Stories

In the second episode of our Easter Europe and Central Asia special Giorgi Mzhavanadze highlights divergent attitudes towards safer products across Eastern Europe and Central Asia.

RJR Vapor Co. LLC is contesting Texas tobacco taxes on nicotine pouches and lozenges, arguing they shouldn't be taxed as they contain nicotine isolate, not tobacco. The company, selling under the brand name VELO, is seeking refunds for taxes paid as per Texas law.

France banned the sale of disposable e-cigarettes, aiming to protect youth from tobacco addiction and environmental harm. The bill prohibits the sale of pre-filled devices without refillable options. This measure, following EU recommendations, targets the attractiveness of flavored, affordable e-cigarettes to young users. The move aligns with the EU's goal of a tobacco-free generation by 2040. Belgium was the first country to implement such a ban. The United Kingdom plans a similar prohibition. The author of the bill hopes France's action will inspire other nations to follow suit.

The Polish EU Presidency is pushing for discussions on taxing alternative tobacco products, which currently lack an EU-wide excise framework. A non-paper notes the rapid growth of e-cigarettes, heated tobacco, and nicotine pouches, while health agencies caution against unknown long-term effects. Despite the EU Commission excluding tobacco tax revisions from its 2025 agenda, diplomats will discuss the issue in a working party on Indirect Taxation.

Smoke-free products like vapes and heated tobacco can save hardened smokers' lives by offering a less harmful way to consume nicotine. Reuven Zimlichman, an Israeli cardiologist, highlights that while nicotine is addictive, the true health risks come from tobacco combustion. He suggests that alternatives without burning tobacco, like heated tobacco products and e-cigarettes, could significantly reduce harm. Zimlichman emphasizes the potential of these innovations in reducing smoking-related diseases and cites a study linking smoke-free products to a 23% lower risk of cardiovascular disease.

In this episode, Dr. Farsalinos unpacks the truth about vaping and harm reduction, tackling misinformation, government policies, and the real risks compared to smoking. He explores how flawed narratives hinder innovation and effective legislation while drawing parallels between harm reduction in everyday life and vaping.

The UK government allocated £62 million for a decade-long study on youth vaping involving 100,000 young people. However, concerns arise over biases linked to the research institutions and agenda. Criticism targets UKRI's funding choices and questions the necessity of more research given existing evidence from bodies like PHE and OHID. Critics argue the study may disregard established findings on vaping risks. The government's new anti-vaping campaign and misleading claims about nicotine damage fuel skepticism. The focus on youth vaping also overlooks potential benefits for adult smokers. The study highlights biases, misinformation, and ideologically-driven narratives that could harm public health efforts.

Some e-cigarette companies targeted by U.S. authorities have changed their business models or corporate structures, including moving operations offshore, to evade regulations, according to the FDA and industry sources. These tactics have complicated efforts to curb unauthorized vape imports. Chinese vape giant Heaven Gifts transferred its Lost Mary brand to a British Virgin Islands firm after the FDA banned several imports in 2023, while Texas-based Ludicrous Distro stopped selling its own unlicensed vapes and shifted to distributing third-party unauthorized devices.

This Cochrane Review protocol aims to assess the benefits and harms of oral nicotine pouches in helping people transition from combustible tobacco use and their impact on smoking prevalence. Additionally, it examines their effects on users of other non-combustible tobacco or commercial nicotine products and their influence on the prevalence of such products.

Australia’s prescription-only model continues to make legal nicotine vapes difficult to access—blocking smokers who want to quit and vapers who need to stay off cigarettes. In this episode, meet Dr. Carolyn Beaumont as she reveals the challenges, controversies, and consequences of being one of the only doctors in the world prescribing nicotine in a country at war with vaping.