TobaccoReporter logo

Tag: vape

  • S. Africa Exempts Smokeless Tobacco from New Regs

    S. Africa Exempts Smokeless Tobacco from New Regs

    South Africa’s Department of Health plans to exempt non-combustible and smokeless tobacco products such as snus, chewing tobacco, nicotine pouches, and e-cigarettes from key provisions of the Tobacco Products and Electronic Delivery Systems Control Bill, according to Times Live. Deputy Director-General Jeanette Hunter said the exemption reflects their lower toxic profile, though rules will still restrict misleading claims, shapes, and descriptors to protect children.

    Parliamentary debate raised cultural and enforcement concerns, with the African Transformation Movement’s Vuyo Zungula calling for clear exemptions for traditional snuff use, and Freedom Front Plus’ Philippus van Staden citing limited law enforcement and border controls. Health Minister Aaron Motsoaledi clarified that cultural use of combustible tobacco is rare, while Hunter highlighted that smoking remains prohibited in public spaces, with compliance largely enforced by public awareness rather than police presence.

  • Fifth Circuit Affirms FDA’s Vape Rule

    Fifth Circuit Affirms FDA’s Vape Rule

    The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit upheld a 2021 rule issued by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration requiring manufacturers seeking premarket tobacco product authorization to investigate and disclose health effects data, according to Law 360. In a unanimous opinion, the three-judge panel found the agency complied with the Regulatory Flexibility Act by reasonably certifying that the rule would not have a significant economic impact on a substantial number of small entities, affirming a February 2025 summary judgment in FDA’s favor.

    Plaintiffs, including e-liquid manufacturers and the United States Vaping Association, argued the FDA improperly relied on economic analysis from its 2016 deeming rule and failed to consider less burdensome alternatives. The court rejected those claims, holding that the 2016 assessment provided an adequate factual basis and that key requirements — such as submitting all known health-risk information — are mandated by the Tobacco Control Act and cannot be waived by regulation. The decision leaves the 2021 PMTA rule intact in Kealani Distribution LLC et al. v. FDA.

  • Expert-Led Campaign Looking for Flawed Vape Science

    Expert-Led Campaign Looking for Flawed Vape Science

    The UK Vaping Industry Association (UKVIA) launched VapeVerify, an expert-led initiative aimed at scrutinizing vaping research amid rising public misperceptions about relative risk. The independent panel — comprising specialists in toxicology, public health, addiction medicine, and regulatory science — will assess new studies for methodological flaws, data misinterpretation, and lack of transparency, with the goal of ensuring policy debates and public understanding are guided by robust evidence. The move comes as surveys show record-high levels of misinformation, with around half of smokers believing vaping is as harmful as or more harmful than combustible cigarettes.

    “The VapeVerify panel wants to create an environment where people are armed with the facts so they can make informed decisions, because there is no public health without public knowledge,” said panellist Dr. Marina Murphy, senior director of scientific affairs at Haypp Group, who specializes in chemistry and science communications.

    The campaign launches alongside VapeWatch, a media monitoring initiative designed to challenge inaccurate or alarmist reporting on vaping and refer misleading coverage to the Independent Press Standards Organization. UKVIA Director General John Dunne said the industry is at a “crossroads,” arguing that public perception will determine whether vaping fulfils its harm reduction potential. Organizers said the expert panel members are unpaid volunteers and that the twin initiatives aim to counter what they describe as flawed science and misinformation deterring adult smokers from switching.

  • KT&G to Launch ‘Reel Able 3.0’ in Seoul

    KT&G to Launch ‘Reel Able 3.0’ in Seoul

    KT&G said it will introduce its latest cigarette-type heated tobacco device, the Reel Able 3.0, tomorrow (Feb. 28) at four locations in the Seoul metropolitan area. The new model features significantly reduced charging and preheating times, with a full charge completed in about one hour — half the time of its predecessor — and a preheating time shortened by 10 seconds.

    The device retains key Reel Able functions such as pause during use, selectable usage modes and support for three consecutive sessions. For the first time in the series, KT&G has applied metal materials and curved edges to enhance grip and design, alongside an AMOLED display showing remaining usage counts and mode settings. Reel Able 3.0 will debut in four colors, with Oud Gray and Platinum Silver released first at a retail price of 68,000 won ($47). The company said the launch supports its strategy to reinforce leadership in the heated tobacco segment through differentiated product upgrades.

  • Smoore, Distributors Want Antitrust Claims Dismissed

    Smoore, Distributors Want Antitrust Claims Dismissed

    Vape manufacturers and distributors moved to dismiss consumer antitrust claims in consolidated multidistrict litigation pending in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California. In motions filed Feb. 20, Shenzhen Smoore Technology Co. Ltd. and Smoore International Holdings, along with distributor defendants 3Win Corp., Jupiter Research LLC, Canna Brand Solutions, and Greenlane Holdings Inc., argued that plaintiffs lack standing and have not plausibly alleged a price-fixing conspiracy. The case involves closed cannabis oil vaporization systems, with plaintiffs alleging agreements to set a price floor and restrict competing products.

    Defendants contend they sell empty vape hardware, not cannabis-filled products, which they describe as a separate market, and argue consumers are too remote from the hardware market to bring antitrust claims. They further assert the complaint lacks specific pricing, market share, and foreclosure allegations, and maintain that revived claims under the Cartwright Act seek relief tied to products that remain illegal under federal law. The court has not yet ruled.

  • UK Awards Contract for Vaping Duty Stamps Program

    UK Awards Contract for Vaping Duty Stamps Program

    SICPA, a Swiss private technology company that specializes in digital sovereignty and secure public services, announced that it, along with partner Cartor Security Printers, received the contract from His Majesty’s Revenue & Customs to deliver a secure tax stamp and track-and-trace system for vape products in the UK.

    Selected following a multistage procurement process launched in July 2025, the consortium secured a five-year contract, with an option for a one-year extension, after a detailed technical and financial evaluation. The system will be introduced in phases, beginning with a transitional duty stamp in April, followed by an enhanced stamp integrated with a full track-and-trace solution from October.

    Cartor will produce the tax stamps with core physical security features, while SICPA will add advanced material and digital protections, manage coding and the T&T platform, and oversee stakeholder registration, stamp ordering and payments, and compliance monitoring across the vape supply chain. Digital market intelligence tools, enforcement audit devices, and consumer verification applications will further support the detection of fraud and counterfeit activity.

  • Imperial Introduces Creamy Tobacco Flavor for Blu

    Imperial Introduces Creamy Tobacco Flavor for Blu

    Imperial Brands officially launched its new Creamy Tobacco flavor, bringing the total number of options in the blu portfolio to 16. Priced at £5.99, the new variant will be available across the blu bar kit and pod pack ranges and is designed to offer a rich tobacco taste with a smooth, creamy finish. First announced in December, the company said the addition responds to continued demand for tobacco-flavored vape products and is intended to create further sales opportunities for UK retailers.

  • Study Warns Gen Z Getting Misinformation on Smoking, Vaping

    Study Warns Gen Z Getting Misinformation on Smoking, Vaping

    Declining smoking rates in the UK have been partly attributed to smokers switching to vaping, with daily smoking falling from 20.2% in 2011 to 9.1% in 2024, according to NHS data. However, growing misperceptions about the relative risks of vaping may be undermining that progress, particularly among younger adults. A long-term study by University College London found that the proportion of smokers who believed e-cigarettes were less harmful than cigarettes dropped from 44% in 2014 to 27% in 2023, while a majority came to believe vaping is as harmful or more harmful than smoking. Separate research from Action on Smoking and Health (ASH) reported that 56% of adults and 63% of young people now hold that view.

    Markus Lindblad, head of external affairs at Haypp, argues that sustained negative media coverage and online misinformation are contributing to confusion about relative risk, potentially discouraging smokers from switching to alternatives. He contends that for Gen Z—who may have had less exposure to traditional anti-smoking campaigns—frequent warnings about vaping, combined with less visible messaging about the harms of combustible tobacco, may distort perceptions. Public health bodies including the Royal College of Physicians have previously called for clearer communication to address false beliefs about nicotine alternatives, while continuing to support enforcement measures to curb youth uptake.

    “For Gen Z, who may not have had the same exposure to anti-smoking information as previous generations, they are encountering negative information about vapes far more frequently than negative information about cigarettes,” Lindblad said. “It is unsurprising, then, that their understanding of the relative risk between vapes and cigarettes is inaccurate.”

  • Riot Labs Launches Strawberry Orange Crush

    Riot Labs Launches Strawberry Orange Crush

    UK e-liquid manufacturer Riot Labs launched Strawberry Orange Crush, which it describes as the “best e-liquid flavor ever made.” The new blend is billed as a rich, candied strawberry and orange fusion with a fresh citrus snap and icy finish. Known for its bold flavors, Riot Labs says the release supports its broader mission to challenge the status quo in smoke cessation by offering adult smokers compelling alternatives.

    Sales Director Matt Crann said the flavor is designed to be “loud and unapologetic,” adding that innovation and standout taste are central to the brand’s identity. Strawberry Orange Crush is available online and in vape stores nationwide in 5mg, 10mg, and 20mg nicotine strengths, with prices starting at £3.99.

  • Vape Co. Seeks Stay in $1.6M Battery Blast Verdict

    Vape Co. Seeks Stay in $1.6M Battery Blast Verdict

    Midwest Goods Inc. is asking the North Carolina Supreme Court to pause payment of a $1.6 million judgment awarded to the estate of Weldon Moore, who suffered severe burns when a lithium-ion battery exploded in his pocket in 2019. In court filings, the wholesaler argued that lower courts wrongly denied its requests for a new trial or judgment notwithstanding the verdict, claiming Moore failed to prove the company directly sold the defective battery. The company also contends liability and damages should have been tried separately and that its “sealed-container defense” should apply because the batteries were sold in prepackaged boxes.

    According to court records, Moore purchased the battery from Darth Vapor, operated by Richmen Enterprises LLC, which Moore’s estate argued obtained the product from Midwest. A jury sided with the estate, awarding $1.6 million, which has risen to more than $1.7 million with interest. The estate has asked the court to deny the stay request, arguing Midwest’s appeal bond leaves a shortfall of more than $221,000 and requests the company post additional security to cover the gap and anticipated interest while the appeal proceeds.