Month: July 2021

The maker of tobacco-free heat-not-burn pods is set to enter the medical device market and field the expert insight of a chief medical officer.

VANCOUVER — Canada-based Poda Lifestyle and Wellness announced that it had hired a chief medical officer, Dr. Jagdeep Gupta, to develop further the company’s Beyond Burn pod system that is entirely tobacco-free and is designed to simulate smoking and nicotine.

“The Poda product can provide an exceptional platform for the delivery of smoking cessation tools,” said Ryan Selby, Poda’s chief executive officer, in a statement to the company’s board, stakeholders, and the news media. “Quitting smoking can be difficult, and the addition of Dr. Gupta as Chief Medical Officer will help Poda to potentially develop medically approved products and treatment strategies designed to provide adult smokers with the tools they need to successfully quit smoking.”

According to the company, its Beyond Burn line of pods is tobacco-free. It uses a “blend of pelletized tea leaves infused with synthetic nicotine, which provides adult smokers with a smoke-free alternative to their regular habit without sacrificing satisfaction. The firm also says that their pods have “been expertly crafted to mimic the sensorial experience of traditional cigarettes without the smoke, without the smell, and without the tobacco.”

“As a practicing medical doctor, I have numerous patients who desperately want to quit smoking, and in my experience, existing smoking-cessation products have not worked as well as I would have hoped,” Dr. Gupta said in the statement. “I am especially excited to study and develop a smoking cessation technology that not only uses a tapering nicotine dose that is very precise but also addresses the oral fixation element at the same time.”

“I believe the Poda system may potentially provide an extremely effective tool to help smokers quit, and I am very excited to coordinate the development and deployment of Poda’s smoking cessation tools,” adds Dr. Gupta.

US: LSU Researchers Say That Heated Tobacco Products Pose Threats to Health

Along with the support of many in the Legislature, Gov. Ned Lamont, believes that legalizing marijuana and sports wagering would bring these habits out of the blackmarket. Yet with regards to tobacco/e-cigarette use, the governor is opting for the exact opposite path.

The governor’s public health bill, H.6450, seeks to ban flavoured vaping products, while the recently approved SB326, would ban all flavoured tobacco, including menthols. An article on CT Post pointed out that in 2020, Connecticut collected approximately $170 million in state excise and sales tax revenue for menthol cigarettes alone.

The flavour ban would be a set back even economically

Meanwhile 2023 projections from the governor’s office for legal adult-use marijuana and sports gaming are just $32.6 million and $47.3 million, respectively. This means that even from a tax revenue collection standpoint, banning flavoured tobacco while legalizing marijuana and sports betting, would be a step backwards.

Certain municipalities across the state of New York, including New York City and Albany County, have already imposed similar bans, and tobacco products were voluntarily removed from CVS pharmacies in 2014. Moreover, in 2019 there was talk of a similar legislation making its way through Capitol. This would have prohibited the sale of vaping products in pharmacies, and retailers that operate pharmacies, across the state.

Vape mail restrictions

Another bill proposed for Connecticut would require anyone purchasing vaping products online to present an ID in order to verify their age, on delivery. A similar nationwide bill, S 1253: “Preventing Online Sales of E-Cigarettes to Children Act,” had recently passed the house, and signed into law by President Trump on the 27th of December and then put on hold. This bill would ban all shipments of vaping products by the US Postal Service, and forces all other postal delivery services (such as UPS, FedEx, or DHL) to check IDs and obtain signatures of adults at points of delivery.

US: Vape Business Send Letter Urging FedEx to Reverse Delivery Ban

The WHO keeps ignoring independent data and growing international scientific evidence, indicating the effectiveness of the products in helping people quit smoking.

In a press release about the report, UK-based public health agency Knowledge·Action·Change (KAC) highlighted the following points:

• “No fewer smokers around the world in 2021 than when the WHO’s Framework Convention on Tobacco Control was enacted.
• Global institution insists safer nicotine products pose threat – when evidence shows they offer significant opportunity to help adult smokers quit.
• Harm reduction long integrated into WHO response on drugs and HIV/AIDS – but not smoking, which kills 8 million a year”

The KAC said that in this latest report, the WHO (and its single most significant funder for anti-smoking efforts-US billionaire Michael Bloomberg), are tragically ignoring independent data and growing international scientific evidence, indicating the effectiveness of the products in helping people quit deadly tobacco products.

“1.1 billion people continue to smoke worldwide and 8 million lives are lost annually to smoking-related disease, figures that have remained static for two decades. Unable to demonstrate that its tobacco control strategy has resulted in meaningful outcomes – the most important of which would be substantial declines in smoking – the WHO focuses instead on how many countries implement its ‘MPOWER’ measures (standing for ‘Monitoring tobacco use and preventive measures; Protecting people from tobacco smoke; Offering help to quit; Warning about the dangers of tobacco; Enforcing bans on advertising, promotion and sponsorship; and Raising taxes on tobacco’),” says the press release.

“On closer inspection, even progress on the MPOWER measures is underwhelming. The WHO reports that 104 countries have introduced ‘one or more MPOWER measures at the highest level of achievement’ since 2007, but also states that 41 of the 49 countries that have not implemented a single measure are low and middle income countries (LMIC). 80 per cent of the world’s smokers live in LMICs. These are the countries least able to cope with the disease burden of smoking or implement the most expensive and effective of the MPOWER measures – ‘offering help’ to quit.”

The WHO suggests a harm reduction approach for other  substance but not cigarettes

Meanwhile, smokers across the globe have been successfully reducing and/or quitting smoking with the aid safer nicotine products, which have been repeatedly proven to be substantially less harmful than smoking. “This approach is called tobacco harm reduction,” highlights the release, an approach suggested by the WHO itself to quit most other substances, but for some reason highly frowned upon when it comes to smoking.

The World Vapers’ Alliance (WVA), released a similar statement saying that among the outdated theories shared by the report, is the so-called gateway effect theory. WVA Director Michael Landl, explained how the WHO remains ridiculously shortsighted.

“Besides being riddled with biased anti-vaping scaremongering and false claims, the entire direction of travel set out in the latest WHO report is nonsensical. Rather than focus on the all important goal of beating smoking, the WHO is turning its guns on vaping, the most powerful smoking cessation tool on the planet. They clearly find it more important to fall into line with the narrow-minded ‘quit or die’ approach trumpeted by the WHO’s billionaire sponsors, like Mike Bloomberg. The reality is that if the world follows the WHO’s lead, fewer smokers will quit and more will die as a consequence.”

CAPHRA: the WHO report deserves the condemnation it is receiving

In its own release about the document, the CAPHRA (Coalition of Asia Pacific Tobacco Harm Reduction Advocates) added that the WHO’s latest attack on safer nicotine alternatives, reportedly funded by Bloomberg Philanthropies, deserves the global condemnation it is receiving.

“Without any substantive evidence, WHO’s Director-General claims ‘electronic nicotine delivery systems are harmful’. It’s an outrageous statement when vaping and other safer nicotine products continue to save the lives of millions of ex-smokers across the globe,” says Nancy Loucas, Executive Coordinator of CAPHRA.

A completely different (and actually successful) approach

Thankfully in contrast to the WHO’s outdated stance, the UK’s National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) has recently officially recognized and recommended vaping products as smoking cessation tools. An earlier press release by the WVA had welcomed this development. “The draft new guidelines on how to effectively help smokers to quit, published today, state that:

• ‘nicotine-containing e-cigarettes can help people to stop smoking and are similarly effective to other cessation options’ and
• ‘people should be able to use e-cigarettes as one of several options to support smoking cessation, if they so choose.’”

The UK has been a leader in endorsing the use of safer alternatives to reduce tobacco harm, and local smoking rates reflect this perfectly. Public Health England (PHE), also an agency of the UK Ministry of Health, has similarly been recommending switching from smoking to using e-cigarettes for a number of years. “Due to this proactive approach, the UK sees better results in reducing smoking compared to countries where vaping is restricted. The UK’s successful public health and vaping policies should be followed by other countries around the world,” said the WVA.

CAPHRA: WHO Recommendations Will Only Create More Smokers 

The launch was attended by a number of vapers around Europe and MEP Peter Liese. Director of the WVA Michael Landl, highlighted the potential of vaping products. “Vaping has the potential to save 19 million lives in Europe. Tomorrow, the Beating Cancer Committee in the European Parliament (BECA) meets to discuss proposals to reduce the harm caused by smoking tobacco. They have the opportunity to make history and save lives IF they back vaping as a tool to beat smoking. Our message to them is clear – choose science and save lives”.

Published on the 25th of June, the draft report on Beating Cancer fails to recognize the potential of vaping in the fight against smoking-induced cancer. The director of the World Vapers Association (WVA) Michael Landl highlighted that the document is an improvement on the European Commission’s draft, which leaves the door open for flavour bans and higher taxes, but by ignoring the potential of vaping products it still misses the mark.

Thankfully the EP report does not put vaping in the same category as tobacco cigarettes, however given the imminent review of the Tobacco Products Directive (TPD) and proposals from the European Commission to regulate e-cigarettes like tobacco, “vapers must raise their voices even louder,” said Landl when the draft was released.

The Back Vaping. Beat Smoking campaign mural

To this effect, the Back Vaping. Beat Smoking campaign mural will be on show at key locations around Brussels, including at the European Parliament, the European Commission, the Atomium and the Palace of Justice. After the launch in Brussels, the campaign will visit cities around Europe to encourage vapers and politicians to stand up and take action.

“2021 is a critical year for vaping. We came here today to highlight to MEPs the importance of vaping to fight smoking. We are bringing our message to the EU’s front door, to ensure that every policymaker understands that 19 million lives are on the line. The best way we can beat smoking is to promote vaping as part of public health policies,” concluded Landl.

The graffiti stunt video and an interview with MEP Peter Liese can be accessed here.

New PHE Report Reaffirms That Vaping is a Gateway Out of (Not Into) Smoking 

PMI Science recently published the views of public health agencies as they relate to the harm and risk-reduced characteristics of heated tobacco products.

NEW YORK CITY — Tobacco giant Philip Morris International published on its research and development website a rundown document showing the views of several public health agencies as they related to heated tobacco devices and their risk-reduced properties.

“Health authorities around the world have begun to examine the evidence showing the potential role of smoke-free products in their harm reduction strategies if they have one,” indicates a reference article on the study published on PMI Science’s website on July 13.

Here are some of the positions on heated tobacco products some governments maintain:

• United States of America and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA): PMI referred to a press release from the FDA that announced the authorization of the company’s IQOS system as a modified risk tobacco product. FDA notes: “The agency determined the company demonstrated that because the IQOS Tobacco Heating System heats tobacco and does not burn it, it significantly reduces the production of harmful and potentially harmful chemicals compared to cigarette smoke.”
• United Kingdom and Public Health England: PMI cites the several evidence reviews that Public Health England (PHE) conducts on alternative nicotine products. PHE notes: “The available evidence suggests that heated tobacco products may be considerably less harmful than tobacco cigarettes and more harmful than e-cigarettes.”
• Japan and the Department of Environmental Health/Japanese National Institute of Public Health: PMI cites an evidence review documenting the overall harm relative to cigarettes compared to traditional products and the IQOS system. The department found that “the concentration levels of hazardous compounds in the mainstream smoke of IQOS are much lower than those in conventional combustion cigarettes.”
• Germany and the Federal Institute for Risk Assessment/Ministry for Food and Agriculture: The institute, after studying the aerosols from an IQOS device, the reductions “lead to the relevant questions of putatively reduced health risks.”

Tobacco Reporter reported on the PMI Science study on policy and scientific positions initially. You can read their coverage and the full study at PMI Science.

Altria Group to FDA: Clarify Concerns About Nicotine

While smoking prevalence remains high, with around 1.3 billion people using high-risk forms of tobacco, over 80% of these live in LMICs.

Titled, “10 reasons why blanket bans of e-cigarettes and HTPs in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) are not fit for purpose,” the INNCO (International Network of Nicotine Consumer Organisations) report points out that while smoking prevalence remains high, with around 1.3 billion people using high-risk forms of tobacco, over 80% of these live in LMICs.

The document was released in response to a position statement by the International Union Against Tuberculosis and Lung Disease (The Union), a Bloomberg partner for ‘The Initiative to reduce tobacco use’. In this statement The Union called for a blanket ban on all electronic nicotine delivery systems (ENDS) and heated tobacco products (HTPs) in LMICs.

The objective of the INNCO report “is to spark conversation about the right to reduce harm as a human rights issue and to highlight the inherent injustice associated with denying people access to safer alternatives simply because of where they live.”

The Bloomberg foreign funding issue

The INNCO is among over 35 national consumer organizations who recently voiced their concern about the foreign funding received by the Philippine Food and Drug Administration (FDA), and the negative influence it may have on local tobacco harm reduction efforts.

Recently appointed INNCO President Samrat Chowdhery, spoke of the influence exerted by non-government organizations backed by the Bloomberg Initiative, on regulators. “There is also an element of corruption aided by the Bloomberg NGOs, who are co-opting tobacco policy through the sheer force of money. The legislators in Philippines recently questioned the conflict of interest in their FDA receiving funds from these NGOs while pushing anti-vaping policy,” he said during the recent virtual presentation of “Burning Issues: The Global State of Tobacco Harm Reduction (GSTHR) 2020” published by UK public health agency Knowledge Action Change (KAC).

INNCO’s Concern About The Philippines FDA Funding Issue

Japan Tobacco is expected to launch its next-generation heated tobacco product in August of 2021.

TOKYO — In a press release, Japan Tobacco Inc. (JT) announced that it would officially launch Ploom X, its proprietary next-generation heated tobacco product, on August 17, 2021. After the expected release, Ploom X will be sold across Japan in convenience stores and select tobacco retail locations throughout the country. A pre-launch sale will also be launched on July 26, 2021, at Japan Tobacco’s online e-commerce website.

Ploom X, according to the company, was developed in collaboration with Japan Tobacco in Tokyo, and Japan Tobacco International, based in Geneva, Switzerland. This means that a potential product release is expected to occur on the international stage in markets that feature a degree of high-end popularity for heated tobacco products and HnB devices.

“Ploom X is the first global device developed by JT and JTI, bringing together all our global resources to offer the best user experience of our time,” said Daniel Torras, a senior vice president for reduced-risk products. “We are delighted to be able to offer this new innovative product to adult consumers in Japan, the world’s leading heated tobacco market and where product standards and quality are of the highest importance.”

“Listening to consumers globally, we have created a proposition that is aligned with today’s lifestyles and choices,” Torras added. “This includes a more authentic tobacco taste, new connectivity possibilities and several options to personalize the device to everyday needs. Ploom X will make the user experience more pleasurable and unique than ever before. With Ploom X, we are continuing to build on our growing presence in the fast-moving heated tobacco sticks category and respond to the increasingly demanding needs of adult consumers around the world.”

Japan is the world’s largest market for heated tobacco products. JT competes aggressively with other tobacco companies across the world to control the heated tobacco market.

The companies that do so include Philip Morris International (PMI) with its IQOS system; British American Tobacco and its Glo device; and Imperial Brands and its Pulze device. Altria Group latches on to PMI to sell the IQOS system in the United States of America.

Imperial Brands Lowers Next-Generation Product Budget Following Losses