CALL TO ACTION
HEALTHY HIGH STREETS
The presence of vape shops now counts
as a factor in measuring “high street
health.” A study from the Royal Society
for Public Health measuring and ranking
the health of Britain’s high streets used
vape shops as a metric for the first time.
High streets with a greater number of
fast food restaurants, tanning salons and
betting shops had points deducted, and
streets with libraries, dental offices and
vape shops scored higher. This latest
version of the study updates its 2015
predecessor, expanding to include the
rise of vape shops and factoring in their
contribution to smoking cessation.
THAI BAN REMAINS
Thailand will not be legalising e-cigarettes
despite reports that vaping products
would be taxed. Two conflicting reports
circulated in the media in November, one
claiming that vape products would be
taxed and legalised, the other warning
visitors that they could face hefty fines
and a jail term of up to 10 years if caught
with vape devices. The confusion was
cleared up by excise department chief,
Pachorn Anantasin, who said:
“The Excise Department did not say
they will be taxing vaping, as reported
incorrectly originally by several media
sources.The average individual caught
with vaping equipment or vaping in public
has reported to the Excise Department
and their Embassies fine between 20,000
to 50,000 baht. The possibility of opening
up and applying a tax on vaping is there,
if the Ministry of Commerce and Health
can come to an agreement on importation
of vaping.”
Advocates are calling on the UN-backed
International Labor Organization to “shut
the door” on Big Tobacco. The move
follows the ILO’s recent decision not to
renew a contract with Japan Tobacco
International. A spokesperson for the
Framework Convention Alliance called
the development “a good thing.”
A LETTER TO THE FDA
A number of delegates and officials
have penned an open letter to FDA
Commissioner Scott Gottlieb, voicing
concerns that the latest announcements
from the FDA on vaping are a step too
far. Among the signees on the letter are
the Attorney General of Iowa, the former
director of Action on Smoking and Health
UK (ASH) and leading professors at some
of the top universities across the US. The
US public health agency says measures on
flavours, specifically where pod systems
are concerned, need to be taken in order
to curb a teen vaping ‘epidemic’ in the
US. However, the coalition of advocates
wrote: “We share your widely reported
concern about the rise in e-cigarette use
among adolescents. At the same time,
we remain hopeful that by encouraging
smokers who cannot or who choose not
to quit to switch to e-cigarettes, we may
be able substantially to reduce premature
mortality due to smoking, which remains
the #1 risk factor in the US and in the
world.” Half a million Americans die each
year from smoking related disease. The
authors of this letter say this number
represents, “an immediate, stark, and
preventable tragedy that should be
fully factored in to a rational risk-benefit
analysis.”
THE BIG APPLE?
New York’s Department of Health
initiated plans for a flavour ban before
rescinding the proposal a day later.
The proposed ban, backed by New
York Governor Andrew Cuomo, was
suggested as a means to combat youth
vaping. If successful, it would introduce
a ban on the possession, manufacture,
distribution or sale of flavoured e-liquid
or related products across the state. A
spokesperson for the governor told a
local Albany newspaper it was removed
from the State Register because the
health department wanted to do one more
round of legal review on the regulations
and plans to refile them shortly.
HIGHER HOPES
Industry members have called for self-
regulation and higher standards across
the international vape industry as the
sector matures. Neil McCallum of JAC
Vapour, Andrej Kuttruf of Evapo and
Pierre-Marie Guitton of CORESTA took
part in a panel discussion at November’s
Next Generation Nicotine Delivery
conference in London. Mr McCallum,
whose company supplies vape kits to
the Scottish prison system, told the
conference, “We just need the standards
we’ve got to improve.” On self-regulation,
UKVIA representative Andrej Kuttruf told
those in attendance, “As an industry, we
have to do some growing up. It’s good
as an industry to some extent to self-
regulate.” CORESTA secretary general
Mr Guitton said one of his association’s
primary concerns is improving traceability
and quality, specifically where battery
safety is concerned. “When you buy a car,
you know how much mileage you have.
We need to be sure everybody measures
the same thing in the same way.”
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