in production volumes and prices in many of the leading tobacco growing markets. However, he noted, regulations will become tougher, ultimately impacting growers across the globe. To ensure the sustainable development for the sector, income has to be sustainable as well.
ITGA Tobacco Expert Ivan Genov noted that while the momentum of 2021 is likely to persists and even accelerate in 2022, the overall situation remains volatile. Pressure on the sector is certain to remain high, he said. What’s more, the sector will be impacted by rising prices of key inputs, inflation, logistics complications and increasing sustainability pressures.
Shane MacGuill, global lead nicotine and cannabis at Euromonitor International, revealed that global cigarette volumes declined by 4 percent and illicit product accounted for 12 percent of tobacco sales in 2021. Meanwhile, the proportion of cigarettes in the total tobacco value mix continues to decline., Heated tobacco is establishing itself as the most important reduced-risk category, he observed, in part due to investment from companies and to regulatory issues surrounding vapor.
MacGuill also shared his insights into the trend toward diversification that has taken a hold among tobacco companies. The market for legal cannabis, he said, is forecast to grow to over $90 billion by 2026.
Michiel Reerink
Michiel Reerink, corporate affairs director and managing director at Alliance One International, updated the audience about the recently held Conference of the Parties to the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (COP9), which remained largely closed to the public.
Discussions about heated tobacco, research of evidence on novel and emerging products as well as the guidelines on advertising were deferred without discussion until COP10, he said. Reerink also focused on the increasing regulatory requirements for supply chains and the EU’s resolution on corporate accountability.
Companies selling in the EU will likely be required to demonstrate that are no violations of human rights and environmental standards in their supply chains.
Heliodoro Campos, general manager of the Colombia tobacco Federation (FEDETABACO) discussed the plight of Colombian tobacco farmers after the withdrawal of two leading tobacco companies from the country. Campos called on the global community to support FEDETABACO plans to help Colombian growers find a substitutes for tobacco.
Innocent Mugwawa detailed the progress made by the Foundation for the Elimination of Child Labor in Tobacco’s (ECLT) “If you look back 20 years ago, sustainability and child labor were not the typical issues of the day,” he said. “This shows the vision and leadership of the IUF and ITGA to address this problem together in a unified way.”
The Dutch government will need to increase tobacco taxes substantially if it wants to meet its tobacco control objectives, reports DutchNews, citing a study by Maastricht University.
They found that cigarettes would need to cost at least €12 ($13.50) per pack to entice 10 percent of smokers to quit, and some 50 percent of smokers say they would only quit at a price of €60 per pack. Cigarettes in the Netherlands currently cost around €8.20 per pack, and this is scheduled to rise to €10 by 2023.
The researchers say this illustrates not only how addictive but also how affordable cigarettes are. “People adjust their consumption when they notice the difference in their wallet, when something becomes more or less affordable,” said UM researcher Cloe Geboers. “So big hikes in excise duty, like the €1 increase in 2020, are highly desirable when it comes to discouraging smoking.”
The government aims to reduce the number of smokers to 5 percent by 2040. Some 22 percent of the Dutch population still smoke, and 35,000 people in the Netherlands die each year from the effects of smoking, being overweight or problem drinking.
Juul Labs has agreed to pay $14.5 million to settle a lawsuit by Arizona accusing it of fueling a vaping epidemic by marketing its products to minors.
The settlement, announced Nov. 23 by the office of Arizona Attorney General Mark Brnovich, provides for $12.5 million to be set aside for anti-addiction programs. The remaining $2 million will go to a general consumer protection fund and litigation expenses.
As part of the consent judgment, pending court approval, Juul has committed to company-wide changes to its business practices to ensure that its products will not be marketed or sold to Arizona’s youth.
“Today’s settlement holds Juul accountable for its irresponsible marketing efforts that pushed Arizona minors toward nicotine and the addiction that follows,” said Arizona Attorney General Mark Brnovich in a statement. “Combatting the youth vaping epidemic remains a priority for our office with both our undercover Counter Strike program and zero tolerance for vaping companies that mislead or deceive.”
Juul said the settlement is another step in its ongoing effort to “reset” its company and applauded the Attorney General’s plan to deploy resources to address underage use. “We will continue working with federal and state stakeholders to advance a fully regulated, science-based marketplace for vapor products,” the company wrote in a statement. “As part of that process, we will continue to support Tobacco 21 and enforcement against illicit and illegally marketed products, such as certain disposables, that jeopardize the harm reduction potential of alternative vapor products.”
The company said it remains in discussions with other key stakeholders about litigation related to its past as part of its commitment to earn trust.
In June, Juul settled a similar case brought by North Carolina.
The company still faces more than 2,000 lawsuits, including from state and local governments, accusing the company of creating a spike in nicotine addiction among teens by using fruit-flavored liquid pods, social media campaigns and free giveaways.
Altria Group, which in 2018 acquired a 35 percent stake in Juul, is also named as a defendant in many of the lawsuits.
For the first time since 2012, North Carolina’s state budget plan includes funds to help prevent young people from getting addicted to nicotine, reports NC Health News.
Much of that money comes from a $40 million settlement that State Attorney Josh Stein reached this summer with Juul Labs following a lawsuit over the e-cigarette maker’s alleged targeting of young people.
In 1998, North Carolina and 45 other states settled litigation with to recover healthcare cost incurred for treating sick smokers. The four largest U.S. tobacco companies agreed to pay $206 billion over 25 years, and part of that money was to be spent by the states on smoking-cessation programs.
In reality, however, many states have directed their Master Settlement Agreement funds to other priorities. In 2013, when Republicans held control of both the North Carolina General Assembly chambers and the governor’s office, money stopped flowing to programs targeted at young smokers and nicotine users.
The budget that Governor Roy Cooper signed into law on Nov. 18 transfers $2 million from the first $13 million allotment from the Juul settlement to the attorney general’s office to cover litigation costs.
Another $4.4 million will go to tobacco cessation media campaigns, resources and programs to help children in middle school, high school and young adults quit vaping and using tobacco products after becoming addicted.
The budget allocates $3.3 million for “evidence-based media and education campaigns” geared toward prevention of e-cigarette and tobacco use and $1.1 million for data monitoring to better understand how young people are exposed to such products and evaluate programs designed to help users quit.
Nationally, more than two million children in middle school and high school used e-cigarettes in 2021, according to North Carolina health director Elizabeth Cuervo Tilson. Almost half of those high school students used e-cigarettes frequently, for as many as 20 out of 30 days. In North Carolina, Tilson added, a third of people in that age group used tobacco products, most of which are e-cigarettes.
Essentra Filters has appointed Jake Aimson as general manager, Dubai, based out of Essentra’s Dubai, UAE manufacturing facility. Aimson has been with Essentra since 2003 and was most recently the commercial excellence director for Essentra Filters.
Aimson will be responsible for operational ownership of the Dubai site. This role will provide strategic operations excellence leadership in safety, compliance, customer service, operations and continuous improvement, as well as overall accountability for achieving strategic business targets in line with the regional and divisional strategic plan. Aimson’s overall priority is to rebuild the Dubai business and create a strong foundation for growth.
“Optimization of our current business is well underway, and we are quickly progressing by investing in both capability and people to be ready for future growth,” said Aimson.
“We are already involved in building new partnerships with customers who wish to co-create greater, sustainable value in their markets – with Essentra as the preferred solutions provider to the tobacco industry in MEA.”
Knowledge Action Change (KAC) is looking for people to propose projects exploring their professional or personal interest in tobacco harm reduction (THR) for the next cohort of its Tobacco Harm Reduction Scholarship program (THRSP). Applications for the fifth year of the program close on Nov. 30, 2021, and successful applicants will receive a 12-month bespoke mentoring program and up to $10,000 in financial support.
According to Paddy Costall, a director at KAC, the THRSP is a crucial part of global efforts to communicate the benefits of safer nicotine products, helping to raise awareness about vaping, heated tobacco products, snus and nicotine pouches.
“The Tobacco Harm Reduction Scholarship program is the jewel in the crown for KAC,” he says. “When we were setting out on this journey, we wanted to attract a passionate and diverse group of new advocates into the tobacco harm reduction field from across the globe. We wanted to inspire them to take the movement into the future. We wanted to find the researchers of tomorrow, and with the THRSP that is exactly what we are doing.”
To further enhance the program’s status, KAC recently appointed Ethan Nadelmann, the founder of the Drug Policy Alliance, as the THRSP’s new patron. Nadelmann will be providing support to the recipients of these scholarships.
Launched in 2018, the program has supported 75 Scholars on six continents. Projects completed by THRSP participants include:
A short documentary film exploring attitudes on smoking and THR in Malawi
Novel scientific research in Romania showing that switching completely from combustible cigarettes to heated tobacco products can boost the oral health of smokers
The creation of a smoking and recovery toolkit in the U.S. to combat the high rates of smoking among people in recovery or seeking treatment for dependency on alcohol or other drugs
A study assessing the THR knowledge base of healthcare staff in Lithuania
A pair of studies that demonstrated the potential for safer nicotine products, such as vaping and Swedish-style snus, to help India’s smokers and smokeless tobacco users
The creation of THR Uganda, an organization set up to share accurate information on tobacco smoking and nicotine with its own dedicated website
A study on the effects of providing vapes to homeless smokers in Ireland
Australia’s Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) has fined four individuals and companies more than AUD170,000 ($122,740) for unlawfully advertising or importing vaping products, reports The Guardian.
Since October, Australian vapers have been required to obtain a doctor’s prescription for nicotine-containing e-cigarettes and liquids. Doctors are supposed to prescribe the products only as a last resort when more proven quit treatments fail. The law changes were prompted by concerns about the health impacts of vaping, and data showing children are increasingly using the products.
In response to the new rules, companies have set up websites offering to link vapers to a health practitioner authorized to prescribe the products. But the law allows only pharmacies and pharmacy-marketing groups to advertise in a limited way. Non-pharmacy websites that advertise vaping products or links to online suppliers are likely to be noncompliant with the nicotine advertising permissions.
The fined companies are Mason Online, RV Global Ecommerce, Vapespot and a Melbourne-based individual.
Maurice Swanson, chief executive of the Australian Council on Smoking and Health, said he was pleased with the TGA’s actions.
“We welcome the strong monitoring of illegal advertising which doesn’t meet the guidance provided by the TGA,” he said. “The TGA’s advertising guidelines have been well-known and well-promoted, so companies can’t claim not to have known about it.”
