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Tag: vape

  • Dutch Researchers Alarmed that Teens Wake to Vape

    Dutch Researchers Alarmed that Teens Wake to Vape

    A new Dutch study reports unusually high levels of nicotine dependence among secondary school pupils, with more than one-third of teenage smokers saying they wake up at night because they need nicotine. The research, published in the European Journal of Pediatrics, surveyed 978 students across five schools and found that 396 had smoked or vaped in the past year and 183 used nicotine daily. Most began around age 13 and often progressed to cigarettes, which researchers said highlights the need for stronger limits on youth access.

    Doctors involved in the study said night-time vaping is a clear marker of addiction and warned that many parents remain unaware their children smoke. Addiction expert Reinout Wiers of the University of Amsterdam told de Volkskrant he was surprised by the extent of night-time use, calling it “alarming.”

    The findings coincide with a new government anti-vaping campaign, amid repeated warnings from lung specialists as severe vaping-related medical cases emerge in the Netherlands. Other research has found that some youth-favored vapes contain toxic metals, carcinogenic chemicals, and nicotine levels above legal limits.

  • Restricting Vapes Drives Smokers Back to Cigarettes: Opinion

    Restricting Vapes Drives Smokers Back to Cigarettes: Opinion

    A new commentary by Markus Lindblad, Head of External Affairs at Haypp Group, warns that parts of the UK’s Tobacco and Vapes Bill could backfire by driving some adults back to smoking. The bill, one of the world’s toughest anti-tobacco measures, includes a generational smoking ban for anyone born after 1 January 2009, new licensing rules, and tighter advertising limits. But Lindblad argues that proposed powers to restrict vape and nicotine-product flavors risk undermining the country’s smoke-free ambitions.

    “Flavors aren’t just a marketing tool; they are a behavioral and psychological aid that help smokers make the transition away from cigarettes,” Lindblad said. “When a smoker switches to vaping, the experience of flavor, combined with the absence of smoke and tar, creates a sense of progress and separation from the old habit. Removing that variety reduces satisfaction, increases relapse risk, and ultimately undermines harm-reduction goals.”

    Citing recent U.S. research, he says multiple large-scale studies show that state-level flavor bans reduce vaping but also lead to measurable increases in cigarette use. One JAMA study found that flavor restrictions were followed by higher smoking rates, while a 2024 analysis of 376,963 young adults reported a 3.6-point drop in daily vaping alongside a 2.2-point rise in daily smoking. Yale researchers similarly linked flavor bans to declining vape sales and rising cigarette sales across 44 states.

    Haypp’s own UK survey found that nearly one-third of vapers cite taste as a key advantage of vaping, and 28% say flavor is their top purchasing factor. When asked how they would respond to a flavor ban, almost a quarter said they would return to smoking — a result Lindblad says should concern public-health officials. He concludes that rather than banning flavors, policymakers should strengthen age checks, tighten marketing rules, and improve labeling — measures aimed at youth access without limiting options for adults trying to quit smoking.

  • CEO Breaks Down PMI’s Smoke-free Future for Investors

    CEO Breaks Down PMI’s Smoke-free Future for Investors

    Philip Morris International used its appearance at the Morgan Stanley Global Consumer & Retail Conference yesterday (December 2) to reinforce that its smoke-free transition is a structural, irreversible shift, not a cyclical phase. CEO Jacek Olczak framed the dynamic succinctly, noting that smokers who switch to alternatives “very rarely” return to combustible cigarettes and that “smoke-free is essentially a one-way street.”

    Immediately before the event, PMI issued a brief communication to stabilize expectations, reaffirming the company’s guidance from Q3.

    Olczak said that PMI’s three-platform system—IQOS, ZYN, and vapor—is the most effective way to replace combustibles across all usage occasions. “Our objective is to equip the smoker with all three platforms. This is the best way to keep them away from smoking,” he said.

    ZYN remains PMI’s central U.S. growth engine. Following a one-time $100 million activation after supply shortages, “brand equity parameters of ZYN shot up by double-digits,” with the product capturing more than half of category growth despite maintaining a premium price.

    Internationally, IQOS is in its 11th consecutive year of expansion. Japan is nearing a 50/50 split between combustibles and smoke-free products, and prior category pauses were, Olczak said, “just a blip on the graph.” Upcoming Japanese tax equalization and European flavor bans are viewed as temporary disruptions rather than structural threats.

    PMI is also restructuring around a U.S./International dual-engine model, retiring its traditional regional setup. “We don’t really run the business by regions anymore,” Olczak said, positioning the company for future IQOS ILUMA authorization in the United States.

    Capital demands remain modest, with Olczak stressing that “adding extra capacity is only a few hundred million dollars — not a disturbing factor.” Overall, his message to investors was clear: the smoke-free shift is a one-way trajectory, and PMI believes it now has the platforms, structure, and regulatory environment to accelerate it.

  • Korea Labels Synthetic Nicotine as ‘Tobacco’

    Korea Labels Synthetic Nicotine as ‘Tobacco’

    South Korea’s National Assembly passed a major amendment to the Tobacco Business Act yesterday (December 2), closing a long-criticized loophole by classifying liquid e-cigarettes that use synthetic nicotine as “tobacco.” The tobacco law change was part of a broader package of 79 livelihood-related bills and 16 budget measures passed during the session.

    Officials say the move addresses a regulatory blind spot that allowed widespread use of synthetic nicotine—which they said accounts for 95% of the market— without taxation or consistent public health controls. Lawmakers expect the change to generate roughly 930.1 billion won ($632 million) in new tax revenue once implemented. The measure had stalled repeatedly since 2016 “due to industry opposition,” but this time cleared the plenary session with bipartisan support.

  • Charlie’s Holdings’ New Factory to Serve Texas Market

    Charlie’s Holdings’ New Factory to Serve Texas Market

    Yesterday (December 1), Charlie’s Holdings, Inc. announced the opening of its first U.S.-based manufacturing facility in Huntington Beach, California, which will exclusively produce the company’s own brands, including the Pachamama 25K line. The move ensures full compliance with Texas’ new law banning certain vape products imported from China and other restricted countries.

    “We originally expected our US-filling facility to mitigate Far East shipping delays and to lessen tariff costs, but Texas’ new domestic manufacturing requirements have also created a massive sales opportunity for Charlie’s,” Charlie’s president Henry Sicignano III, said. “Demand is so great, we now plan to devote 100% of our current U.S. manufacturing capacity to the state of Texas; if all goes well, and if we expand our U.S. manufacturing initiative in the coming months, we believe Texas could double Charlie’s sales forecasts for 2026.”

    This week, 300 retail accounts across Texas will begin receiving shipments of Charlie’s U.S.-filled disposables.

    “To my knowledge, Pachamama is the only vapor products brand that has been on the market for more than a decade and is now fully compliant with Texas domestic manufacturing requirements,” said Ryan Stump, Charlie’s co-founder and Chief Operating Officer.

  • NZ Survey Shows Teen Vaping Falling, Smoking Near Zero

    NZ Survey Shows Teen Vaping Falling, Smoking Near Zero

    A new Action on Smoking and Health survey of more than 30,000 “year 10 students” shows New Zealand’s youth vaping rates have dropped significantly, with regular vaping halving since its 2021 peak of 20.2%. Daily vaping has also fallen to 7.1%, down from the 2022 high of 10.1%, while fewer than one-third of teens have ever tried vaping. Chairperson professor Robert Beaglehole says vaping is “not as cool as it used to be” and credits regulation and shifting perceptions.

    Youth smoking, meanwhile, has nearly disappeared. Daily smoking sits at just 1%, a level Beaglehole calls a “major global success” and evidence that New Zealand is “raising a smoke-free generation.” He warns, however, that excessive regulation could undermine progress by pushing people back toward cigarettes.

    Some experts remain concerned about inequities and product substitution. Associate Professor Andrew Waa cautions that some teens may be turning to oral nicotine products and argues for a “nicotine-free future.”

  • Korean Lawmakers Advance Bill to Reclassify Synthetic Nicotine

    Korean Lawmakers Advance Bill to Reclassify Synthetic Nicotine

    South Korea’s National Assembly Judiciary Committee on November 26 approved an amendment to the Tobacco Business Act that would classify liquid and synthetic-nicotine e-cigarettes as tobacco, closing long-criticized regulatory gaps. The measure heads to a plenary vote on November 27 after nearly a decade of debate.

    The bill expands the definition of cigarettes to include products “manufactured from nicotine,” while excluding pharmaceutical nicotine products. To protect existing vape retailers from abrupt shutdowns, it grants a two-year suspension of distance rules for newly designated tobacco shops and urges government support for workers transitioning out of the sector.

    Lawmakers also recommended considering temporary tax relief as the new classification takes effect. Revisions made in committee shorten the rollout period to four months, require risk assessments for existing inventory, and set the taxable moment at manufacture or import.

    Finance Minister Koo Yoon-cheol said the government will begin risk assessments ahead of implementation to minimize disruption.

  • 25 Attorneys General Call to Tighten Online Tobacco Sales

    25 Attorneys General Call to Tighten Online Tobacco Sales

    California Attorney General Rob Bonta and the City of New York co-led a bipartisan coalition of 25 attorneys general in urging Shopify Inc. to take stronger action against merchants selling illegal tobacco products, particularly e-cigarettes, through its platform. In a letter sent November 24, the coalition requested a meeting with Shopify to develop a comprehensive solution, noting that despite existing policies, sellers continue to use the service to market unlawful products. Shopify, California’s Department of Justice said, has previously cooperated with enforcement actions, terminating certain e-cigarette sellers flagged by California officials.

    The coalition identified 29 illegal e-cigarette websites currently hosted on Shopify and enclosed an exhibit listing more than 200 additional sites selling unlawful tobacco products. The other attorneys general represent Arizona, Connecticut, Delaware, the District of Columbia, Hawaii, Illinois, Indiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Utah, Vermont, Washington, Wisconsin, and the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico.

    Bonta has previously taken action against individual sellers, including lawsuits against companies marketing flavored disposable e-cigarettes.

  • NYC, Vape Companies Settle Flavor Dispute

    NYC, Vape Companies Settle Flavor Dispute

    New York City reached a settlement with two e-cigarette wholesalers accused of distributing flavored vapes in violation of the city’s ban, according to Law 360. Under the agreement, EnviroMD Group and GT Imports will stop pushing these products within the five boroughs, facing $1,000 fines for any future violations. The move comes as part of a broader crackdown by the NYC Law Department, which has filed lawsuits against multiple distributors for illegally supplying disposable flavored e-cigarettes.

    This settlement is one piece of the city’s aggressive enforcement effort against flavored nicotine products. The administration has pursued both civil penalties and court orders to block sales and distribution, emphasizing its commitment to protecting youth from flavored vape devices.

  • QR Tags to Help UK’s Fake Vape Crackdown

    QR Tags to Help UK’s Fake Vape Crackdown

    The UK government is set to introduce tough new penalties for illegal vape sales, including £10,000 fines and potential prison sentences, as part of a major crackdown to be detailed in Wednesday’s (November 26) budget. All apes will soon require digital tax stamps with QR codes, giving His Majesty’s Revenue and Customs and Border Force expanded powers to seize unlicensed products.

    The measures follow rapid growth in vape use and mounting concerns over black-market devices, coming alongside the Tobacco and Vapes Bill’s restrictions on advertising, flavors, and packaging. Officials say the plan will disrupt criminal networks and protect consumers from unregulated goods. Health groups, Trading Standards, and industry representatives welcomed the move, saying stricter enforcement will help reduce youth access while supporting legitimate businesses and smokers using vapes to quit.