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Tag: vape

  • Cannabis Use Growing, Intertwined with Nicotine

    Cannabis Use Growing, Intertwined with Nicotine

    A new study published in Tobacco Induced Diseases finds that cannabis use—both vaping and smoking—has increased over time, with more young adults initiating use than quitting, and high levels of co-use with nicotine and tobacco products. Researchers from Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health report that simultaneous cannabis and e-cigarette use is especially common among young adults who vape nicotine, with similar rates observed across genders. The findings highlight that cannabis consumption is not only growing but increasingly intertwined with nicotine use.

    Analyzing data from the VapeScan longitudinal study of 372 adults in the New York City area between 2021 and 2024, researchers found cannabis users often consume multiple product types, including vapes, edibles, smoked products, CBD, and topicals. By the second year of follow-up, nearly 60% of participants reported cannabis use, with cannabis vaping and smoking both rising. Notably, 21% of participants were new cannabis vape or smoke users over the study period, while only 6% of earlier users quit, underscoring a net increase in use.

    The authors say the expanding variety of cannabis products, rising frequency of use, and widespread cannabis–nicotine co-use pose growing public health and regulatory challenges.

  • Malaysia Vape Retailers Call for Fair Tobacco Controls

    Malaysia Vape Retailers Call for Fair Tobacco Controls

    The Malaysia Retail Electronic Cigarette Association (MRECA) has criticized what it sees as an unbalanced regulatory focus on vaping, while conventional cigarettes—long linked to greater health risks—continue to be sold with limited enforcement. MRECA president Datuk Adzwan Ab Manas said public health policy should be fair and evidence-based, noting that vape products are regulated under the same legal framework as cigarettes through Act 852 and that the industry has invested heavily to meet government compliance requirements.

    He warned that sweeping bans or excessive restrictions on vaping could drive users back to combustible cigarettes or illicit markets, undermining health goals and harming legitimate businesses. MRECA urged the government to pursue balanced regulation, strengthen enforcement against cigarette misuse, engage in open dialogue with industry, and focus on realistic public health outcomes rather than symbolic prohibitions.

  • UK Seized 1.2M Illicit Vapes in 2025

    UK Seized 1.2M Illicit Vapes in 2025

    New figures from UK local councils show that authorities seized an average of two illegal vapes every minute in 2025, removing around 1.2 million illicit devices from high streets nationwide. More than 14,000 enforcement cases were logged involving businesses caught possessing, stocking or selling illegal vaping products, reflecting a sharp rise in unlawful nicotine goods entering local retail outlets.

    Over the past year, enforcement teams also confiscated 7.15 million illegal cigarettes, 257,000 illegal disposable vapes and nearly 10,000 nicotine pouches. Consumer confusion remains widespread, with 54% of UK vapers saying they believe they have unknowingly bought illegal products.

    The data, compiled by online retailer Vape Club through freedom of information requests to local councils and a survey of 2,000 vapers, found that suspected illegal products were most often bought from convenience stores (36%), followed by vape shops (33%) and market stalls or street traders (26%). Vape Club director Dan Marchant said the trade in non-compliant products is damaging the industry’s reputation and called for tougher enforcement against rogue sellers.

  • FDA Hosting PMTA Roundtable for Small ENDS Manufacturers

    FDA Hosting PMTA Roundtable for Small ENDS Manufacturers

    The U.S. Food and Drug Administration issued a Federal Register notice announcing a roundtable discussion with small tobacco product manufacturers on February 10, 2026, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. ET. The meeting will focus on gathering feedback on premarket tobacco product application (PMTA) submissions for electronic nicotine delivery systems (ENDS) and is open for public viewing.

    Participation in the roundtable is limited to 30 representatives from manufacturers with fewer than 350 employees who have previously submitted an ENDS PMTA, including applications that are still pending with the FDA. The discussion will give small manufacturers an opportunity to share their experiences and perspectives on the PMTA process, including challenges related to product characterization, manufacturing controls, pharmacological studies, adult benefit research, and toxicological assessments.

    Manufacturers interested in participating as panelists must send an email to register by January 27, 2026, with selections made on a rolling basis and limited to one representative per company. Non-panelists and members of the public will be able to watch the roundtable virtually via information posted on the FDA’s Center for Tobacco Products website. The meeting will be recorded and captioned.

  • Thailand Police Bust Illegal Vape Production Hub

    Thailand Police Bust Illegal Vape Production Hub

    Thailand’s Cyber Crime Police dismantled a large-scale illegal e-cigarette production and storage operation in Pattaya, arresting a 36-year-old Chinese national and seizing vaping products and equipment valued at more than 10 million baht ($320,000). Authorities recovered thousands of ready-to-use pods, empty cartridges, coils, devices, large quantities of e-liquid, and manufacturing equipment from a rented house used as the operation’s base. Police said the crackdown aligns with national efforts to curb the illegal trade of prohibited vaping products, particularly those distributed through online platforms and tourist areas.

  • Philippines Requires Licenses for Vape Products With Health Claims

    Philippines Requires Licenses for Vape Products With Health Claims

    The Philippines’ Food and Drug Administration (FDA) mandated that all establishments selling vaporized nicotine and non-nicotine products (VNNPs) and novel tobacco products (NTPs) with medicinal or therapeutic claims must secure a License to Operate. Under Advisory 2025-1487, manufacturers, importers, distributors, wholesalers, and retailers are required to apply for licenses as pharmaceutical establishments.

    The FDA also said such products must be registered as pharmaceutical products through the Center for Drug Regulation and Research. The agency urged stakeholders to comply, citing the need to ensure the safety, efficacy, and quality of vape and novel tobacco products making health-related claims.

  • Vape Reps Appeal Mississippi Law to 5th Circ.

    Vape Reps Appeal Mississippi Law to 5th Circ.

    A coalition of businesses that sell vape products containing synthetic nicotine appealed a U.S. federal court’s refusal to block a Mississippi law restricting the sale of those products. The groups are taking the case to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit after the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Mississippi denied their request for a temporary injunction.

    The contested state law, House Bill 916, which took effect in July 2025, bans the sale of e-cigarette products containing synthetic nicotine in Mississippi. Enforcement, including penalties and product confiscations, began later in the year.

    The plaintiffs, including industry groups such as the Vapor Technology Association and several retailers, argue the law is preempted by federal authority under the U.S. Constitution’s Supremacy Clause, asserting that it effectively conditions sales on FDA marketing authorization—a domain they say belongs exclusively to the federal government.

    Mississippi’s Department of Revenue Commissioner Chris Graham is named as the defendant in the appeal.

  • Malaysia Banning Vapes in 2026

    Malaysia Banning Vapes in 2026

    Malaysia is moving toward a nationwide ban on vaping, with the Health Ministry aiming to finalize and implement the policy by the end of 2026, Health Minister Datuk Seri Dr. Dzulkefly Ahmad said. He said the Cabinet has already agreed in principle to ban vape products, stressing that the issue is no longer whether vaping will be banned, but when. The ministry is expected to bring the matter back to the Cabinet early next year to complete regulatory and legislative processes.

    Dzulkefly cited growing public health concerns, particularly cases of drug-induced psychosis linked to adulterated vape liquids and synthetic substances. He said such cases are being monitored by a special Health Ministry task group in collaboration with medical experts.

  • Tobacco Retailer Fined $13M Under Wisconsin’s New Vape Law

    Tobacco Retailer Fined $13M Under Wisconsin’s New Vape Law

    Wisconsin regulators imposed some of the largest penalties yet under the state’s new vape-sales restriction law, fining Exclusive Tobacco nearly $13 million and issuing a separate $450,000 penalty to Green Bay–based Dave’z Smoke N Vape. The Department of Revenue said Exclusive Tobacco’s Oshkosh location was found selling vape products not included on the state’s approved directory and operating with an expired municipal license. Inspectors seized 1,244 illegal vapes, and because the law carries a $1,000-per-device-per-day penalty, the fine totaled more than $12.4 million. A follow-up inspection triggered an additional $431,000 fine. Both cases are under appeal.

    The state has stepped up enforcement since the law took effect September 1, issuing 42 removal orders and conducting 27 product seizures, including actions against shops operating without valid licenses. Regulators say the directory system—allowing only 303 approved products—is intended to standardize the market and reduce youth access. Store owners counter that the rule has wiped out much of their inventory, with some retailers reporting severe losses, employee layoffs, and even store closures.

    A legal challenge is underway, with the industry group Wisconsinites for Alternatives to Smoking and Tobacco appealing a federal judge’s refusal to block the law. The Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals began hearing arguments this week, and a ruling is expected early next year. Shop owners argue the law unfairly benefits large tobacco companies, while state officials maintain it is a measured approach to regulating a rapidly expanding market.

  • Korean Smoking Rate Drops 1 Percentage Point

    Korean Smoking Rate Drops 1 Percentage Point

    The Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention released the results from its 2025 Community Health Survey, and found the smoking rate dropped one percentage point from last year to 17.9%, while the use of e-cigarettes rose 0.6% to 9.3%. The overall use of tobacco products dropped 0.5% from last year to 22.1%.

    In other health topics, overall drinking and high-risk drinking dropped 1.2% and 0.6% respectively, but the obesity rate went up 1% to 35.4%. Physical activity went down, while hypertension and diabetes increased.