Month: August 2022

Titled, ‘”I think it’s a good idea for the people that’s young, the kids, but for someone like me it’s a bad idea.” – Interviews about a U.S. menthol cigarette ban with people who smoke menthol cigarettes,’ the current study was published in Drug and Alcohol Dependence.

The research team conducted interviews with 35 menthol smokers. They asked them about (1) menthol cigarette risk perceptions; (2) knowledge, attitudes, and perceptions of menthol cigarette regulations; and (3) anticipated behavior if menthol cigarettes were banned.

The answers gathered suggested that many participants actually thought menthol cigarettes carried more health risks than non-menthols. Some believe that the FDA wants to ban them due to their appeal to youth, while others thought the ban would be a positive stride forward for public health.

On the otherhand, some of the participants were skeptical saying that banning menthols, whilst leaving regular cigarettes on the market would not make make much difference. Other participants said that if menthols were banned they would just switch to other products such as vapes, while others thought a menthol ban may motivate them to quit smoking.

Menthol bans work

Another recent study conducted by researchers at the University of Michigan found that banning menthol flavoured cigarettes could reduce smoking by 15%, by leading many smokers to quit or switching to less harmful nicotine products.

Published in BMJ’s Tobacco Control, the study concluded that a menthol ban would avoid 16,250 tobacco-related deaths per year by 2060. “This work is the culmination of a series of sequential projects aimed to assess the impact that a menthol ban could have on smoking, tobacco use and downstream health effects,” said study author Rafael Meza, a professor of epidemiology at U-M’s School of Public Health. “Our findings show that a menthol ban could result in considerable health gains and highlight the urgency for final approval and implementation of the ban.”

The findings were based on the data analysis and computational modeling infrastructure compiled as part of the Center for the Assessment of Tobacco Regulations. The research team used the Smoking and Vaping Model, a simulation model they had previously developed to study smoking and vaping behaviour with regards to menthol and nonmenthol cigarettes.

They found that in the presence of a menthol ban, combined menthol and nonmenthol cigarette smoking would decline by 15% by 2026. Deaths attributable to smoking and vaping were estimated to fall by about 5% and life-years lost by 8.8%—translating to 16,250 deaths per year averted and 11 million life-years gained (almost 300,000 per year) over a 40-year period.

US Study: Massachusetts Menthol Ban Reduces Cigarette Sales

Large volume

The disposable X6000 by GeekBar is one of the collection of large disposables. It is tubular in shape and charges up quickly for greater convenience. Its 5% nicotine content (50 mg/ml) makes it ideal to stop smoking.

Technical specs

What’s in the box?

A large disposable

The X6000 comes in individual plastic wrapping. At the base and the top end of the disposable, a protective silicone cap protects the USB-C connector and the mouthpiece. Each X6000 comes in a box marked with the number of puffs, the nicotine content, the amount of e-liquid and the chosen flavour. All the warnings concerning the use of nicotine are clearly visible. On the back of the package are details of the e-liquid, which contains PG, VG, synthetic and natural flavours. The product is prohibited for minors.

The top of the disposable is made of transparent moulded plastic. The assembly is perfect and you can’t feel any flaws when you pick it up. The mouthpiece is long and slim. It is adapted to mouth to lung vaping (like when smoking a cigarette). Despite its large size, the X6000 produces fine, light vapour, ideal for someone who wants to stop smoking. Its nicotine content of 50mg/ml makes it ideal to wean yourself off cigarettes effectively.

Underneath the X6000 a USB-C port enables you to charge the 630 mAh battery. If you want to use it exclusively during the day, you will need to charge the battery or supplement it with a second disposable. A small hole enables the air to enter the coil and cool it down. This is consistent with the type of draw.

The soft-touch finish on the battery body is pleasant to hold and stops the disposable slipping, even when your hands are damp. It is perfect and comfortable. “Geek Bar” is discreetly marked on it.

The chosen flavour is also marked at the bottom of the disposable. It is both discreet and practical when you use different models. It just takes a quick glance to remind yourself of the flavour you’re vaping. The vaping experience is excellent. The hit is ultra-powerful. The flavours are delicate. The aromas are not exaggerated, but sufficiently strong to easily recognise the flavour. In our tests, we preferred the menthol and strawberry milkshake flavours. Its 14ml volume means you can vape for ages. We thought the 6,000 puffs claim was a bit excessive. The duration and frequency of the puffs specific to each vaper have to be taken into consideration. This can mean a different number of puffs in total. In all cases though, this disposable allows you to vape for several days.

The X6000 comes in numerous fruity flavours (currently no less than 10) and a menthol version. There is sufficient choice to cover everyone’s preferences.

In summary

 What we like

• Quality of flavour
• Powerful hit
• Rechargeable
• Amount of e-liquid

 What we don’t like

Press Release

Premium e-liquid and vape juice brand, Zeus Juice, is poised to make waves in Glasgow city centre with the launch of their third store in Scotland.

Hot on the heels of the successful store openings in both Perth and Inverness, the new store located on Byres Road is scheduled to open at the beginning of September further strengthening Zeus’ mission to empower the nation to give up smoking for good.

As in Perth and Inverness, the Glasgow store will play host to a broad selection of premium quality juices and flavours from the gamut of Zeus brands alongside hardware and accessories. Catering for all tastes and budgets, divine and delicious flavours from brands including Proper Vape and Bolt will make a bold appearance as well as fan-favourites such as Black Reloaded and Dimpleberry from Zeus’ main range, Zeus Juice.

To celebrate the store opening, Zeus is inviting both press and public to get the full Zeus experience in person from 7pm onwards on the 9th of September 2022.

Not only will guests be the first to see the full range of products in their shiny new store, but they will also enjoy exclusive promotions and free samples. And with new flavours being recently added across the Zeus brands, there has never been a better time to pop in and find the perfect flavour!

Owner Paul Curtis comments,

“When I first established Zeus in my Birmingham kitchen, I never would have believed that ten years later we would be opening a third store in Scotland. While we have a brilliant local community in our home region, we are thrilled that Zeus and its brands are being so well received here and that we are well on our way to supporting the local communities in quitting smoking for good”.

Zeus Juice looks forward to welcoming new and familiar faces!

For further press information contact:
Jessica Clarke – [email protected]

Follow Zeus Juice Retail for more updates: @zeusjuicestores

Address: 114 Byres Road, Glasgow, G12 8TB

Press Release

On August 24th, the ASD Market Week 2022 ended successfully with the enthusiastic participation of American e-cigarette fans. As an innovative leader in the field of disposable e-cigarettes, ZOVOO brought a a full range of products to the event, standing out with a unique tone and charm among brands!

ASD is not only the largest trade show for consumer merchandise in the United States, but also the most professional world-class event in the world’s B2B industry. As one of the most developed e-cigarette markets in the world, the United States urgently needs diverse and advanced e-cigarette products to fill the market with increasing demand. This event has gathered 200+ e-cigarette brands, and disposable e-cigarettes occupy a leading position.

The event site was bustling with more than 30000 traffic. ZOVOO ignited the focus of the audience as soon as it appeared, attracting people to actively interact. DRAGBAR series gained a high degree of topics and strong cooperation intention, and became the star products of the whole event.

DRAGBAR R6000, as the 1st Disposable Pod Mod, stands out with the characteristics of large cloud and RDL. Recently, it was named as one of the “Best Disposable Vapes 2022” by Vaping Vibe. With the classic design, professional vaping performance, and convenient features, it is a perfect substitute for traditional RDL devices for big cloud chasers who love the DRAG series.

DRAGBAR F8000, with 8000 puffs and a high burst Mesh Coil, perfectly integrates fun and performance, and brings a more lasting new vaping experience. It is the Max Puff of disposable products and has triggered a crowd of audience to watch.
DRAGBAR 5000/5000C are the star products of ZOVOO with the best puffs and taste. Recently, 10 new flavors have been released, which continue to be loved and favoured by American users.

In addition, ZOVOO also showed stylish VINCIBAR F2500 and CUBEBAR 4000. The rich product line has received unanimous recognition from fans, users and dealers on site.

In ASD Market Week 2022, ZOVOO showed the latest products and technological achievements, achieved efficient docking with dealers, and promoted ZOVOO brand to local consumers, which is full of positive significance to the layout of ZOVOO in the North American market.

In the future, ZOVOO will strengthen close cooperation with global partners, maintain close contact with consumers around the world, seek new breakthroughs in new product research and development, and bring more excellent product experience and services to e-cigarette lovers all over the world.

For more information, visit https://www.izovoo.com/ and follow ZOVOO on Instagram, Facebook and Tiktok.

Despite strong opposition from local health activists and anti-smoking campaigners, last December MP Chaiwut Thanakamanusorn said he is exploring ways to legalize the sales of e-cigarettes. He was quoted by The Bangkok Post as saying he believes vaping could be available as a safer alternative for those who are struggling to quit smoking. Moreover, he said, local tobacco growers and the Tobacco Authority of Thailand would benefit greatly if the tobacco industry were transformed into a more sustainable one.

In January, the minister reaffirmed his stance at a gathering where people were campaigning at his ministry. He reiterated that the legalisation of e-cigarettes would enable the country to profit from tax revenue as well as offering a safer option to quit smoking. While in recent days he said that a working group will be set up to analyze whether e-cigarettes can be legalized for smokers seeking an alternative to help them quit.

Asa Salikupt, from the End Cigarette Smoke Thailand (ECST) network, has commended DES Minister Chaiwut Thanakamanusorn’s plan, adding that he hopes the working group will be transparent, open to public opinions and be willing to receive feedback from current vapers. “We believe the legalisation of e-cigarettes will help Thailand achieve the goal of reducing cigarette smokers and protecting non-smokers from the danger of second-hand smoke,” he said.

Thailand’s negative ranking

Up until recently, Thailand maintained a draconian approach towards vaping. A 2019 survey conducted at the annual Global Forum on Nicotine (GFN) in Warsaw, ranked Thailand the worst country in the world to be an e-cigarette user in, and Australia the second worst.

In Thailand, a ban on the import, export, sale and possession of vaping products has been in place since November 2014. Anyone caught breaking this law was to have their products confiscated and fined or sent to prison for up to 10 years if convicted.

Read Further: The Nation

Thailand’s Health Ministry Says Vape Ban Will Not be Lifted

The player posted an Instagram story of himself vaping in his rugby gear.

“The Gold Coast Titans have sanctioned Kevin Proctor after being made conscious of an incident throughout yesterday’s spherical 19 fixture in opposition to the Bulldogs,” announced the team. The 33 year old posted an Instagram story of himself vaping in his Titans t-shirt July 24th. According to Wide World Of Sports, Proctor is open to transferring overseas, but of course if such an option is not viable he may just have to retire.

The anti-vape movement downunder

Meanwhile a new campaign by Australian Public Health and Tobacco Treatment expert Dr. Colin Mendelsohn, aims to combat the current misinformation being spread across Australia. ‘Dr Col’s Vape Truths’, is an evidenced-based video campaign on nicotine vaping, consisting of a series of eight short evidence-based videos on vaping.

Recently announcing the campaign on his website Mendelsohn described it as follows: “Dr Col’s Vape Truths’ campaign consists of eight short videos correcting common misconceptions about vaping and is based on eight misleading and alarmist videos by Queensland Health. The videos cover the following key evidence:

• 1 Vapour is far less toxic than cigarette smoke.
• 2 Vaping significantly reduces the risk of cancer relative to smoking.
• 3 Vaping nicotine does not cause serious harm to the lungs.
• 4 Vapes incorrectly labelled as nicotine-free are dodgy disposable products sold on the black market, not from reputable businesses.
• 5 There has never been a single death caused by vaping nicotine.
• 6 When smokers switch to vaping, their breathing improves substantially.
• 7 Vaping is not completely risk-free but is substantially safer than deadly cigarettes.
• 8 Most of the chemicals in vapour are present at very low doses and most cause little or no harm.”

Read Further: Fox Sports

Australian Study: Is Vaping Associated With Smoking Reduction and Cessation?

Comfortable volume

The Luxe X is a pod containing a decent volume of 5ml. With the Axon chipset and a 1500 mAh battery, the Luxe X can deliver up to 40W. It has two cartridges with two different coils and can be used for direct to lung or mouth to lung vaping with the same pod.

Technical specs

What’s in the box?

• Pod
• Tanks
• USB cable
• User guide

Stylish pod

On one of the sides of the Luxe X is the fire button, used to generate vapour and switch on your pod. Its Axon chipset is visible through the translucent plastic. It gives the pod a modern touch which more geeky vapers will love. The polished design is understated. The fire button feels nice under your finger whether you press it with your thumb or finger. Each time you press it, a series of small LEDs at the bottom of the pod are triggered. They indicate that the Luxe X is working properly and its battery level. The Luxe X can deliver up to 40W.

The battery and chipset are both positioned under a three-layer injected plastic part which makes the Luxe X very rigid and able to withstand falls on a daily basis. The name of the model is clearly visible on this side.

The 1500 mAh battery is charged by means of a USB-C port placed underneath the pod. The battery life is convincing for a pod of this size which weighs in at just about 70g and measures 75.6mm without the cartridge. The Luxe X has a protection system against prolonged presses on the fire button.

Two cartridges for each vaping style

The cartridge is tinted but you can easily see the level of e-liquid remaining without needing to remove it. The coil is cooled by two air inlets positioned opposite each other. The airflow is not adjusted using a ring but by changing the direction in which the cartridge is positioned. A small seal close to the contacts limits the amount of air entering under the coil. By turning the tank, you can modulate the airflow for a more or less open draw. The mouthpiece is flattened and pleasant to vape with, suitable for the type of inhalation.

Two cartridges are supplied in the box. The first is a 0.4 ohm coil and the second 0.8 ohms to vape either in direct to lung mode or in mouth to lung mode, like a tobacco cigarette. This means you can vary your vaping experience all day long using the same pod. The only downside for us is that the cartridges are disposable. Once the coil is spent, you have to throw away the tank and replace it.

To fill the tank, you lift the seal under the cartridge. The filling hole is the right size for most e-liquid bottle tips. With its 5ml, the Luxe X joins the ranks of the small pods with an above-average capacity. You don’t need to fill it too often, and it only takes a few seconds. Obviously, the 0.4 ohm cartridge consumes more liquid. During our tests with both tanks, we didn’t notice any seepage or leaks at all. This is a good point, since this is often a weak area on pods. It delivers flavours very well, especially with fruity flavours using mesh coils. Vapour production is huge in direct to lung mode.

In summary

 What we like

• Battery life
• Capacity
• The look
• Vape quality
• DL and MLT vaping

 What we don’t like

The initiative organisers have six months to collect one million signatures from at least seven different Member States, forcing the EC to react to their proposal.

Discussing this announcement in a press release, director of the World Vapers’ Alliance (WVA) Michael Landl, said that this initiative is a clear example of the rife misinformation circulating about vaping. “This initiative shows the widespread misinformation about different nicotine products. We can’t have a one-size fits all approach on very different products. Almost all of the harm from smoking comes from the thousands of other chemicals in tobacco smoke, not from nicotine. Alternatives such as vaping are substantially less harmful and are proven effective methods to quit smoking. Prohibition will do nothing but cost lives.”

Moreover, he added, the WVA questions whether a sales ban tied to a year of birth is even practical. “How should this work in practice? In a few years, shops would have to check the IDs of 50-year-olds. This will not work. Those rules will be ignored, or they will generate a massive black market. Both outcomes are detrimental to public health. Aside from impracticality, generational bans may be illegal in Europe as they stand against an equal and fair treatment of EU citizens – a pillar of the Lisbon Treaty. Moreover, it is morally wrong to deny harm reduction to younger generations. Instead of stigmatising smokers, we need to give them all opportunities to quit smoking once and for all,” added Landl.

These actions show the increased pressure on the EC

Meanwhile, the initiative organisers have six months to collect one million signatures from at least seven different Member States in order to force the EC to react to their proposal. Landl explained that while the registration of the ECI is not an endorsement by the Commission, it shows that the pressure on the EC is increasing.

“The registration of this initiative shows that the pressure from anti-harm reduction groups on EU institutions is increasing. This is not a good sign regarding the upcoming Tobacco Products Directive update. Future regulation must be based on science and the experience of millions of consumers. Less harmful products must be treated differently than cigarettes. Prohibition never worked and will never work. It just creates massive unintended consequences and harms public health. The exact opposite of what we all want,” added Michael Landl.

The EC has recently announced that the proposal for the revised tobacco excise directive (TED) should be made public at the beginning of 2022’s fourth quarter. The announcement was made during a digital consultation session that was held on May 18th. Present at the online event were Commission officials and other interested parties such as medical and retail associations, retailers, and representatives of scientific and the tobacco industry.

The European Commission to Launch Proposal For TED Revision by Oct. ’22

Confirming that the ban would just boost other brands, vape retailers are already reporting that US consumers are starting to consider and migrate to other brands.

Released last week, the analysis covers the four-week period ending August 13th. It found that Vuse’s market share rose from 37.4% in the previous report to 39%, when Juul’s declined from 30.7% to 29.4%. This decline in Juul sales has been attributed to the ongoing events which may lead to Juul being banned across the US.

Experts have long argued that bans just lead consumers to migrate to other products. Besides these Nielson figures, confirming that the ban would just boost other brands, vape retailers are already reporting that US consumers are starting to consider and migrate to other brands. Will Montgomery, a sales representative for Aj’s Liquor, highlighted that if the Juul ban goes into effect, their sales will not be affected as consumers would just migrate to other brands. “People are still going to need nicotine,” he said.

Consumers agree. The potential ban has “opened the door for other companies to push to the front,” said Payton Hartz, a former Juul user. “I feel like the throw-away vapes hadn’t existed until the Juul really came around. I feel like with the laws, all it has really done is push more companies to be even with Juul.”

Read Further: Journal Now

Juul Marketing Lawsuit Certifies Four Classes 

The study, “Smoking cessation medicines and e-cigarettes: a systematic review, network meta-analysis and cost-effectiveness analysis,” was conducted by researchers from the University of Bristol in the United Kingdom. They searched publication databases through March 2017 and updated February 2019 for randomized clinical trials of smoking cessation lasting ≥6 months.

The research team finally included a total of 363 trials with 201,045 participants, while an additional 53 observational studies comprising 8,783,5403 participants were included for a safety review.

After analysing the findings, the research team concluded that the most effective treatments were Varenicline standard plus nicotine replacement (odds ratio [OR], 3.22; 95% credible interval [CrI], 2.27-14.88), varenicline low plus nicotine replacement (OR, 5.70; 95% CrI, 1.57-21.12), and e-cigarette low (OR, 3.22; 95% CrI, 0.97-12.55).

A controversial drug

On October 1st 2021, Varenciline, which is generally sold under the name Chantix, was added to the WHO’s Essential Medicines List. The anti-smoking drug renowned for getting smokers over any cigarette cravings. However considered significantly effective, it is also known to cause moderate to severe psychological side effects, from horrifying nightmares to suicidal thoughts.

After numerous reports about such disturbances, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) had placed the most severe warning available on the medication, which led to Chantix’s sales dropping from $846 million in 2008, to $671 million last year.

To compensate for this drop, its manufacturer, Pfizer, had invested heavily in advertising and settling lawsuits against the drug. Moreover, the Pharma company had released data retrieved from a study which allegedly proved that there is no direct link between the consumption of Chantix and experiencing psychological disturbances.

Subsequently, after refusing to lift the warning in 2014, the FDA had recently decided to change its stance and drop the warning. The agency required that the medication have its side effects listed, it also specified that the label should state that Chantix is more effective than other smoking cessation therapies.

Varenicline stock recalled

Meanwhile last June, Pfizer was forced to halt the distribution of Chantix and recall some stock after finding elevated levels of nitrosamines in the pills. However, the following month the FDA said it will temporarily allow some manufacturers to distribute the carcinogen-containing drug, below an interim limit of 185 ng per day, until the impurity can be eliminated or reduced to acceptable levels.

Read Further: Psychiatry Advisor

Study: Varenciline Does Not Increase Risk of Heart Attack