Category: Recent News

“Indiana lawmakers are close to approving a new state tax on vaping products even as a proposed increase in the state’s cigarette tax has been derailed. The plan backed by state Senate Republicans for the new tax on electronic cigarette liquids and devices, however, is being lambasted by health advocates as inadequate to discourage vaping. The Senate’s vaping tax proposal would impose a mix of wholesaler and retail taxes, while a House-endorsed plan would establish a flat 10% tax at retailers. Vaping tax advocates want a 15% retail tax, which would amount to about $1.50 for a two-pack of vaping pods.”

BILL TARLING — First off, no matter how often legislators claim a tax will result in a huge decrease in smokers [which is the same argument they’ve used every time for a tobacco tax increase], that has never been a real result — smokers will keep smoking, and the legislators know it. Secondly, note how they’re debating over how much (or how little) the tax will affect the retail cost of pods — which clearly shows they have absolutely no concern, care, or concept about the regular vape products… the tax is just a cash grab to make vapers pay for moving away from cigarettes and smoking; which hurts their tobacco tax revenue stream. It’s a simple pretense they use every time to dupe the public for support [also knowing non-smokers will gladly support any tax increase that will mean they aren’t the ones having to pay more to cover the mishandled gov’t budgets]

ARTICLE LINK:  Proposed new Indiana vaping products tax blasted as ‘measly’

“Eighty-eight percent of Malaysian vapers successfully quit smoking cigarettes due to their vape products, reports the New Straits Times, citing a survey commissioned by the Malaysian Vape Industry Advocacy (MVIA). Conducted by the Green Zebras market research firm, the survey also reported that 79 percent who are dual users (vapor products and cigarettes) have reduced the number of cigarettes they smoke since they began vaping. MVIA president Rizani Zakaria noted that the survey’s results clearly show that vaping can be an effective tool to help smokers quit cigarette smoking and is a much less harmful alternative.”

ARTICLE LINK:   Malaysians Quitting Cigarettes with Vaping

• Vape aerosols trapped in a buffer solution did not induce responses in any of the six cell lines.

• Undiluted flavoured e-liquids (tested up to 1%) did induce both oxidative stress reporters, but this was considered an effect of osmolarity (a measure of solution concentration) caused by PG/VG in an in-vitro testing environment.

• Nicotine content did not affect responses: tobacco flavour e-liquid at either 1.6% freebase nicotine, 1.6% nicotine salt or nicotine-free produced the same results.

• In addition, nicotine (tested alone) only produced an oxidative stress response at levels that would be a concentration of more than 40,000 times higher than found in the blood from typical smoking.”

ARTICLE LINK:  Vaping vs. smoking: Impact on cells compared

“Industry experts debated the challenges and opportunities facing the vapor business to mark the start of VApril 2021, the annual awareness campaign launched four years ago by the U.K. Vaping Industry Association (UKVIA) to help educate smokers on how to successfully quit conventional cigarettes by transitioning to vaping. Participants in the debate included John Dunne, director general of the UKVIA; Mark Pawsey, MP and chair of the All-Party Parliamentary Group for Vaping; Patricia Kovacevic, global legal and regulatory strategist at Andina Gold Corp.; and Clive Bates, director of Counterfactual Consulting and former director of Action on Smoking and Health.”

ARTICLE LINK:  Video: Debating the Challenges and Opportunities Facing Vapor

“Vape shops across England and Wales are expecting huge numbers of customers—including many smokers seeking expert help and guidance to quit—when they reopen on Monday. More than 2,000 vape shops across the U.K. are preparing to reopen their doors to customers again on April 12 after the government confirmed the next stage of lifting lockdown restrictions will proceed as previously announced. Nonessential retail outlets, including vape shops, will be able to reopen their doors from Monday across England and Wales. In Scotland, however, nonessential retail must remain shut until Monday, April 26.”

ARTICLE LINK:  Vape Shops in England and Wales to Reopen on April 12

“Since regulation passed in 2017 in almost all Australian states, “personal vaporisers”: e-cigarettes or vape pens, have been regulated as smoking products in Australia, including restrictions around sales, display and marketing, and use in non-smoking areas. However the research out of the University of Queensland has uncovered new evidence that e-cigarettes may be more effective in helping smokers quit than what they call “nicotine replacement therapies”, including products like nicotine patches and gum. “Our study found e-cigarettes are 50% more effective than nicotine replacement therapy, and more than 100% more effective than the placebo,” Dr Chan said in a statement accompanying the findings. Published in the journal Addictive Behaviours, the study assessed a total of 12,754 participants across 16 different smoking and vaping trials.”

“This session’s attempt to bring tobacco vaping products sales under much of the state regulatory control for cigarettes and raise the state minimum tobacco purchase age to 21 cleared a House committee Wednesday. The House State Administration & Technology Appropriations Subcommittee’s 10-5 approval of Republican Rep. Jackie Toledo‘s HB 987 came with emerging opposition, primarily from Democrats, over the bill’s preemptions of local governments’ efforts to regulate vaping product shops. A similar, though less restrictive, bill cleared the Legislature last year, only to be vetoed by Gov. Ron DeSantis.”

ARTICLE LINK:   Tobacco 21 bill clears House despite preemption objections

“Trade body the UK Vaping Industry Association (UKVIA) has responded to the publication of the All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) report on the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control’s Conference of Parties (COP9). The report strikes out in favour of the UK’s world-leading approach to tobacco harm reduction and advocates a stronger line from the UK government given that we are the largest funders of COP9. The cross-party group reaffirmed that the UK, “has a clearly stated position that vaping is 95% safer than combustible tobacco” and, “in recent years the UK has very successfully integrated vaping into its public health policies on tobacco harm reduction.” John Dunne, Director General of the UKVIA, applauded the report: “It’s about time that the vaping industry stood up against the World Health Organization (WHO) and the APPG on Vaping has done a great job of doing so, challenging the organisation to change its approach to harm reduction and calling upon Government to consider a reduction in funding if they continue in the same vein by taking a prohibitionist stance. It was also good to see that the WHO’s Framework Convention on Tobacco Control treaty was called into question by parliamentarians, who want it to better reflect UK’s national interest.”

ARTICLE LINK:   UKVIA Responds to The APPG Report on the FCTC COP9

“County commissioners took little time Tuesday to extinguish tobacco and electronic-cigarette purchases for anyone younger than 21. Without comment, the commission unanimously raised the legal age to buy tobacco and e-cigarettes from 18 to 21. Federal law already sets 21 as the age to buy tobacco products, but there is little local enforcement. The federal law leaves regulation of merchandising or use of e-cigarettes to the states, staff said. There was no discussion Tuesday of how the county would enforce its new age restriction.”

ARTICLE LINK:   Legal age to buy tobacco, e-cigarettes in Indian River County raised from 18 to 21

“The province is introducing a 20 per cent tax on the retail price of all vaping liquids, devices and products starting Sept. 1. It hopes to dissuade young people and non-smokers from taking up the habit. It says the tax brings such products in line with existing levies on tobacco products.”

ARTICLE LINK:   Saskatchewan budget: Drivers and power customers win; vapers lose