Category: Featured

Lawmakers Urged to Reject Generational Ban

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Campaigners are urging British lawmakers to reject plans to ban the sale of cigarettes and other tobacco products to future generations of adults.
Ahead of the second reading of the Tobacco and Vapes Bill on Nov. 26, the smokers’ rights group Forest says the proposal is “unnecessarily divisive” and is not supported by the majority of the public.
According to a recent poll commissioned by Forest and conducted by Yonder Consulting, 60 percent of respondents said that if people are allowed to drive a car, join the army, purchase alcohol, and vote at 18, they should also be allowed to buy cigarettes and other tobacco products.
Fewer than a third (31 percent) said they should not be allowed to purchase tobacco when legally an adult, while 9 percent said, “don’t know.”

MPs need to think very carefully about the unintended consequences of raising the legal age of sale of tobacco.
Simon Clark, director, Forest
“A generational ban on the sale of tobacco is unnecessarily divisive because it will create a two-tier society in which some adults have different rights to others,” said Forest Director Simon Clark.
“Eventually it will create the absurd situation whereby a 40-year-old can purchase cigarettes and other tobacco products, but someone born a few days later could be denied the same right.
“MPs need to think very carefully about the unintended consequences of raising the legal age of sale of tobacco.
“Denying future generations of adults the right to buy cigarettes and other tobacco products legally won’t stop people smoking.
“Creeping prohibition will simply drive the sale of tobacco underground and into the hands of criminal gangs and illicit traders.”

November 25, 2024
Top Court to Hear Triton Vaping Case

The U.S. Supreme Court will next week hear the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s defense of the agency’s rejection of two companies’ premarket tobacco product applications (PMTAs) to sell flavored vape products that it has determined pose health risks for young consumers.
The live audio of the hearing can be found here.
The justices took up the FDA’s appeal filed after a lower court ruled that the agency had failed to follow proper legal procedures under federal law when it denied the applications to bring their nicotine-containing products to market.
The Supreme Court is due to hear the case in its next term, which begins in October, according to Reuters.
Two e-cigarette liquid makers, Triton Distribution and Vapetasia, filed premarket tobacco product applications in 2020 for products with flavors such as sour grape, pink lemonade, and crème brulee and names such as “Jimmy The Juice Man Strawberry Astronaut” and “Suicide Bunny Bunny Season.”
The FDA rejected the companies’ applications, along with more than 1 million other products.
Triton and Vapetasia in 2021 asked the New Orleans-based 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals to review the FDA’s denial of their applications.
In January, the 5th Circuit ruled that the FDA had been arbitrary and capricious by denying the applications without considering plans by the companies to prevent underage access and use.
November 25, 2024
Spain Starts Consultation on Flavor Ban

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Spain has started a public consultation on new rules for vaping devices, reports Sur.
The proposed legislation would ban the ban on the use of non-tobacco flavorings in e-cigarettes with the goal of making these products less attractive to young people.
The decree also aims to regulate the labeling of electronic cigarettes without nicotine. As with traditional tobacco, they will have to have a list of ingredients and health warnings indicating that their consumption is harmful to health.
They will also have to include a leaflet with information on contraindications and possible adverse effects.
November 25, 2024
French Senate Approves Tobacco Tax Hikes

Photo: Richard-Villalon
The French senate approved tax hikes on tobacco products, reports The Connexion.
With the measure, lawmakers want to raise funds for France’s social security budget, which faces a deficit of €16 billion next year, and reduce the strain on healthcare services by discouraging smoking.
The tax increases will see the average price of a packet of cigarettes increase to €12.70 in 2025, €0.40 more than envisaged in an anti-tobacco plan outlined by the previous government last year.
The measure is expected to raise around €200 million per year. The government wants a pack of cigarettes to cost €13 by 2027.
Lawmakers are also considering tax increases for nicotine pouches, nicotine sachets and oral gum/beads, although the health minister is looking to ban some of these products.
The increased taxes should be in place until the products are banned.
November 25, 2024
Kyrgyzstan to Ban E-cigarettes

Photo: Taco Tuinstra
Kyrgyzstan will ban vapes from mid-2025.
President Sadyr Japarov signed a law prohibiting the import, circulation and use of electronic cigarettes.
After July 1, 2025, those caught vaping will risk a fine $115 and sellers of e-cigarettes will be subject of a penalty ranging from $230 to $750.
Importing electronic cigarettes will result in correctional labor for two months to one year or a fine of up to $1,390. Meanwhile, importing electronic cigarettes in large quantities will result in a fine of up to $2,300 or imprisonment for up to two years.
The law, titled “On Amendments to Certain Legislative Acts in the Sphere of Protecting Citizens’ Health,” will come into force on July 1, 2025.
November 25, 2024
Research: THR Plan May Save 400,000 Nigerian Lives

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New research by leading international health experts has found that more than 400,000 Nigerian lives could be saved if policymakers adopt a progressive approach to tobacco harm reduction (THR).
The report, released on Nov. 19, outlines how integrating alternative nicotine products such as vapes and nicotine pouches into Nigeria’s tobacco control framework could dramatically reduce the nation’s smoking-related death toll.
According to the report, Saving 600,000 Lives in Nigeria and Kenya, 3.5 million Nigerians currently smoke, and each year 26,851 Nigerians die from smoking-related illnesses. While the World Health Organization (WHO) projects that smoking-related deaths will drop to 18,000 annually by 2060, experts argue that the number remains far too high.
By adopting THR strategies, the researchers estimate that the annual smoking-related death toll could be reduced to 7,600 by 2060, saving over 416,000 lives in the process.
Derek Yach
“We have a clear opportunity to reduce the burden of smoking-related diseases in Nigeria significantly,” said Derek Yach, one of the report’s authors and former leader of the Foundation for a Smoke Free World. “By embracing safer alternatives like vapes and nicotine pouches, Nigeria can drastically lower smoking-related deaths and help people who smoke quit more effectively. Tobacco harm reduction is the key to saving lives and improving public health in Nigeria.”
The use of THR products has already been proven to reduce smoking rates in countries such as the UK, Sweden, Japan and New Zealand. In these nations, the widespread adoption of e-cigarettes and other nicotine alternatives has led to a marked decline in cigarette consumption, the leading cause of smoking-related diseases, according to an emailed press release.
Delon Human
“The success stories from other countries are undeniable,” said Dr. Delon Human, co-author of the report and founder of the African Harm Reduction Alliance. “In nations where tobacco harm reduction is embraced, smoking rates are dropping, and lives are being saved. Nigeria can achieve similar results by adopting a more inclusive tobacco control policy incorporating standard measures and access to these life-saving alternatives.”
The report calls on Nigerian policymakers to take bold steps in reducing smoking-related harm by considering the introduction of safer nicotine products into the national health strategy. Nigeria could make significant progress toward its public health goals by offering people who smoke alternatives that are far less harmful than combustible cigarettes.
“As Nigeria’s leaders continue to refine tobacco control measures, they have a unique opportunity to reduce smoking-related harm while empowering people who smoke with the tools to quit,” Yach added. “With the right policy choices, Nigeria can not only improve the health of its citizens but also set an example for the rest of Africa.
November 22, 2024
U.S. E-Cigarette Sales Up Nearly 50 Percent

A new report from the CDC Foundation and Truth Initiative showed that from 2019 to 2023, there was a 47 percent increase in e-cigarette unit sales at U.S. retail outlets. Flavors like fruit, candy, mint, menthol and desserts accounted for more than 80 percent of sales.
The report, Monitoring E-Cigarette Trends in the United States: Urgent Action Needed to Protect Kids from Flavored E-Cigarettes, urges states to adopt comprehensive statewide policies restricting flavored e-cigarette sales. The report found that the most effective policies to restrict these sales clearly define products and include comprehensive flavored tobacco restrictions without flavor or product exceptions, incorporate community and retailer education and are supported by enforcement.
“The rise in e-cigarette sales, particularly those with youth-appealing flavors and graphics, is deeply concerning, especially as manufacturers evolve e-cigarette products to feature gamified devices and increased nicotine strength,” said Judy Monroe, president and CEO of the CDC Foundation, in a statement. “However, the data from states like Massachusetts, California and New York demonstrate how comprehensive policies can effectively curb youth access. This report underscores the urgent need for widespread adoption of similar measures to protect our young people from the risks associated with e-cigarette use.”
“E-cigarette sales have skyrocketed in recent years, with an explosion of new products—many designed to attract and addict our youth with increasingly high levels of nicotine,” said Kathy Crosby, CEO and president of Truth Initiative. “Today’s e-cigarettes are available in a vast array of enticing flavors and feature sleek, colorful designs. They’re also bigger, stronger and cheaper than previous devices, which only heightens their appeal. Even more concerning, over 80 percent of e-cigarettes are on the market illegally. While enforcement is vital to ending the youth e-cigarette crisis, retailers also must do the right thing, take responsibility to protect their young customers and remove all illegal products from store shelves.”
“While the latest data from the CDC Foundation and Truth Initiative show a dangerous rise in sales of e-cigarettes, they also reveal a notable decline in sales where strong policies restricting flavored e-cigarettes are implemented,” said Kelly Henning, public health program lead for Bloomberg Philanthropies. “The progress in states with strong policies underscores the urgent need for more action to swiftly and successfully combat the flavored e-cigarette epidemic among youth across the United States.”
November 22, 2024
Study: No Major Respiratory Symptoms Among Vapers

A groundbreaking international study conducted as part of the Veritas cohort project has provided crucial insights into the respiratory health of exclusive e-cigarette users with no established history of smoking. Published in Scientific Reports, the study assessed respiratory symptoms among adults who had never been habitual smokers but used e-cigarettes, offering a rare glimpse into the health effects of vaping in this specific population.
Led by researchers from CoEHAR and their global collaborators, the study compared respiratory symptoms between a cohort of e-cigarette users and a control group who had never smoked conventional cigarettes. The results indicate that individuals who have never smoked but exclusively used e-cigarette devices do not exhibit clinically relevant respiratory symptoms. Moreover, the study highlights the importance of distinguishing between statistically and clinically significant results when evaluating the health impacts of e-cigarettes.
“Veritas lays the groundwork for longitudinal research to further assess the long-term effects of e-cigarettes on respiratory health. These findings are essential for shaping public health policies based on scientific evidence, especially as we work to differentiate the effects of vaping from those of traditional smoking,” said Riccardo Polosa, founder of CoEHAR.
“What makes the Veritas project unique is not only its reach across six geographically diverse areas,” said Jeffrey Zamora, the study’s lead author, “but also its ability to provide data on the real-world use of e-cigarettes, including the most commonly used device types (refillable, disposable, pod-based) flavor preferences, and variations across different socio-cultural groups.”
November 21, 2024
‘Pouch Nicotine Limits will Drive Users to Smoking’

The Tholos Foundation released exclusive new research from international polling firm IPSOS on how Danish consumers would react if proposals to limit nicotine in nicotine pouches were implemented. In September 2024 the Danish Government published a “Draft Order on nicotine content limits in tobacco substitutes,”’ which proposed to introduce a limit of 9 mg per pouch.
Findings of the poll include that three quarters of consumers use nicotine pouches for health-related reasons, primarily to reduce or quit smoking. Since the introduction of nicotine pouches to Denmark in 2018, smoking rates have fallen from 19 percent to 14 percent in 2023, and the research shows close to 20 percent of current pouch users would return to smoking if this ban was implemented.
The poll also found that enacting such a proposal would lead to an explosion of black market sales, with fifty percent of consumers expecting to purchase illegally. The poll also found the vast majority of consumers do not support the proposed nicotine limit.
“The evidence is clear: nicotine pouches help consumers quit smoking and reduce harm. The proposed nicotine limit is a disaster for public health which will increase smoking rates, and create a huge black market,” said Tim Andrews, Tholos’ director of consumer issues.
“Eighty percent of consumers know nicotine pouches are helpful in reducing smoking rates, and believe governments should support less harmful alternatives to smoking – a powerful voting block. This is a clear sign to the government they should follow international best practices through introducing smart regulations based on research and evidence, which restrict sales to minors and prevent underaged experimentation, while still allowing adults the ability to quit smoking.”
In 2022 the German Federal Institute for Risk Assessment conducted the world’s most comprehensive research into nicotine pouches, confirming their benefits in reducing health risks compared to smoking, and recommended regulation based around an optimal level of nicotine of 16.6mg per pouch.
November 21, 2024
China Tobacco Deputy Head Expelled From Party

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Xu Ying, the deputy head of China’s State Tobacco Monopoly Administration, commonly referred to as China Tobacco, has been expelled from the Communist Party of China and removed from his position due to serious violations of discipline and laws, according to the country’s top anti-corruption authorities on Wednesday.
The probe has been carried out by the Communist Party of China Central Commission for Discipline Inspection and the National Commission of Supervision.
Xu, 59, was found to have reportedly accepted gifts and money and attended banquets in violation of regulations. He also failed to report personal matters truthfully and sought benefits for multiple relatives regarding employment and job transfers, the top anti-corruption authorities said in a statement.
It added that Xu abused his power and misused public resources to seek benefits for others and for personal gain. He allegedly engaged in significant power-for-money transactions, using his position to seek benefits for others in administrative approvals, business operations, and employee recruitment, and illegally accepting large amounts of money and goods.
The top anti-corruption authorities identified Xu’s behavior as severe violations of the Party disciplines. Therefore it decided to expel him from the Party and confiscate all his illicit gains, reports China Daily.
The statement added that his suspected violations of national laws will be transferred to prosecutors for further criminal review and investigation.
Public information shows that Xu started his career in the administration in 1988. Since then, he has worked for the nation’s tobacco industry for decades.
In March 2014, he became the deputy head of the tobacco administration.
November 20, 2024