Vapers Digest 31st January

Friday’s News at a glance:

Parliament 3 ~ Parliament 4 ~ IBVTA Writes to Bill Committee ~ Market Flooded by Big Puff Vapes ~ Critical Appraisal of Exposure Studies on E-Cigarette Aerosols Generated by High-Powered Devices ~ Lack of Smoking Prevalence Data for Indigenous Peoples Worldwide Contributes to Epidemiological Invisibility ~ New pharmacy vape regulations ineffective in NSW ~ Vapers face being kicked off trains and hefty fines under new crackdown ~ The Looming Threat of a Flavour Ban in Germany: A Critical Analysis ~ It’s Time to Approve Flavored Vapes ~ FDA Deregulation of E-Cigarettes Saved Lives and Spurred Innovation ~ This is my brain on curiosity. ~ The Future of Nicotine Pouches in Finland: Why All Flavors and Fair Limits Matter ~ Spain’s Nicotine Pouch Proposals Pushing the Limits of Reason ~ How Zyn helped Philip Morris International make a comeback ~ American Medical Association Claims that E-Cigarettes Can Cause Several Types of Cancer ~ E-Cigarette Falsehoods from the President of the American Medical Association ~ ITC Orders NJOY Ace Imports Off U.S. Market ~ Juul wins order banning US imports of Altria vaping devices ~ Trump: Look at the Slow-Moving FDA ~ CAN CONSUMERS HELP SOLVE GERMANY’S FLAVOUR DILEMMA? | Featuring Michael Landl ~

FOUR from Dave Cross, Planet of the Vapes

Parliament 3

Planet of the Vapes’ third trip to the Palace of Westminster sees a question from Tan Dhesi about the number of imported Chinese disposable vapes. Also, Neil Hudson wanted the Department of Health to explain what is happening to prevent the sale of illegal products.

Parliament 4

Richard Holden, the Opposition Whip, asked multiple questions about “big puff vapes”. His concerns drew a very lengthy answer from Andrew Gwynne, the Parliamentary Under-Secretary for Health and Social Care, who explained how the Tobacco and Vapes Bill will address a situation already covered by existing legislation.

IBVTA Writes to Bill Committee

The Independent British Vape Trade Association (IBVTA) has written to Peter Dowd MP, Sir Roger Gale MP and Sir Mark Hendrick MP, the Chairs of the Tobacco and Vapes Bill Committee, to address independent vape industry representation, the importance of dedicated vape shops and dispelling the ‘popcorn lung’ myth.

Market Flooded by Big Puff Vapes

8.2 million vapes now thrown away, or recycled incorrectly, per week, according to a report by independent not-for-profit Material Focus. The issue of disposable vapes is not going away, it says, as producers introduce these new devices to avoid the new regulations set to come into place in June 2025. Material Focus forecast that these big puff vapes and other new vapes are set to cause significant environmental challenges post the disposable ban next year.

Critical Appraisal of Exposure Studies on E-Cigarette Aerosols Generated by High-Powered Devices

Sébastien Soulet, Roberto Sussman, Qeios

The InExpose system manufactured by SCIREQ® is valuable equipment for conducting preclinical studies in the laboratory. It generates e-cigarette (EC) aerosol by puffing the box mod of a high-powered third-generation device (JoyeTech® EVIC Mini), with its atomizer replaced by a custom-made 70 mL tank. We examined the experimental quality of aerosol generation procedures in 40 studies selected from an extensive literature search focused on the usage of the EVIC Mini with a 0.15 Ω coil. Only 14 out of the 40 studies provided sufficient information on their aerosol generation methodology. We identified and reviewed individually 5 studies from the 14 mentioned above that also conducted a chemical analysis of the aerosol.

Lack of Smoking Prevalence Data for Indigenous Peoples Worldwide Contributes to Epidemiological Invisibility

Marewa Glover, Data Science Journal

The World Health Organization Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC) aims to facilitate global, regional and country-level efforts to reduce tobacco-related harm; however, evidence indicates that marginalised groups have been left behind by FCTC-directed programs. This study aimed to determine tobacco smoking prevalence among Indigenous Peoples worldwide.

New pharmacy vape regulations ineffective in NSW

Dr Colin Mendelsohn, Echo

A recent survey of pharmacies across New South Wales highlights the failure of the new regulations intended to make low-nicotine vapes (≤20mg/mL nicotine) available without a prescription as Schedule 3 medicines. Despite promises from Health Minister Mark Butler, a survey of 47 pharmacies revealed that none had low-nicotine vapes available for walk-in customers. Only one low-nicotine vape offered to order them upon request, illustrating the widespread lack of participation.

Vapers face being kicked off trains and hefty fines under new crackdown

Ali Anderson, Clearing The Air

Train passengers caught vaping could be thrown off at the next stop and face possible fines and prosecution, a railway boss has warned. One of the largest train operators in the UK has issued a harsh new warning to “sly vapers” that they will be punished if caught. Northern Trains says it has received dozens of complaints in the past year of “inconsiderate individuals vaping in busy carriages and on station platforms”.

The Looming Threat of a Flavour Ban in Germany: A Critical Analysis

As Germany prepares for a pivotal election next month that will usher in a new government, an alarming development is unfolding in the realm of tobacco harm reduction. The current caretaker government, led in part by the Green Party, is contemplating a sweeping ban on e-cigarette flavours through an executive directive. This move, spearheaded by the Minister of Agriculture Cem Ötzdemir, could effectively outlaw 80% of all e-liquid flavours by prohibiting menthol as a compound in flavourings.

It’s Time to Approve Flavored Vapes

Peter Clark, DC Journal

The FDA recently approved Zyn as a harm reduction tool for quitting smoking, citing that the product “doesn’t contain harmful substances linked to cancer or other diseases” that are present in tobacco. The FDA approved the “marketing of 20 Zyn nicotine pouch products,” approving a wide range of flavored pouches, including “cinnamon, citrus, coffee, cool mint and menthol.”

FDA Deregulation of E-Cigarettes Saved Lives and Spurred Innovation

Alex Tabarrok, Marginal Revolution

What would happen to drug development if the FDA lost its authority to prohibit new drugs? Would research and development boom and lives be saved? Or would R&D decline and lives be lost to a flood of unsafe and ineffective drugs? Or perhaps R&D would decline as demand for new drugs faltered due to public hesitation in the absence of FDA approval? In an excellent new paper Pesko and Saenz examine one natural experiment: e-cigarettes. The FDA banned e-cigarettes as unapproved drugs soon after their introduction in the United States. The FDA had previously banned other nicotine infused products. Thus, it was surprising when in 2010 the FDA was prohibited from regulating e-cigarettes as a drug/device when a court ruled that Congress had intended for e-cigarettes to be regulated as a tobacco product not as a drug.

This is my brain on curiosity.

Skip Murray, Skip’s Corner – Let’s Talk!

Right now, I’m visualizing the old anti-drug commercials. The ones with eggs in a frying pan. “This is your brain. This is drugs. This is your brain on drugs. Any questions?” For most of my waking hours, my brain is on drugs – caffeine and nicotine. I am blessed with a very active brain, constantly a tornado of thoughts. Some people call it ADHD. My drugs help slow my brain down so I can concentrate on fewer thoughts at one time.

The Future of Nicotine Pouches in Finland: Why All Flavors and Fair Limits Matter

Considerate Pouchers

Finland is at a crossroads when it comes to regulating nicotine pouches. A new legislative proposal aims to cap the nicotine content of smokeless products at 16.6 milligrams per gram, limiting a 0.7-gram pouch to just under 12 milligrams of nicotine. Additionally, the law would ban foreign online sales and restrict traveler imports, leaving Finnish consumers with fewer options. While ensuring responsible use of nicotine products is crucial, overly restrictive measures could unintentionally drive consumers toward unregulated markets or back to more harmful alternatives like smoking or snus. According to a recent survey by the Finnish Grocery Trade Association (PTY), 86% of nicotine pouch users transitioned from smoking, vaping, or snus – a clear indicator that these products serve as effective harm reduction tools.

Spain’s Nicotine Pouch Proposals Pushing the Limits of Reason

Joseph Hart, The Daily Pouch

After a consultation in late 2024, a draft Royal Decree looks set to hobble the nicotine pouch market in Spain. As reported by many outlets, the proposed legislation has three prongs, which look to:

Ban additives in nicotine pouches, such as CBD, caffeine, taurine, and other stimulants.

Ban all flavours except for tobacco.

Restrict the amount of nicotine in each pouch to a maximum of 0.99 mg.

How Zyn helped Philip Morris International make a comeback

Ryan Baker, CNBC

Zyn has taken the U.S. by storm. The nicotine pouch brand’s boom came at an opportune time for parent company Philip Morris International, which faced a yearslong decline in cigarette smoking. Earlier this month, the Food and Drug Administration authorized 20 Zyn products to be marketed and sold in the U.S. The FDA had allowed Zyn to be sold legally in the U.S. while the agency reviewed its premarket applications.

Related: How Zyn Conquered the American Mouth

E-Cigarette Falsehoods from the President of the American Medical Association

Dr. Brad Rodu, Tobacco Truth

American Medical Association President Bruce A. Scott, M.D., authored an article, posted on the AMA website today, “Flavored e-cigarettes pose dire threat to youth and public health,” that includes the following: “Tobacco products cause cancer. Overwhelming evidence demonstrates that multiple types of cancer are linked to tobacco products, including e-cigarettes”

American Medical Association Claims that E-Cigarettes Can Cause Several Types of Cancer

Dr. Michael Siegel, The Rest Of The Story

The American Medical Association (AMA) yesterday claimed that electronic cigarettes cause not just one type of cancer, but multiple types. Here is their statement: “Overwhelming evidence demonstrates that multiple types of cancer are linked to tobacco products, including e-cigarettes, and that the longer someone uses these products the greater their health risks become.” I’m at a loss for the multiple types of cancer that are caused by electronic cigarettes. I’m thinking that the AMA may be referring to lung cancer but multiple means more than one, so what is the other cancer type to which they are referring?

ITC Orders NJOY Ace Imports Off U.S. Market

Jim McDonald, Vaping 360

The U.S. International Trade Commission (ITC) has ruled that vape manufacturer NJOY’s pod-based Ace device and its pods infringe Juul Labs patents, and ordered imported Ace devices and pods removed from the U.S. market. The decision, handed down Wednesday by the full commission, confirmed an August 2024 preliminary ruling by an ITC administrative law judge. Juul Labs filed the patent complaint with the ITC in July 2023.

Juul wins order banning US imports of Altria vaping devices

Blake Brittain, Reuters

A U.S. trade tribunal sided with Juul Labs on Wednesday and ordered a ban on imports of vaping devices and cartridges made by Altria’s (MO.N), opens new tab NJOY – at least some of which are made in China and Malaysia – in a patent dispute over e-cigarette technology. The U.S. International Trade Commission found that NJOY’s ACE devices violated Juul’s patent rights in vaporizer innovations. As a result, an import ban will take effect in 60 days unless the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative in President Donald Trump’s new administration overturns it for public policy reasons.

Click to visit Danish Vapers Association

Trump: Look at the Slow-Moving FDA

Steven Greenhut, R-Street

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s recent approval of a product known as Zyn is a leap forward for the cause of tobacco harm reduction, which encourages smokers to switch from dangerous combustible cigarettes to less dangerous products. However, the agency’s inexplicable delay in doing so raises serious questions about the FDA’s bureaucratic and unaccountable approval process.

CAN CONSUMERS HELP SOLVE GERMANY’S FLAVOUR DILEMMA? | Featuring Michael Landl

Global Forum on Nicotine

Germany’s lawmakers have recently proposed a new ban on menthol flavours in safer nicotine products, but given that menthol is a key ingredient in over 80% of the flavours currently available on the market, could this proposed ban negatively impact the availability of safer nicotine products for people looking to quit smoking? Joining us today is Michael Landl, Director of the World Vapers’ Alliance, to unpack Germany’s proposals and the actions consumers are taking to make their voices heard in this debate.

A look back at how things have moved on or otherwise…

Tim Smith, HCP Live

Electronic cigarettes (ECs) are as effective as varenicline and more effective than nicotine chewing gum in helping smokers to quit cigarettes, according to recent findings.¹

Australia needs to get ‘control’ of vape black market

Sky News Australia

Australian Association of Convenience Stores CEO Theo Foukkare says vaping products should be sold by “licenced responsible retailers” with strict protocols in place.

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