NEWS
PANDEMIC BLAMED FOR CIG SALE RISE
US cigarette sales increased last year for the first time in two decades . The Federal Trade Commission ’ s annual Cigarette Report revealed that 203.7 billion cigarettes were sold in 2020 – up 0.4 percent from the previous year . Advertising spend by cigarette companies also rose slightly to $ 7.84 billion , compared with $ 7.62 billion in 2019 . Many analysts blamed the increase on the pandemic and expect the sales decline will return .
PULLING THE PIN ON SMOKING
The British Army wants to tackle its 70-year-strong smoking culture , by banning the use of all tobacco products . The wide-reaching strategy – which takes effect from December 2022 – will help soldiers and staff kick the habit and prevent non-smokers from turning to cigarettes . And while tobacco products will be banned across all UK army sites – excluding single living accommodation - officials confirmed that vaping will still be allowed in designated areas .
NOT ANOTHER ONE !
Lithuania will ban flavoured e-liquids from July 1 , 2022 … regardless of whether they contain nicotine . The country ’ s politicians – who have been debating the measure for more than a year – originally planned to limit the ban to nicotine vape products . However , they added non-nicotine products to stop vapers using shortfills with nic shots to get around the new law . Finland , Estonia , Hungary and Ukraine already have flavour bans , with Denmark and the Netherlands set to follow suit in 2022 .
GET OUT … YOU ’ RE ( GEEK ) BARRED
A criminal investigation is underway after £ 190,000 worth of illegal Elf and GEEK BAR Pro products were seized from a former takeaway . The huge haul of 24,000 devices – which contained more than double the legal nicotine limit - was claimed by Newcastle trading standards officials . Newcastle Director of Public Health Eugene Milne said vaping continues to play an important role in supporting smokers , but we must do ‘ all we can ’ to eliminate illegal products . Read our stories ‘ This must stop now ’ and ‘ Clampdown on counterfeiters ’ to hear how GEEK BAR , and the wider industry , are helping tackle this issue .
GIVE IT TO ME STRAIGHT DOCTOR
Doctors are being urged to speak up more on harm reduction … because people trust what they have to say . A new Ipsos survey , of over 19,000 people across 28 countries , revealed that 64 percent of people think doctors are trustworthy , while almost two thirds say politicians are not . Global health advocate Derek Yach said : “ This data underpins the need for doctors to communicate health risks and effective interventions … more such advocacy on a global basis could counter disinformation .”
16 l VM36