Vapers Digest 5th August
Monday’s News at a glance:
Bans Could Cost £Billions and Jobs – CAPHRA Applauds the Philippines – Ireland to introduce vape tax in October’s budget – New Zealand Boosts Heated Tobacco Products for Harm Reduction – How Heated Tobacco Products Could Transform U.S. Smoking Rates – Smoke-Free Success: Sweden and New Zealand’s Experiences – Youth Traditional Tobacco Use at Record Lows in Nebraska – COP11, Under new management – Fifth Circuit Cites Triton as Precedent to Vacate Five More MDOs –
Two from Dave Cross, Planet of the Vapes:
Bans Could Cost £Billions and Jobs
Vape company Evapo has conducted an analysis of the potential impacts of the 2025 disposable vape ban and restricting flavours following the King’s recent speech. Its findings are drawn from a detailed report by the Centre for Economics and Business Research (Cebr), which underscores the critical contributions of the vaping industry to the national economy and points to a £2.8 Billion and 18,000 job cost to the UK economy.
The vaping sector has grown over the past decade into a multi-billion-pound industry. As of 2021, it contributed £1.325 billion in direct turnover, which more than doubles to £2.8 billion when accounting for the wider economic impacts through supply chains and consumer spending by employees within the sector. The industry also generated £310 million in tax revenue in 2021, further highlighting its significance to the UK economy.
CAPHRA Applauds the Philippines
The Coalition of Asia Pacific Tobacco Harm Reduction Advocates (CAPHRA) says that it has extended its full support to the Government of the Philippines Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) in its efforts to protect consumers and prevent youth access to vaping products.
However, the Coalition of Asia Pacific Tobacco Harm Reduction Advocates (CAPHRA) says, instead of stopping online sales there is an opportunity “for greater enforcement of existing laws to prevent youth access to vaping products and ensure the appropriate collection of taxes.”
Ireland to introduce vape tax …
In October’s budget – Ali Anderson
A tax on vapes in Ireland will be announced in October’s budget, the country’s finance minister has revealed. Jack Chambers said his government department was now working with Revenue – Irish tax and customs – on the “finer details” of the new levy.
“It’s our intention to make progress on that in this year’s budget,” he said. “There’s work ongoing between Revenue and the Department of Finance and how we can operationalise that and obviously I’ll be able to set out further information on budget day. He added: “The details and the technicalities are being worked through on how we can make that possible for 2025.”
Look who’s advertising vaping to children for the umpteenth time 👇 https://t.co/x9uROwjrOB
— Phil (@phil_w888) August 5, 2024
New Zealand Boosts HTPs …
For Harm Reduction – Kiran Sidhu
New Zealand has halved its excise tax on heated tobacco products—a move which many experts say boosts the country’s emergence as a world leader in tobacco harm reduction.
Heated tobacco products (HTP)—devices that heat tobacco sticks enough to produce nicotine-containing vapor, but without the combustion that produces deadly smoke—are substantially safer than cigarettes.
As well as making HTP more affordable, the 50 percent tax cut sends a potentially powerful public message. Associate Health Minister Casey Costello, who ordered the change in July, has said she did so to incentivize people who smoke to switch.
Two from Lindsey Stroud:
Beyond Cigarettes:
How Heated Tobacco Products Could Transform U.S. Smoking Rates
The landscape of tobacco products has significantly evolved in recent decades, particularly with the advent of tobacco harm reduction products. With e-cigarettes, heated tobacco products (HTPs), and oral nicotine, millions of adults are switching to less harmful alternatives while still accessing nicotine. However, more than 30 million American adults who smoke are missing a crucial tool in this harm reduction toolbox, HTPs. In many countries, the introduction of HTPs has led to significant declines in smoking rates. Unfortunately, due to restrictive regulations imposed by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), these products are not widely available in the United States.
Youth Traditional Tobacco Use
At Record Lows in Nebraska, Vaping Significantly Down
The Nebraska Department of Education has released the 2023 results of the state’s Youth Risk Behavior Survey (YRBS). The YRBS, a biennial survey conducted in coordination with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, monitors various youth behaviors, from dietary and physical activity habits to mental health and substance use. For policymakers concerned with youth tobacco use, the 2023 results bring welcome news: the percentage of youth using traditional tobacco products is at record lows, and youth vaping has significantly declined since peaking in 2019.
Smoke-Free Success:
Sweden and New Zealand’s Experiences
Discover how Sweden and New Zealand are leading the world in reducing smoking rates through innovation. This eye-opening video features experts explaining:
COP11, Under new management
COPWatch
One of the main administrative bodies of the FCTC treaty will be under new management for COP11.
Regular Copwatch readers will remember that in April last year, Dr. Reina Roa, who had accepted an award from Bloomberg Philanthropies, was being investigated by Panamanian authorities for “administrative irregularities” over what was a clear conflict of interest in her role as an “independent” adviser to the Ministry of Health.” The investigation did not get very far as she promptly resigned.
Fifth Circuit Cites Triton as Precedent
tTo Vacate Five More MDOs – Jim McDonald
The case destined to test the FDA’s vaping regulation next year in the Supreme Court continues to vex the agency in the meantime. On July 31, a three-judge panel of the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals cited its Triton Distribution decision as precedent when granting petitions for review to five independent vaping manufacturers, vacating the FDA’s marketing denials.
The court remanded the cases to the FDA for further review. The five manufacturers may now continue to sell their products until the agency conducts new scientific reviews of their premarket tobacco applications (PMTAs)—or possibly until the Supreme Court acts. The five companies are:
On this Day…2023
A look back at how things have moved on or otherwise…
The WHO’s COP10 Takedown…
Of Tobacco Harm Reduction Takes Shape – Martin Cullip
Storm clouds continue to gather over the global future of tobacco harm reduction. New harbingers are constantly emerging as the World Health Organization prepares for the 10th Session of the Conference of the Parties (COP10) to the WHO’s Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC). This is a treaty signed and ratified by 182 countries, originally drafted to tackle the harms of tobacco smoke.
In July I wrote for Filter about COP10 threats to products that have helped millions quit smoking. These threats could, in Panama City this November, become formal WHO policies with worldwide impacts. COP10’s provisional agenda and other preparatory reports had previously been published, though were short on detail. But a recent flurry of documents has revealed more of the WHO’s hostile strategy….
The WHO releases new report on….
The ‘tobacco epidemic’ and how to maintain it – COPWatch
The World Health Organization released the 9th edition of its Report on the Global Tobacco Epidemic on the last day of July. The 8th edition, published in 2021, did not mention tobacco until page 9, instead beginning with “Electronic Nicotine Delivery Systems (ENDS) are addictive and not without harm” in large bold font and declaring that the devices should be strictly regulated.
To open with an intention to obstruct products which could alleviate the “tobacco epidemic” was an odd approach for the 8th report, but the new update carries on in much the same vein.
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