Vaping Headlines: Tobacco Shares Tumble – Anti Smoking Kiwi Kids – New York Ban – Luxembourg Ban – Vaping Crimes – No Tax For Irish Vapers – Behind the Scenes in Shenzhen

FDA Announcement Update

The share price of Big Tobacco companies fell through the roof following last week’s announcement by the FDA [my heart bleeds] – however the industry is putting a positive spin on the news.

The stock markets saw investors running for cover and selling shares with Altria Groups’s shares dropping 17.3% – British American Tobacco 13% with a combined Big Tobacco loss of around $60billion.

Like I said my heart bleeds…

You can check out my article The State of the Vape to see what it’s all about but in a nutshell the Food and Drug Administration has:

• Given a 4 year breathing space before the controversial Deeming bill comes into force
• Vape gear to have product standards
• A detailed study of ‘flavoured e-liquids’
• Easier access to FDA approved ‘quit smoking’ medicines
• A reduction of nicotine within traditional cigarettes

Altria Group Inc – that owns among others Philip Morris USA Inc and [surprise surprise] U.S. Smokeless Tobacco Co. LLC,said:

We supported FDA regulation because, among other things, it created a framework for communication about reduced harm products. Reconsideration of the rules and timelines for newly deemed products is an important and timely step in this effort.

British American Tobacco plc said:

Dr. Gottlieb’s comments regarding nicotine and menthol do not come as a surprise to us. We are well prepared and look forward to participating in a thorough process to develop a comprehensive plan for tobacco and nicotine regulation.

It’s little wonder the ‘big two’ are shall we say ‘easy’ about the FDA announcement – given they are investing in the so called ‘heat not burn’ tobacco products.

George Conley – president of the American Vaping Association said:

Without Gottlieb’s leadership, over 99 percent of vapor products on the market today would have been banned in 15 months’ time. This is by no means a perfect fix. The FDA’s deeming rule still bans any innovation in the market and, without major changes to the agency’s premarket review process, could still result in the vast majority of the market being banned in 2022.

I have to agree wholeheartedly with his final word on the matter:

While we are concerned that the FDA may be going down the wrong path with its focus on flavors and reduced-nicotine cigarettes, we are going to celebrate today and get back to fighting bad policy tomorrow

Source: Convenience Store News

Kiwi Kids Tend to be Anti Smoking

A new study has found that kids are more likely to suggest their friends stop Smoking rather than start.

3000 New Zealand teens were quizzed on smoking their habits and the results suggest the old adage that kids smoke due to ‘peer pressure’ is a thing of the past.

Researchers from Otago University quizzed the 14-15-year-olds at 142 schools in the country finding that at least half of them had tried to talk a mate out of smoking compared to just 1:10 that had tried to get their friends to smoke.

The research has been published by the Australian and New Zealand Journal of Public Health and showed that it was the Maori and Pacific youngsters who were most anti-smoking and willing to intervene.

Lead researcher Dr Louise Marsh said:

Our findings demonstrate that a lot of informal youth-to-youth health education is already happening in New Zealand. This could be extended to engage young people as active ambassadors of Smokefree 2025.

New Zealand recently ‘legalized’ nicotine within e-liquids and whilst only 16% of former smokers vape in the country – the number is growing.

The full change to the ‘vaping law’ is expected early next year.

Source: NZ Herald

New York Bans Vaping in All Schools

As smoking levels among teens falls and e-cig use rises New York plans to ban vaping in all of its schools.

Governor Andrew Cuomo said:

Nicotine use in any form has shown to be damaging to teens and this measure will close a dangerous loophole that allows e-cigarettes to be used in New York schools. This measure will further this administration’s efforts to combat teen smoking in all its forms and help create a stronger, healthier New York for all.

The past two years has seen the number of teens vaping double – 10.5% in 2014 to 20.6% in 2016.

Now call me stupid if you like but the drop in youngsters smoking and the rise in them vaping – on what we know to be mostly zero nicotine – – might suggest they are making healthier choices?

I’ve written a large article on young folks and vaping that should be up tomorrow [Monday].

Source: The Fix

Luxembourg Bans Vaping

Another one bites the dust as a new law came into force on August 1st that lumps vaping in with the smoking ban.

It’s now forbidden to vape anywhere in Luxembourg where smoking is banned.

This also includes public places and the Government has specifically added no smoking in playgrounds – so one assumes that means no vaping there either.

The health ministry said:

E-liquids release substances which are classed as toxic for consumers and people around them, although to less of an extent than conventional cigarettes.

Don’t you just wish these Government folks would do a bit of research before imposing these bans… *sighs*

Source: Luxembourger Wort

Swiss Vaper Arrested

Apparently Thai cops pounced on a Swiss vaper and arrested him in Thailand last week and he could be facing up to 5-years in jail.

The cops are accusing him of the illegal importation of vape products – however I can’t be 100% certain this is the case.

The news was released on the high end vape product manufacturer Stattqualm Facebook page – causing a stir among the vape community.

They say the unnamed vaper was arrested on July 26th as he was using an e-cigarette – the Swiss Embassy has been informed.

A spokesman for Team Stattqualm said:

In this way we want to warn the community: If anyone of you plans to visit Thailand, please leave your vape gears at home! That’s no joke. Our friend has to serve as a precedent, that no one has seen coming. No matter what you read on the net, do not take the risk. Please take care of yourself.

However as I said in my piece Vaping on Vacation – A Rough Guide the laws around vaping varies from country to country and is indeed shall we say ‘fluid’.

On the section about Thailand I described vaping there as a ‘cloudy legal area’ in that its OK to vape if you bring your own but illegal to import it.

Our very own Jonny has visited Thailand recently and he said:

I have experience vaping in Thailand. Now this isn’t legal advice, just what I personally encountered. Vaping is fine (I was even in a Bangkok bar where the owner vaped and he was cool with me vaping indoors) but and I mean BUT.. Don’t be vaping in front of police, they have been known to ‘tax’ foreigners shall we say. When I vaped in Bangkok I did so low key.

Looks like this unfortunate Swiss guy may have vaped in front of police maybe?

Either way it’s a pretty sobering thought and something to bear in mind if you’re heading that way anytime soon.

Do checkout the Thailand Vaping Forum for more information on the country’s vape laws.

Source

Fined for Selling E-Cig to Minor

In what may be the first prosecution following the TRPR a vape shop owner has been fined for selling a device to a 12-year-old child.

The shop owner had been warned following a similar incident last December however when Durham County Council Trading Standards Department followed up with another undercover ‘sting’ recently the shopkeeper once again failed to check the kid’s age.

Police had spotted children outside the vape shop vaping and when challenged the owner allegedly became ‘aggressive’.

Based on this the sting was put into place and the business man was if you like caught ‘bang to rights’.

The owner of the shop pleaded guilty [via letter] to the charge of selling a nicotine inhaling product to a person under 18 and was fined £200 – £159 towards the cost of the investigation – prosecution costs of £250 and a £30 ‘victim surcharge’.

You can read my article The Vape Police as to my thoughts on those ‘victim surcharges’.

But I do have to say that 12-year-olds even these days do look a lot younger than 18 so I have no idea what the bloke in question thought he was doing.

As much as we despise the TRPR and TPD we could do without this kind of thing.

Source: Chester le Street Advertiser

No Tax Rise for Irish Vapers

Pre-budget documents released last week suggest Irish vapers won’t be facing a tax hike on vape products anytime soon.

The Government says this is for two reasons one of them being they believe there’s evidence vaping does indeed lead to folks quitting cigarettes and is an healthier option.

A spokesman for the Finance Department said:

Implementation and collection of such a tax would be difficult given the wide variety of ways in which these products are supplied to the consumer. If a substantive duty were to be imposed on e-cigarettes there would be significant cross-elasticity effects, given consumers view e-cigarettes as either substitutes or complements for traditional tobacco products, which could in turn undermine the broader public health objective of reducing tobacco consumption.
While there have been very few studies about the long-term health effects of e-cigarettes, one of them earlier this year from University College London said that, “E-cigarettes and NRT are far safer than smoking, and suggests that there is a very low risk associated with their long-term use.

Great news and don’t you wish other Governments were as understanding!

Source JOE

And Finally…Vice on Vaping

A short yet fascinating look behind the scenes of the heart of China’ vaping manufacturers in Shenzhen.

It’s a bite sized documentary including a tour of the factories – smoke shops and a look at expos.

Watch the video HERE

*Shuffles papers*