Author: Bill Tarling

“Missoula’s new ban on the sale of flavored e-cigarette and vape products went into effect Monday. The ban, which would be the first of its kind in the state, is facing a legal challenge and legislation that could undermine the rollout of the order. It’s illegal to sell flavored e-cigarette and vape products in Missoula, but according to one of the ban’s architects, that policy rollout might face a delay. Missoula City Council rep Mirtha Becerra, tells MTPR that local officials have little choice but to pay close attention to unfolding legislation in Helena, where lawmakers are considering a bill to prevent local government and health officials – even the state health department – from regulating e-cig and vape merchandise. Becerra says the city’s implementation of the ban may be altered. A lawsuit to block the ordinance was filed in Missoula District Court late last week.”

ARTICLE LINK:   Lawsuit, Legislation Could Delay Missoula Vape Ban

“The co-owner of a vape shop in Dartmouth is seeking an injunction against Nova Scotia’s newest restrictions on vaping, arguing they unfairly burden adults who are trying to kick a bad habit. William MacEachern of the Cloud Factory Vape Shop has launched a constitutional challenge against increased taxes on vaping products, a ban on flavoured e-cigarettes and vaping juices, and a prohibition on sampling such items in vaping shops. Sarah Emery, MacEachern’s lawyer, and her partners at Patterson law are seeking an immediate suspension of vaping rules that came into effect in 2020. MacEachern’s lawyers said the litigation does not aim to make it easier for youth to vape, but to reduce the obstacles to access by adult smokers who vape as a stepping stone for quitting combustible cigarettes.”

ARTICLE LINK:
Dartmouth vape shop co-owner seeks injunction against Nova Scotia’s vaping restrictions

“The United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is taking a tough line on tobacco harm reduction products as a result of the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (FD&C Act) and the Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act (Tobacco Control Act). It confiscated 33,681 products from 42 individual shipments at the Dallas Fort Worth International Airport. The seizures were carried out by U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers, who estimated the total value of the shipments from China to be $719,453. It is believed all of the orders were heading to Texas. The FDA says it is part of an ongoing joint operation with its officers and agents who are, “looking to intercept counterfeit or other violative e-cigarettes, including certain flavoured e-cigarettes imported to the U.S.””

ARTICLE LINK:   FDA Seizures

“The network of Bloomberg’s anti-vape organisations have leapt on the news that the Foundation for a Smoke-Free World (FSFW) is to be taken to court. The case revolves around allegations of “improper coordination” between some tobacco companies and the Foundation by a bitter ex-employee. The smears continues in a Bloomberg publication and gets expanded to cover a number of leading harm reduction organisations and experts. Bloomberg News continued the assault on the FSFW’s reputation and added an ad-hominem attack on individual independent experts and consumer organisations. In the piece, the journalist smears Consumer Advocates for Smoke-Free Alternatives Association (CASAA), Roberto Sussman, Carmen Escrig, the International Network of Nicotine Consumer Organisations (INNCO), Julie Woessner, ProVapeo Mexico, Medical Organizations Supporting Vaping and E-cigarettes, Konstantinos Farsalinos, the E-Cigarette Research Advocates Group, Marewa Glover, Michael McGrady, Knowledge-Action-Change, Filter Magazine, Ricardo Polosa and the Center of Excellence for the Acceleration of Harm Reduction.”

ARTICLE LINK: Bloomberg Attacks FSFW

“Millions of vaping products imported into New Zealand will be required to display warning labels in te reo Māori if new Government proposals are implemented. Under the new proposals, e-cigarettes containing nicotine would be required to carry a warning label advising of the potential for addiction to the product in both English and te reo Māori – similar to that found on cigarettes containing tobacco.”

ARTICLE LINK:
Vaping products could carry warnings in te reo Māori under new Government proposal

“The Ministry of Health is today drawing backlash from the local New Zealand vaping industry following its release of proposed regulations for the Smokefree Environments and Regulated Products Act. Vaping Trade Association New Zealand (VTANZ) President, Lawrence Coe, says the Industry has long called for positive legislation and regulation that would control the wild-west marketing environment, and would protect consumers from unsafe or dodgy products. “Unfortunately, rather than carefully crafted controls on advertising and promotion – the Government took the easy route of lumping vaping in with smoking and banning the lot. Now we are faced with the next wave of change, Regulations, and the much-feared costs to our businesses as a result”. Mr Coe said there are some positives proposed which the Industry would welcome, but overall, the draft proposals needed a lot of work.”

ARTICLE LINK:   MOH Draft Vaping Regulations Could Stub Out Smokefree 2025 Success

“The Ministry of Health is encouraging New Zealanders to have their say and provide feedback on draft regulations under the Smokefree Environments and Regulated Products Act through an online consultation that opens today. “The proposed regulations cover a range of areas including the display of vaping products in retail stores and websites; the use of harm reduction statements in retail stores and websites; the display of R18 notices at vaping points of sale; packaging requirements for vaping products; and the responsibilities of manufacturers and importers who intend to sell vaping products or smokeless tobacco products.”

ARTICLE LINK:    Vaping regulations consultation opens today

“Tobacco firms are spending billions of dollars to develop smokeless alternatives such as nicotine pouches, e-cigarettes and tobacco-heating devices as fewer people smoke traditional cigarettes. Philip Morris International Inc. faces the possibility of having imports of its IQOS heated-tobacco sticks to the U.S. blocked as early as November in an intensifying legal battle with British American Tobacco Plc over cigarette alternatives. BAT’s subsidiary Reynolds American Inc. seeks to block imports of the sticks as it alleges that the tobacco heating technology used in IQOS devices infringed its patents. The six-day trial at the U.S. International Trade Commission in Washington, D.C. began Monday, with a judge scheduled to release his findings in May. The device, where the tobacco is heated enough to create an aerosol but not enough to combust, also got the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s nod last year to be marketed as reducing consumers’ exposure to harmful chemicals found in cigarettes, giving Philip Morris even more of an edge against competitors.”

ARTICLE LINK:   Philip Morris Faces Risk of Cigarette Alternative Block in U.S.

“Californians will decide next year whether to uphold a law banning the sale of flavored tobacco, including e-cigarettes. On Friday, the secretary of state’s office said opponents of the law had qualified the measure for the November 2022 ballot after submitting more than the required 623,212 valid signatures from registered voters. The California Coalition for Fairness, the group behind the referendum, said the law goes too far by banning products for adults.”

ARTICLE LINK:  California law banning flavored tobacco on hold as referendum qualifies for ballot

“Harm Reduction journal has published an expanded re-analysis of a recent publication by Konstantinos Farsalinos, Pantelis Bagos, Theodoros Giannouchos, Raymond Niaura, Anastasia Barbouni and Konstantinos Poulas. They examined smoking prevalence among hospitalised COVID-19 patients. Next week, Konstantinos Farsalinos will host a press conference for the launch of a Declaration on E-Cigarettes and Public Health. Harm Reduction journal has published an expanded re-analysis of a recent publication by Konstantinos Farsalinos, Pantelis Bagos, Theodoros Giannouchos, Raymond Niaura, Anastasia Barbouni and Konstantinos Poulas. They examined smoking prevalence among hospitalised COVID-19 patients. Next week, Konstantinos Farsalinos will host a press conference for the launch of a Declaration on E-Cigarettes and Public Health. The Declaration is, “an effort to set the priorities and clarify misconceptions concerning e-cigarettes.”

ARTICLE LINK:   Farsalinos, COVID-19 and Vaping