Author: Bill Tarling

“Four days after the initial announcement, the health minister publicly backed down. Even a cursory glance at the detail of Hunt’s second announcement, however, should give everyone pause. Four days after the initial announcement, the health minister publicly backed down. So why is everyone declaring victory suddenly? One reason appears to be they genuinely believe the Government line that we can all just get a doctor’s script now for vaping fluid. Anyone who believes that, however, has not been paying close attention over the last few years to the legal medicinal cannabis supply sector and how quickly or well that form of forcing people onto the legal alternative worked out for consumers. Just like with the proposal now for vapers, consumers wanting access were to be required to see a GP, obtain a script and then order from an approved medicinal supplier. The last thing any vaping consumer or advocate should do right now is declare victory, pack up and go home. It is an absolute necessity to continue to fight to make sure this ban is never implemented.”

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Vaping ‘victory’ is far from a win, just another LNP con

“Dutch consumer group Acvoda and the European umbrella organisation ETHRA called on the Dutch government to engage in talks last year as the Association of Physicians for Pulmonary Diseases and Tuberculosis demanded a ban on vaping. Politicians in the Netherlands failed to listen and Acvoda says vapers are “stunned” to hear about a proposed national ban on eliquid flavours. “Flavours in e-cigarette liquids are a critical part of the success formula for quitting smokers,” states the consumer organisation Acvoda. It says that all of its members successfully quit smoking with the help of electronic cigarettes, in which flavours have played an important role. It is unbelievable that there is no regard for that, while the State Secretary wants to reach a smoke-free generation.””

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ACVODA Astonished

“Federal drug commissioner Daniela Ludwig is behind a move to push for a ban on flavoured eliquid in Germany, according to the site ‘Vapers Guru’. It says a motion for a resolution is planned for next week in the Bundestag (the German federal parliament). The parliament is set to debate vape advertising and eliquid flavours, following a similar disgraceful anti-democratic move by Dutch authorities.”

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Verboten

“Tobacco legislation and regulation is constantly under review at the local, state and federal levels. In this monthly roundup, Convenience Store News highlights the latest proposals and approved changes happening across the United States.”

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Tackling Tobacco: June 2020 Legislative & Regulatory Roundup

“Testimony in June at the Massachusetts Department of Revenue’s Illegal Tobacco Task Force reveals how flavored e-cig users are responding to the ban. The task force concluded the ban will lead to “an increase in smuggling activity and black-market sales.” The black market is already growing. Black market e-cigarette supplies pose severe health dangers that are ignored by the same crowd who pushed a flavor ban under the guise of public health. Clearly, banning flavored e-cigarette products will drive many consumers to find their flavors in the black market, again exposing e-cig users to unregulated and contaminated products. Others may simply return to smoking. How can elected officials and “grassroots” advocacy groups claim their flavor bans are in the interest of public health?”

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E-Cig Flavor Ban Grows $10 Billion Massachusetts Black Market

“The Government’s proposed sweeping changes to vaping laws will see an average vape shop facing costs in excess of $30,000 per store when forced to make ridiculous changes to things like trademarks and retrofitting store layouts. As the Government continues to rush its lazy, ill-considered vaping amendment Bill through Parliament this week, small businesses in the vaping industry are wondering where they fit within the Governments ‘kind’ approach to economic recovery. “the Government has lazily coopted existing tobacco laws which apply sweeping prohibitions and a nightmare of red tape on an industry trying to help New Zealand’s 550,000 smokers to quit cigarettes. This is a hit on small businesses at a time when they can least incur this cost.” The legislation will force the entire vaping industry to either rebrand stores, rebrand products, or change company names, at massive financial cost for many small owner-operator businesses – in order to comply with an antiquated piece of law designed for the tobacco industry.”

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Government Rolling Out The Red Tape For Small Kiwi Vaping Industry

“Juul Labs Inc., the U.S.-based e-cigarette maker that’s fighting a global backlash against vaping, is considering entry into the tightly regulated Japanese market. Haruhiko Hirate, formerly a corporate officer at Tokyo-based Takeda Pharmaceutical Co., was hired to lead the effort, Juul said Tuesday in a statement. He was named representative director and chairman of the newly formed Juul Labs Japan Co. Entering the Japanese market will be a challenge for Juul and Hirate, who was head of corporate communications and public affairs at Takeda. Nicotine-containing e-cigarettes are classified as pharmaceutical products and require a license to be sold in Japan. None has yet won approval. If Juul enters the market, it would compete with products from tobacco giants such as Philip Morris International Inc.’s IQOS and British American Tobacco Plc’s Glo.”

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Juul Looks at Japan Market Amid Push to Recover From Setbacks

“Beginning Wednesday, all vaping products sold in Boulder will be subject to an additional city sales and use tax of 40%. Nearly 80% of voters approved the additional tax last November. It applies to any refill, cartridge and component of an electronic smoking device. Additional measures to curb youth tobacco use were passed by City Council in 2019, including: Limiting any one retailer from selling more than two electronic cigarettes or four associated products including refills to any one person in any 24-hour period. Banning the sale of flavored vaping products (with a temporary exception for menthol-flavored products). After Jan. 1, 2020, the sale of menthol flavored electronic cigarettes in the city of Boulder is completely prohibited.”

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Boulder’s 40% Tax On Vaping Products Starts Wednesday

“French advocacy SOVAPE has released the first comprehensive document in the country regarding vaping and smoking cessation during pregnancy. The ETHRA partner organisation asks if vaping should be discouraged, and risk of smoking, during pregnancy. In France more than half of pregnant women are unsuccessful in quitting smoking during their pregnancy. Faced with this major public health issue, SOVAPE have reviewed studies and scientific advice on the use of vaping as a tool to help quit smoking.”

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Vaping And Pregnancy in France

“Regulations to curb youth vaping are taking effect on July 1 across Ontario. The changes include: The restriction of the sale of flavoured vapour products only to specialty vape stores and licensed cannabis retail stores. Convenience stores can only sell tobacco, menthol and mint flavoured vapour products. The restriction of the sale of vapour products with high nicotine concentrations (greater than 20 mg/ml) to specialty vape stores only. Specialty vape stores will no longer be permitted to have indoor displays and promotions that are visible from outside their stores.”

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Peterborough Public Health to enforce new vaping restrictions starting July 1