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  • Spain Approves Anti-Smoking Plan

    Spain Approves Anti-Smoking Plan

    Photo: nyker

    Spain has approved a new anti-smoking plan that will expand the number of places where smoking is prohibited, implement a sharp increase in tobacco taxes and place vapers in the same category as conventional smokers as “deterrent” measures, according to Eurasia Review.

    The document was approved April 5 by the Spanish Health Ministry and will be included in a new legislative package to be formally approved in Parliament.

    “As of today [Friday, April 5], this plan is a reality, and this achievement is a source of national pride,” said Health Minister Monica Garcia, a member of the left-wing Sumar platform, a junior partner in Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez’s coalition government.

    The document is an update to the current 14-year-old plan and aims at reducing the number of smokers, protecting public health and preventing new tobacco consumers.

    The Plan for the Prevention and Control of Smoking 2024–2027 has five main objectives: preventing the onset of smoking, encouraging smoking cessation and facilitating help to stop smoking, reducing environmental exposure to tobacco emissions and related products in public and private spaces, and promoting applied research and monitoring in tobacco control as well as promoting coordination and the establishment of anti-tobacco alliances.

    There is a question of whether in the near future smoking will be banned on bar and restaurant terraces; the leisure and tourism sector accounts for 13 percent of Spain’s national GDP.

    The plan includes the “legislative extension of smoke-free and e-cigarette aerosol-free spaces in certain community and social outdoor environments,” but there is no current ban only a “recommendation” not to smoke in these public spaces.

    An increase in tobacco taxes is expected. Since 2005, tobacco taxes have increased by 122 percent.

    The plan also includes generic or neutral packaging for tobacco products—unattractive color, brand name in Arial typeface and in smaller font size to allow for larger health warnings such as “smoking kills” or “tobacco kills.”

    Additives that “give flavors to tobacco and related products (in line with what the EU agrees)” will also be banned under the new plan.

     

  • Russian Vape Ban ‘Radical’: Korolev

    Russian Vape Ban ‘Radical’: Korolev

    Photo: Tobacco Reporter archive

    A proposed ban on vapes in Russia is a “radical measure,” according to Maxim Korolev, editor-in-chief of the industry news agency Russian Tabak, reports HCH. 

    In an interview with NSN, Korolev commented on the recent bill that would completely ban the retail sale of nicotine and nicotine-free vapes in the Russian Federation “for the purpose of saving people.”

    “The ban is too radical a measure because it will deprive a significant number of Russians of the opportunity to receive nicotine without carcinogens,” said Korolev, estimating this size of the impacted group at between 30 million and 40 million people.

    At the same time, he noted, a significant share of tobacco sales in Russia avoids taxes and regulations. “What our smokers who want to quit are now getting as an alternative is also not very clear,” said Korolev. “Perhaps this is not the worst measure if it later makes it possible to introduce legal products for alternative purposes, that is, with nicotine, but with carcinogens, without combustible tobacco.”

    Korolev insisted that Russians should be given the opportunity to choose alternative options to tobacco products.

    “[F]or decades, we hooked the entire male population on the nicotine needle through military service: almost everyone there started smoking. Now, we need to give people the opportunity to use alternative options before simply banning everything indiscriminately.”

    In 2023, the smoking rate in Russia was 18.7 percent, down from 24.2 percent in 2019. In 2022, there was a noted increase in smokers using e-cigarettes and vapes.

  • Patent Filed for Pouch Technology

    Patent Filed for Pouch Technology

    Photo: ir1ska

    TJP Labs has filed for patent protection of a novel nicotine particulate that dramatically increases the speed of nicotine release.

    According to the company, the new technology releases nicotine significantly faster than polacrilex, a resin complex commonly used in nicotine replacement therapy products.

    Other features of the nicotine particulate include:

    • Versatile particulate size customization; from ultra-fine to several hundred microns for precise product design.
    • Precision-targeted binding, which improves nicotine release rate, which enhances effectiveness.
    • Broad spectrum of adaptable core materials, which expands product versatility and application possibilities.
    • Efficient raw material use, allowing for nicotine loading several orders of magnitude over Polacrilex.
    • Eco-friendly and versatile composition. The product is optimized for organic and inorganic forms, including biodegradable resins, enabling diverse, innovative applications.
    • Streamlined manufacturing, which accelerates product development.
    • Seamless integration: The technology is designed for easy incorporation into nicotine pouch formats and related products.

    “This landmark initiative powerfully showcases TJP Labs’ commitment to redefining nicotine consumption through innovation,” said TJP Labs Chief Relationship Officer David Richmond-Peck in a statement. “With other innovations in our pipeline, safeguarding our intellectual property remains integral to our strategy, matching our innovative efforts with consumers’ evolving preferences.”

    TJP Labs anticipates initial evaluation data for these particulates to be available toward the end of the second quarter of 2024

    TJP Labs is a wholly owned subsidiary of KIK ASS Products, a full-service contract manufacturer of next-generation products focusing on modern oral nicotine.

  • Chalkey to Boost PCA Government Affairs

    Chalkey to Boost PCA Government Affairs

    Credit: Thapana Studio

    The Premium Cigar Association (PCA) has hired Richard Chalkey as its new director of Coalitions and Policy. Chalkey brings over a decade of professional experience from work in government and the private sector, according to an emailed press release.

    “The Premium Cigar Association has worked with Richard since his time in the West Wing of the White House through Congress and we look forward to having him join our team,” stated PCA Deputy Executive Director Joshua Habursky. “It is rare to find someone in Washington who has worked in the House, Senate, and White House –especially someone who worked four years in a White House and in the West Wing. We are glad to have the perspective and network that Richard will bring.”

    Previously, Chalkey served as the associate director of the National Economic Council and as the associate director of the Office of Legislative Affairs in the Trump White House. During his four years of service at the White House, Chalkey managed policy rollouts for the directors of his departments and in coordination with White House Senior Staff and Cabinet Agencies.

    Most recently, Chalkey served as deputy chief of staff for Rep. Nancy Mace of South Carolina in the 117th and 118th Congress. Prior to the White House, Chalkey also served in the office of former U.S. Senator Mark Kirk and former Congressman Rodney Davis, both of Illinois.

    Chalkey holds a bachelor of science in Management – International Business and a bachelor of science in Marketing from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. He is a U.S. State Department Gilman Scholar for studying abroad at the University of Hong Kong and currently is a May 2024 expected executive MBA candidate for the Darden School of Business at the University of Virginia.

  • 22nd Century Signs New Manufacturing Deal

    22nd Century Signs New Manufacturing Deal

    Photo: thodonal

    22nd Century Group has expanded its Pinnacle private label brand to add distribution of cigarillo products to its existing Pinnacle cigarette products. Pinnacle products are currently sold as a private label brand in a leading U.S. gas station convenience store chain comprising approximately 1,700 stores in 26 states.

    According to 22nd Century Group, Pinnacle cigarette product re-order volumes are now achieving sustained sequential growth as the private label contract enters its second year with this top retail customer, which is itself seeing notable growth in its tobacco sales and gaining market share by offering value to its customers.

    “We are excited to expand our Pinnacle brand with new cigarillo products based on the successful sales growth of these private label cigarette products sold at one of the top U.S. c-store chains,” said 22nd Century Group Chairman and CEO Larry Firestone in a statement.

    “Agreements like this help us to further enhance revenue and profitability in our business as we work toward breakeven operations by the first quarter 2025.”

    The cigarillo expansion agreement is in addition to a recently announced new CMO customer contract that is expected to increase the 22nd Century Group’s contract manufacturing organization production volumes by at least 20 percent, with shipments commencing from the second quarter.

  • Vaping Additives Harm Lung Membrane: Study

    Vaping Additives Harm Lung Membrane: Study

    Panagiota Taktikakis (left) and Christine DeWolf (Photo: Concordia University)

    The e-cigarette additive tocopherol—an organic compound better known as vitamin E—and tocopherol acetate can damage the lungs, according to two Concordia University researchers writing in Langmuir.

    When heated and inhaled, the compound embeds in the pulmonary surfactant, a nanoscopically thin lipid protein membrane coating the surface of the alveoli that regulates the oxygen-carbon dioxide gas exchange and stabilizes the lungs’ surface tension during breathing.

    The researchers used one-molecule-thick model membranes called Langmuir films to simulate the expansion and compression of the pulmonary surfactant. They then added vitamin E, which is structurally similar to the lipids found in the membrane.

    They used different observational techniques including microscopy, x-ray diffraction and x-ray reflectivity. The researchers observed how the presence of the additive changed the surfactant’s properties and monitored changes as they added more to simulate how a real surfactant would accumulate and retain the compound in the lungs.

    “We can see that the presence of vitamin E changes the functional properties of the surfactant,” said Christine DeWolf, a professor in the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry and co-founder of the Centre for NanoScience Research at Concordia University, in a statement.

    “Oxygen is exchanged for carbon dioxide across the pulmonary surfactant, so if the surfactant properties are altered, so can be the ability for gas to be exchanged. And if the surface tension is changed, that affects the work of breathing. So combined, these changes make breathing more difficult. We think this is the molecular basis contributing to the shortness of breath and reduced oxygen levels seen in people suffering from EVALI [electronic cigarette or vaping product use–associated lung injury]”

    This paper is the first of a larger project that looks at the components of the vaping solutions that deliver the nicotine or cannabinoids to users.

    “Many of the components in these solutions are approved by the United States Food and Drug Administration for other uses,” DeWolf says. “But the high heating rates needed to vaporize these components can cause further chemical reactions to occur. The components that are actually being inhaled may not be the ones in the original e-liquid.”

  • Smoore Quarterly Pretax Profit Up a Quarter

    Smoore Quarterly Pretax Profit Up a Quarter

    Photo: Taco Tuinstra

    Smoore International Holdings reported an unaudited pretax profit of RMB399.7 million ($55.23 million) for the three months that ended March 31, up 25 percent over its pretax profit in the comparable 2023 quarter. After-tax profit was up 12.8 percent to RMB339.5 in the quarter.

    “Total comprehensive income” was RMB209.8 million in the quarter, compared with RMB293.3 million in the comparable 2023 period.

  • Video: FDA Urged to Prioritize Access to Safer Alternatives

    Video: FDA Urged to Prioritize Access to Safer Alternatives

    Consumer advocates spoke out against what they describe as the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s “alarming neglect” in facilitating access to safer nicotine alternatives for millions of adult consumers during a House Oversight hearing today.

    “Despite the bipartisan mandate of the Tobacco Control Act of 2009, the FDA’s performance has fallen short of expectations, leaving countless individuals without viable options to effectively transition away from combustible cigarettes,” the Consumer Choice Center wrote in a press note.

    “With over 26 million premarket tobacco product applications (PMTA) languishing in bureaucratic limbo, the FDA has only authorized fewer than 50 granted to just a handful of firms, completely disregarding the 180-day review deadline set imposed by Congress,” said Consumer Choice Center U.S. Policy Analyst Elizabeth Hicks.

    “Less than 10 unique devices are available on the regulated marketplace, all of which come from industry incumbents, not to mention the growing categories of nicotine alternatives such as heaters, pouches, toothpicks, and more.

    “This blatant failure highlights a systemic issue within the agency, where regulatory inertia trumps the urgent need to provide consumers with safer nicotine alternatives such as e-cigarettes which studies have shown to be 95 percent less harmful than combustible cigarettes. As a result, consumers are being pushed towards the illicit market, which does not adhere to regulatory standards, to find their preferred nicotine alternative products,” said Hicks.

    “Consumers are deeply troubled by the FDA’s abject failure to fulfill its obligations under the Tobacco Control Act. It is imperative that the FDA swiftly rectify this situation by implementing a transparent and expedited regulatory pathway that prioritizes access to scientifically validated, less harmful nicotine products,” she concluded.

    The Consumer Choice Center’s concern was echoed by Philip Morris International, which in an e-mailed statement expressed the hope that the hearing would spur the FDA into action to fully embrace the tobacco harm reduction principles enshrined in the Tobacco Control Act.

    “Today’s House Oversight hearing put a bright spotlight on the fact that the agency is failing to help millions of adult smokers access smoke-free options that are better alternatives to combustible cigarettes,” the company wrote. “More than 26 million premarket tobacco product applications have been submitted to the FDA for review, but the agency has authorized fewer than 50 of those applications, and none within the 180-day deadline set by Congress.

    “FDA’s goal to strike ‘an appropriate balance between regulation and encouraging development of innovative tobacco products that may be less dangerous than cigarettes’ is far from the reality of its actions. To assist adult smokers’ transition away from cigarettes, the FDA must develop a fair, efficient and effective regulatory pathway to bring scientifically validated, less harmful products to market with the appropriate safeguards to ensure they do not appeal to youth.”

  • Canada Relaunches Flavor Ban

    Canada Relaunches Flavor Ban

    Photo: DD Images

    Canada is set to enact a three-year-old flavor ban, according to Vaping360. The regulations were first published in June 2021 in the Canada Gazette but then never went into effect. Now, however, Health Minister Mark Holland has reinvigorated the ban.

    Holland previously worked at Heart and Stroke, where he was the national director of children and youth. “I was with Heart and Stroke when we dealt with the issue of vaping,” he said, “and there were many voices at that time, when information was uncertain, who said, ‘Let this exist as a cessation tool. Don’t take action.’ The result of that, unfortunately, was that the tobacco industry was able to addict a whole new cohort of young people—who had no exposure to nicotine—to something that’s absolutely deadly for their health. It has had very injurious outcomes for our health system.”

    Vaping proponents warned that the measure could backfire. “As presented, Minister Holland’s proposal will not achieve the desired public health objectives and could, on the contrary, seriously harm a significant number of Canadian adult ex-smokers, the Vaping Industry Trade Association (VITA) wrote in a press release.

    “This appears to be a personal legacy project for the Minister of Health, supported strongly by his former peers at the Heart and Stroke Foundation, the Canadian Cancer Society, the Canadian Lung Association and some smaller anti-smoking NGOs [nongovernmental organizations],” said VITA Managing Director Thomas Kirsop.

    The ban would give manufacturers a list of fewer than 100 allowable flavoring ingredients that can only be used to create e-liquid in tobacco, mint and menthol flavors. Sweeteners of any kind would be banned. The regulations will also “prescribe sensory attributes standards to prevent a sensory perception other than one that is typical of tobacco or mint/menthol.”

  • Broughton to Open HTP Testing Facility

    Broughton to Open HTP Testing Facility

    Photo: Broughton

    Broughton will open a dedicated facility for heated-tobacco products (HTPs) at its Oak Tree House site in Lancashire, U.K. The space will allow the scientific consultancy and testing specialist to assist manufacturers with a fully integrated HTP service, from the testing and characterization of products through to toxicology and regulatory submission support. 

    Broughton’s HTP facility will house new testing equipment, such as conditioning cabinets, smoke engines and analytical equipment.

    Broughton can test an HTP for a specific suite of harmful and potentially harmful constituents based on the PMI-58 and regulatory required analytes to ensure there are no major toxicological concerns. Its team will also conduct paper-based toxicology assessments to confirm the absence of any other ingredients or materials of high concern.

    “Heated tobacco is an area of growing interest in the next-generation nicotine market, as it’s widely accepted that most of the toxicants associated with combustible cigarettes are caused by the burning of tobacco,” said Chris Allen, CEO of Broughton.

    “Developing and commercializing heated-tobacco products can offer smokers a reduced-risk alternative—the device heats sufficiently to release nicotine but not high enough for combustion.”

    “Understanding the potentially harmful chemicals and the toxicological impact of a nicotine product is essential for marketing authorization,” said Malcolm Saxton, senior consultant at Broughton. “Our new facility will aid our provision of accredited, accurate and flexible testing for all stages of HTP product development.”