Stories

Vaping or e-cigarettes were sold to our community and communities right around the world as a therapeutic good that would be a really useful tool for hardened smokers, usually middle aged and older Australians who have been smoking for decades, but were finding it really difficult to kick that habit. We now know, after a few years of this health experiment though, that vaping is something very different. This is a deliberate and cynical exercise by the Big Tobacco industry to recruit a new generation to nicotine addiction.

The FDA didn’t mislead two makers of flavored liquids for e-cigarettes when the agency denied their applications to market their products, a federal appeals court ruled Tuesday. The US Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit backed the Food and Drug Administration’s decision to toss the marketing applications for flavored liquids for e-cigarettes from Electric Clouds Inc. and Cloud 9 Vapor Products LLC. The two manufacturers requested judicial review of the FDA’s denials, which involved products bearing names such as Ice Cream Dream, Berries Gone Wild, Cap’n Berry Crack, Banana Colada, Apple Pie, and Candy Man.

The FDA is pursuing $20,678 penalties on brick-and-mortar retailers who continue to sell unauthorized Elf Bar e-cigarettes despite warnings. Over 100 complaints have been filed, with concerns that these products are popular among U.S. youth. Retailers failing to address violations face consequences, as shown by the FDA's actions. The agency has issued numerous warning letters and taken enforcement actions against retailers, manufacturers, importers, and distributors for selling unauthorized tobacco products, including e-cigarettes.

Health authorities are increasingly concerned about the illegal sale of a new nicotine product luring in young people and gaining traction across Australia.
Under Australian law, it is illegal for nicotine pouches to be commercially sold or advertised. But online retailers and some Queensland tobacconists are selling the pouches in colourful packaging, marketed as an alternative to smoking and vaping. Queensland Health has notified several Gold Coast businesses "about the illegality of nicotine pouches". 

The University of California, Riverside study showed that vapers are more susceptible to SARS-CoV-2 infection due to e-cigarette aerosols. Nicotine, propylene glycol, and vegetable glycerin in e-liquids enhance COVID-19 infection. Adding benzoic acid to e-liquids can prevent this. The study used airway stem cells to simulate infection and found increased ACE2 and TMPRSS2 with nicotine exposure. Vapers are advised to stop vaping or use acidic e-liquids with benzoic acid to reduce susceptibility. The FDA could use these findings for e-cigarette regulations.

A health advocacy group, SAAVE, is urging for stricter regulations on vaping and e-cigarettes for youth in Calgary. They call for bans on flavored products, single-use devices, and nicotine pouches, with packaging restrictions. The aim is to prevent nicotine addiction and health issues in children. Dr. Campbell emphasizes the dangers of marketing addictive substances to youth. Dr. Yaholnitsky notes an increase in gum problems and tooth decay due to vaping. SAAVE member Kahlon expresses concern over the appeal of vaping to students. They are hosting an event to raise awareness and advocate for immediate government action to protect youth from vaping and nicotine addiction.

Have you ever wondered what’s really in vapes? Find out how vapes work and some of the hundreds of toxic chemicals they can contain.

With the emergence of nicotine pouches, claims from the 1980s about the health risks of smokeless tobacco (ST) use have reappeared. Nicotine pouches are an important addition to smokers’ options for reducing harm, but it is inappropriate to devalue them by overstating the risks of ST use, such as opining that it causes leukoplakia and periodontal disease. This is not the case, and I wish to set the record straight.

The incidence of illicit cigarettes in Malaysia decreased to 55.6% in 2023, the lowest since 2020. Strict enforcement actions by authorities led to this decline, but illicit market share remains high, causing an annual tax loss of RM5 billion. JTI Malaysia suggests predictable taxation to deter consumers from illegal cigarettes. Fake tax stamps incidence tripled since 2016, reaching 8.7% of the market in 2023. While legal cigarette industry volume stagnated, there was a shift to vaping products, making Malaysia the 12th largest e-vape market. However, vaping products lack regulation, allowing unsafe marketing and ingredients.

Anvisa of Brazil concluded a public consultation on e-cigarettes, receiving over 13,000 suggestions, including 92 from foreign countries like Canada and the United States. The agency is revising regulations, prompted by a bill proposing strict restrictions on e-cigarette products. Data shows 6 million adult smokers in Brazil have tried e-cigarettes, with 2.2 million regular users. Public feedback will heavily influence future e-cigarette policies in the country.