VAPING NEWS

VAPING NEWS: CONNECTICUT & MARYLAND [Flavor Ban]

“On Feb. 8, Connecticut Attorney General William Tong submitted testimony in support of state Senate Bill 326, An Act Prohibiting the Sale of Flavored Cigarettes, Tobacco Products, Electronic Nicotine Delivery Systems and Vapor Products. In Maryland, state legislators are also reviewing a statewide ban on the sale of flavored tobacco products. Both proposals include menthol cigarettes.”

ARTICLE LINK:   Connecticut & Maryland Eye Statewide Bans on Flavored Tobacco

VAPING NEWS: UKVIA PREPS PARLIAMENT DELEGATION FOR WHO COP9 SUMMIT

“Dunne’s evidence will be used to advise the UK delegation to a high-level World Health Organisation meeting later this year: Conference of the Parties (COP9). The meeting will have repercussions for vaping industries around the world, and it is hoped the UK’s progressive approach can inspire similar stances internationally. “The UK has a huge duty of care to take a positive stance and challenge interpretations… Britain’s newly independent status really gives us an opportunity to lead this on the world stage.”Also present at the meeting was Professor Gerry Stimson of Knowledge-Action-Change (KAC), Clive Bates of Counterfactual, and Daniel Pryor of the Adam Smith Institute.”

ARTICLE LINK:   UKVIA advises Parliament’s vaping group ahead of WHO summit

VAPING NEWS: AMERICAN ANTI-VAPING RHETORIC BEING USED IN OTHER COUNTRIES

“Aquavape was delighted to announce the takeover of one of its suppliers, saving 21 jobs in the process. The good news continued when a partnership was announced between the vape company and Swansea City Football Club. No sooner did the Swans publish details on their website the deal turned sour thanks to Twitter trolls, leaving some wondering how many were actually fans of the club. Within a couple of hours of the club posting the news to its Twitter feed, the tweet was swamped by accounts attacking the club for promoting vaping. Comments being made ranged from “it’s dangerous” to “it’s marketed at children”. A couple of hours later, despite its web comments, Swansea reneged on the sponsorship deal.”

ARTICLE LINK:   Swansea FC Own Goal

VAPING NEWS: EU [ETHRA Slams EU Commission For Ignoring Expert Submissions During Public Consultation]

“The European Tobacco Harm Reduction Advocates (ETHRA) umbrella consumer organisation has slammed what it calls the, “Perverse unintended consequences of proposed tobacco/nicotine policy measures in Europe’s Beating Cancer Plan”. The 22-member organisation represents vapers in 16 countries and says the Plan “signals that the Commission intends to turn its back on innovation and science”. ETHRA’s members have just written to the MEPs on the Special Committee on Beating Cancer (BECA) to express their collective “dismay” at the proposals for vaping contained within the European Commission’s Beating Cancer plan. “Consumers and experts submitted in their thousands to the two public consultations last year, yet those views are ignored in the Plan.””

ARTICLE LINK:   ETHRA Slams “Perverse” European Commission

VAPING NEWS: UK – [APPG Prepares To Support Vaping At COP9]

“Prominent tobacco harm reduction advocates Gerry Stimson (Knowledge-Action-Change), Clive Bates (The Counterfactual), John Dunne (U.K. Vaping Industry Association) and Daniel Pryor (Adam Smith Institute) attended a virtual meeting organized by the U.K. All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) for Vaping, a collection of MPs and Peers focused on e-cigarettes. The tobacco harm-reduction advocates’ input will be used to advise the U.K. delegation to the Conference of the Parties (COP9) to the World Health Organization’s Framework Convention on Tobacco Control, which is scheduled to take place in the Netherlands this November. Chaired by Mark Pawsey, the APPG is keen for the U.K. to defend its vaping position internationally, and to promote the successes of British vaping.”

ARTICLE LINK:   Vapor Advocates Attend U.K. Parliament Group Meeting

VAPING NEWS: LONG BEACH, CALIFORNIA [Flavor Ban]

“Flavored tobacco — with certain exceptions — will likely soon be permanently banned in Long Beach. The City Council voted unanimously at its Tuesday, Feb. 9, meeting to move ahead with a prohibition on the sale of flavored tobacco, except for hookah and premium cigars. The ban will have to come back to the panel before it becomes law, and the city will likely give a three-month grace period to businesses to sell any remaining stock they have before the ban will be enforced. It also came after a statewide bill that would have prohibited the same products, which was intended to go into effect Jan. 1, was placed on hold because of a referendum that was placed on the 2022 state ballot. If state voters decide next year not to ban flavored tobacco products, she said, Long Beach could reassess at that point.”

ARTICLE LINK:   Long Beach moves forward with permanent flavored-tobacco ban

VAPING NEWS: NEW JERSEY [Pharmacy Ban]

“From mom-and-pop shops to the big retail chains, pharmacies in New Jersey would be prohibited from selling tobacco and vaping products if a bill that state panel approved Tuesday becomes law. The Senate Health, Human Services and Senior Citizens Committee that Vitale chairs approved the bill by a 5-3 vote. No one testified for or against the bill during the brief, virtual hearing. Before the vote, the bill was amended to say department stores, supermarkets and box stores with pharmacies would be exempt, a move sought by retailers. The legislation now moves to the full, 40-member Senate for a vote.”

ARTICLE LINK:   N.J. may halt tobacco sales at most pharmacies

VAPING NEWS: CONNECTICUT [CTFK Helps Co-Author Flavor Ban]

“Attorney General William Tong submitted testimony in support of Senate Bill 326, An Act Prohibiting the Sale of Flavored Cigarettes, Tobacco Products, Electronic Nicotine Delivery Systems and Vapor Products. On Sunday, Attorney General Tong co-authored an op-ed supporting the legislation with Matthew L. Myers, president of the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids, that ran in Hearst Connecticut newspapers.”

BILL TARLING — It’s very questionable and suspect that a non-government company [CTFK] should be involved with creating anti-vaping legislation given that same company has a severe conflict of interest in that they received funding and profit from the Gov’t and other donations as long as people keep smoking.

ARTICLE LINK:   AG Tong Supports Legislation To Prohibit Sale Of Flavored Tobacco

VAPING NEWS: MONTANA [Preemptive Bill Passed To Block Vape Bans]

“In a move that’ll greatly benefit small businesses and their workers, Montana’s House of Representatives recently passed a bill to prevent local governments in the Treasure State from passing anti-vaping regulations. House Bill 137 pre-empts moves to ban the sale of flavored vaping products that have gained traction in various localities nationwide in the name of protecting public health. However, evidence from cities like San Francisco already shows what health experts have long predicted: Such bans are more likely to push smokers and vapers onto significantly more harmful and carcinogenic products, namely cigarettes. Flavors are crucial for making vaping a more appealing option for satiating nicotine cravings and hence an effective smoking cessation aid. Not only do these bans risk public health, they also threaten vape retailers, manufacturers, and other American businesses already struggling through the Covid-19 pandemic. HB 137, then, is the latest of many U.S. state laws promoting liberty and economic opportunity by preventing local politicians and bureaucrats from restricting businesses through occupational licensing, tax hikes, red tape, and other costly and burdensome local ordinances for entrepreneurs and workers. Such “preemption laws” should be welcomed by lovers of liberty“

ARTICLE LINK:   States Step In When ‘Local Control’ Threatens Liberty

VAPING NEWS: MINNESOTA [Anti-Vaping Vape Tax]

“In his proposed budget, Gov. Tim Walz increases the tax on cigarettes and puts a new tax on vaping devices. Before COVID-19 became the top health issue last year, Walz was working hard to fight the growing rate of vaping among Minnesota kids. In 2019, he described the increase in vaping among students as an epidemic. The governor’s budget plan would raise $12 million over two years with a new tax on vaping devices. Republican leaders in the Minnesota Senate say they won’t support any tax increases this year. Minnesota’s last cigarette tax increase was in 2013.”

ARTICLE LINK:   Walz targets smoking, vaping with higher taxes