Vapers Digest 23rd April

Wednesday’s News at a glance:

Black Market Burnt in Burnley ~ Northants Cops Swoop ~ WHO Reporting Condemned ~ Switching to Vaping Has Stalled ~ CAPHRA Condemns WHO’s Outdated Tobacco Reporting ~ CAPHRA Criticises Philippine Government’s Inconsistent Vaping Policies, Calls for Evidence-Based Approach ~ Letter to the EU Commission regarding the Tobacco Excise Directive ~ A Rebound Study Of Disdain Towards Vapers & Vaping Science? ~ Australia’s growing vaping black market offers a regulatory warning Europe must heed ~ British American Tobacco: News. Kenneth Dart further reduces the BAT stake ~ The Day I Got Inspected ~ Shopkeepers urge Government to meet them before a planned vaping and smoking crackdown shuts them for good ~ RFK Jr. Called Out FDA — So Why Are Harm Reduction Products Still Being Targeted ~ An unprecedented chance to help Americans quit smoking ~ UAE turns to less harmful nicotine products to help smokers quit ~One year after banning vapes, Kazakhstan still sees them flooding the black market ~ Greece mulls ban on flavoured e-cigarettes ~ UK disposable vape ban ‘unlikely’ to cut vaping rates, researchers say ~ Media Watch: ITV Investigates Black Market Pouches ~ New Estimates of Smoking-Attributable Mortality in the U.S. From 2020 Through 2035 ~ Michael Bloomberg Won His Vietnam War on Vaping ~ PMI accelerates growth as smoke-free products reach 40% of revenues ~ BACK TO THE FUNDAMENTALS | GFN SCIENCE FAQ: PART 2

Four from Dave Cross, Planet of the Vapes

Black Market Burnt in Burnley

As part of ongoing Operation CeCe and Operation Joseph operations, the Burnley Neighbourhood Policing Team worked in conjunction with officers from the Lancashire Trading Standards team to seize illicit tobacco and vapes in the Burnley area. Raids discovered sizeable quantities of illegal cigarettes, tobacco and vapes – with officers estimating the retail value as being over £25,000.

Northants Cops Swoop

Northamptonshire Police worked alongside Northamptonshire County Council Trading Standards officers to swoop and seize almost half a million pounds worth of illicit vapes and tobacco products in the north of the county. The announcement comes as Trading Standards departments across the country conduct operations to clamp down on the illicit vape market in the lead up to the ban on disposable vapes.

WHO Reporting Condemned

The Coalition of Asia Pacific Tobacco Harm Reduction Advocates (CAPHRA) has accused the World Health Organization (WHO) of failing millions by neglecting to update its Global Report on the Tobacco Epidemic since July 2023, ignoring overwhelming scientific evidence supporting tobacco harm reduction strategies.

Switching to Vaping Has Stalled

The rapid rise in vaping in Britain has stalled as smokers have stopped switching to disposable vapes, which became popular in 2021, in Great Britain, according to a new study by UCL researchers. The research paper, published in the journal Addiction and funded by Cancer Research UK, looked at survey data on vaping habits in England, Wales and Scotland before and after the UK Government announced plans to restrict vaping, including by banning disposable vapes, in January 2024.

CAPHRA Condemns WHO’s Outdated Tobacco Reporting

Coalition of Asia Pacific Tobacco Harm Reduction Advocates (CAPHRA), Scoop

The Coalition of Asia Pacific Tobacco Harm Reduction Advocates (CAPHRA) today accused the World Health Organisation (WHO) of failing millions by neglecting to update its Global Report on the Tobacco Epidemic since July 2023, while ignoring overwhelming scientific evidence supporting tobacco harm reduction (THR) strategies.

“Two years of silence from WHO on global tobacco trends is two years of missed opportunities to save lives,” said Nancy Loucas, Executive Coordinator of CAPHRA.

CAPHRA Criticises Philippine Government’s Inconsistent Vaping Policies, Calls for Evidence-Based Approach

Coalition of Asia Pacific Tobacco Harm Reduction Advocates (CAPHRA), EIN Presswire

The Coalition of Asia Pacific Tobacco Harm Reduction Advocates (CAPHRA) today criticised the Philippine government for its contradictory stance on vaping, highlighting inconsistencies between public crackdowns on illicit vape products, growing fiscal dependence on vape taxes, and questionable environmental practices surrounding the disposal of confiscated devices.

Australia’s growing vaping black market offers a regulatory warning Europe must heed

La rédaction, EU Policies

Released in late March, Australia’s latest federal budget numbers paint a stark picture: tobacco excise tax revenue has nearly halved since 2019, with cumulative losses estimated at A$10 billion (€5.6 billion) by 2029. Local media investigations over the past month have tied this budgetary hole to Australia’s booming tobacco and nicotine black markets and thriving organised crime, with experts warning that this illicit trade scourge reflects the unintended consequences of Canberra’s excessive vaping crackdown.

British American Tobacco: News. Kenneth Dart further reduces the BAT stake

Tobacco Insider

BAT’s second largest shareholder, Cayman Islands-based Spring Mountain Investments (the investment vehicle of American billionaire Kenneth Dart) sold 17.15 million BAT shares in the last two weeks and reduced the number of BAT shares held from 220.1 million to 202.95 million. Consequently, Spring Mountain’s stake in BAT declined from 9.997% to 9.22%.

The Day I Got Inspected

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

Due to the change in Administration, the recent layoffs of several staff, and the exploding illicit market, there has been much discussion on reforming the US Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) Center for Tobacco Products (CTP) and/or the Tobacco Control Act (TCA).

One explanation for the rampant illicit market, provided by the CTP, is that there is an insufficient amount of time, staff, or funding for enforcement. My explanation is an unfair regulatory process that doesn’t meet consumer demand, an inequitable application of who pays user fees, and an inefficient use of time, staff, and funding to meet the requirements the CTP is tasked with effectively.

Shopkeepers urge Government to meet them before a planned vaping and smoking crackdown shuts them for good

Ciaran Foreman, Daily Mail

A coalition of small businesses are pleading for urgent government talks before a planned vaping and smoking crackdown forces them to ‘close for good’.

Signed by 24 shopkeepers, the joint public appeal urges policymakers to consider the real-world consequences of the Tobacco and Vapes Bill, which they say will ‘suffocate the backbone of local community’.

RFK Jr. Called Out FDA — So Why Are Harm Reduction Products Still Being Targeted

Allison Boughner, World Vapers’ Alliance

In a move that sent shockwaves through federal agencies, Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. terminated approximately 10,000 FDA employees this April — including the entire tobacco enforcement division. The rationale? A sweeping overhaul to fix what he called “entrenched bureaucracies” failing the American people.

And yet, despite this bold shakeup, the FDA’s Center for Tobacco Products (CTP) continues to issue warning letters to manufacturers and retailers of vaping devices and nicotine pouches — many of which are tools adult smokers rely on to reduce harm and quit traditional cigarettes.

An unprecedented chance to help Americans quit smoking

Consumer Action for a Strong Economy, The Oklahoman

For decades, U.S. tobacco policy has been stagnant. Bureaucracy and prohibitionist ideology have slowed the adoption of innovations that promote smoking cessation. While other nations move forward to smoke-free status, nearly 30 million Americans who smoke have not received the same level of support. Meanwhile, commercial players have seized on chaotic U.S. regulation and exploited weak enforcement to flood the market with illicit products.

UAE turns to less harmful nicotine products to help smokers quit

Nick Webster, The National

Smoking rates remain high in the UAE and Middle East but new smoke-free nicotine alternatives entering the market could be critical to efforts to help people kick the habit.

The UAE has approved the sale of synthetic nicotine pouches – subject to sellers meeting safety standards set out by the government – which are taken orally and held under the gum for about 40 minutes to gradually release a nicotine dose.

One year after banning vapes, Kazakhstan still sees them flooding the black market

Aygerim Tukusheva, kz.kursiv.media

On April 19, 2024, Kazakhstan effectively banned the sale, production and distribution of electronic cigarettes and vapes. To ensure compliance with the law, authorities introduced high fines and serious penalties — up to five years in prison with property seizure by the government — for violations.

Kursiv.media decided to find out whether it’s still possible to buy a prohibited product, and discovered a full-fledged black market for vapes in the country. For those selling these products, there seem to be no legal barriers they can’t overcome.

Greece mulls ban on flavoured e-cigarettes

Sarantis Michalopoulos, Euractiv

Greece’s conservative government is preparing a bill to ban all flavoured alternative tobacco products – sparing only natural tobacco and mint, Euractiv has learnt.

Athens has generally opposed both stricter rules for alternative tobacco products and calls to treat them like traditional cigarettes.

UK disposable vape ban ‘unlikely’ to cut vaping rates, researchers say

Ali Anderson, Clearing The Air

The upcoming UK ban on disposable vapes could have only a “limited impact” on the number of people vaping, researchers say.

A new study by University College London reveals there has been a “shift away” from single-use devices ahead of the ban taking effect on June 1. However, it says more people are simply opting for refillable vapes.

Media Watch: ITV Investigates Black Market Pouches

Joseph Hart, The Daily Pouch

ITV doesn’t exactly have a reputation for fair and balanced coverage of harm reduction products. Their “work” on vaping veers between one-sided propaganda and outright hysteria.

Now that nicotine pouches are growing in popularity, are they in for the same jaundiced treatment from ITV?

Of course they are. So, let’s take a look.

New Estimates of Smoking-Attributable Mortality in the U.S. From 2020 Through 2035

Thuy T.T. Le, PhD, David Méndez, PhD, Kenneth E. Warner, PhD, American Journal of Preventive Medicine

Abstract/Introduction: The often-cited Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimate of 480,000 annual U.S. smoking-attributable deaths (SADs), including 439,000 first-hand smoke deaths, derives from 2005 to 2009 data. Since then, adult smoking prevalence has decreased by 40%, while the population has grown and the smoking population aged. An updated estimate is presented to determine whether the CDC figure remains accurate or has changed substantially. In addition, the likely annual smoking-related mortality toll is projected through 2035.

Michael Bloomberg Won His Vietnam War on Vaping

Marc Gunther, Filter

Vietnam has a big-time smoking problem. A huge proportion of men, particularly—44.3 percent, by one estimate—smoke cigarettes. Smoking kills more than 100,000 people a year in Vietnam, according to the World Health Organization. Tobacco-related diseases also contribute to rising health care costs in a country where, despite rapid economic growth, per capita income remains below $5,000 a year.

PMI accelerates growth as smoke-free products reach 40% of revenues

Kristine Daguno-Bersamina, Philstar.com

Philip Morris International (PMI) is rapidly advancing its transition toward a smoke-free future, with its smoke-free product portfolio now accounting for 40% of the company’s total net revenues, a senior executive revealed.

Tommaso di Giovanni, PMI’s vice president for communications and engagement, said the company is seeing significant momentum in the adoption of its heated tobacco and smoke-free offerings, led by its flagship product IQOS.

BACK TO THE FUNDAMENTALS | GFN SCIENCE FAQ: PART 2

Global Forum on Nicotine

In the second part of our science special, Roberto Sussman takes us through the fundamental physics of vape aerosols to help explain the difference between cigarette smoke and e-cigarette vapor!

On this Day…2018

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

UK vape scene hit by HnB row

Fergus Mason, Vaping Post

Vaping news in the UK, probably the world’s most enthusiastic adopter of e-cigarettes, has been dominated for the last week by an online fight between harm reduction advocates and renegade YouTube personalities. Following a series of videos attacking harm reduction products they personally disapprove of, a small group has now moved on to attacking a leading advocacy group, claiming it’s “in the pocket of Big Tobacco”. Meanwhile the FDA seems set to toughen its already draconian anti-vaping rules, while Romania contemplates a public use ban.

No short-fill shortfall

Freddie Dawson, ECig Intelligence

So-called “short-fill” products have not caused a reduction in the number of nicotine-containing e-liquids being notified in the UK, according to an expert from the agency in charge.

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