David Palacios Rubio, Author at ECigIntelligence

New Zealand hatches fresh plan after admitting it won’t hit smoke-free target

Written by David Palacios Rubio || 13th December 2021 || News analysis |

New Zealand’s government has released a new plan setting out a series of policies to reach its “bold” ambition of lowering the smoking rate to 5%, including making traditional tobacco “less available” than vaping products ...

MEPs to soften demands on EU blanket flavour ban to just those targeting minors

Written by David Palacios Rubio || 3rd December 2021 || News analysis |

The final report of the European Parliament’s Special Committee on Beating Cancer (BECA) is expected to suggest a ban on selected flavours ...

NICE advice says smokers should ‘stop completely’ – and then quit e-cigs too

Written by David Palacios Rubio || 30th November 2021 || News analysis |

The UK’s National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) has published new recommendations on how to help promote quitting smoking, and how to introduce tools such as e-cigarettes into conversations with smokers ...

Company goes to Supreme Court after judge rejects stay of US FDA denial order

Written by David Palacios Rubio || 26th November 2021 || News analysis |

Breeze Smoke is asking the US Supreme Court to stay a Food and Drug Administration (FDA) marketing denial order (MDO) after the Court of Appeals rejected such motion ...

US House passes new federal vaping tax – now Biden’s big bill heads to the Senate

Written by David Palacios Rubio || 22nd November 2021 || News analysis |

The US House of Representatives has passed president Joe Biden's $1.75tn social spending bill, including a new federal tax on nicotine vaping products ...

North Carolina launches a lawsuit against the founders of Juul Labs

Written by David Palacios Rubio || 19th November 2021 || News analysis |

Less than six months after striking a $40m settlement with Juul Labs, the state of North Carolina is suing its founders amid ongoing concerns on “kid-friendly flavors, youth marketing, and poor age verification” ...

Imperial remains bullish despite drop in revenue from next generation products

Written by David Palacios Rubio || 16th November 2021 || News analysis |

Imperial Brands registered a dip in revenues from its next generation products (NGP) portfolio but said it looks forward to expanding product trials in new countries and consolidating European and US markets ...

COP9 ends with calls to put tobacco-alternatives at centre of 2023 session

Written by David Palacios Rubio || 12th November 2021 || News analysis |

The all-online COP9 finished without any major decision, but with calls for serious attention to be given to novel and emerging tobacco products at COP10 in 2023 ...

As COP9 begins, scientists urge WHO to abandon its ‘irrational’ approach

Written by David Palacios Rubio || 8th November 2021 || News analysis |

Experts have urged the parties to the World Health Organization Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (WHO FCTC) to embrace a “more assertive” stance on smoke-free alternatives ...

UK health authorities pave the way for prescription-only stronger e-cigs

Written by David Palacios Rubio || 2nd November 2021 || News analysis |

The UK’s Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) is backing the idea of e-cigarettes as a licensed therapy, available on prescription for smokers who want to quit ...

Court allows firm to continue e-cig sales after ‘inadequate’ FDA denial order

Written by David Palacios Rubio || 29th October 2021 || News analysis |

The US Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit concluded that the FDA “inadequately addressed or explained” a PMTA that resulted in a MDO, and decided to temporary allow a company from Texas to keep its flavoured products...

Delaying COP9 talks on novel products ‘may damage tobacco control’, warns EU

Written by David Palacios Rubio || 29th October 2021 || News analysis |

European countries have publicly expressed disagreement with the World Health Organization (WHO)’s decision to postpone discussions of novel tobacco products, keeping them out of the upcoming COP9 ...

Mexico’s Supreme Court rules against unconstitutional decree banning e-cigs

Written by David Palacios Rubio || 22nd October 2021 || News analysis |

The federal high court in Mexico ruled this week against the 2020 presidential decree banning vaping products after concluding that such prohibition violates the “freedom of trade” ...

Why do official figures show a 40% drop in a year in number of young US vapers?

Written by David Palacios Rubio || 13th October 2021 || News analysis |

New figures from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) show that there are currently around 2m vapers among US students – a big drop compared with last year, when the figure was 3.6m ...

MEPs propose changes in approach to vaping in European cancer report

Written by David Palacios Rubio || 5th October 2021 || News analysis |

MEPs have tabled a set of proposals to amend a draft report by the Special Committee on Beating Cancer (BECA), calling on the European Commission to implement a flavour ban on all tobacco products, including e-cigarettes ...

European Commission survey gives thumbs-up to tax harmony across EU

Written by David Palacios Rubio || 28th September 2021 || News analysis |

New figures from the European Commission reveal broad support for harmonised tax rules for tobacco-alternative products ...

Harm reduction still on the agenda as UK’s new public health minister steps in

Written by David Palacios Rubio || 24th September 2021 || News analysis |

The appointment of Maggie Throup as UK junior health minister comes at a key time for tobacco alternatives, with the vaping industry hoping she will continue the harm reduction approach of her predecessor ...

BAT urges Middle Eastern governments to adopt tobacco harm reduction

Written by David Palacios Rubio || 17th September 2021 || News analysis |

British American Tobacco (BAT) is engaging with national authorities in the Middle East to encourage adoption of tobacco harm reduction (THR) policies ...

FDA’s PMTA denials get a warm political welcome – but not the delay over Juul

Written by David Palacios Rubio || 13th September 2021 || News analysis |

The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA)’s denial of premarket tobacco product applications (PMTAs) has been welcomed by politicians and public health bodies – with severe reservations about the delay over Juul and others ...

US FDA rejects 5.5m PMTAs; Juul’s application still under review

Written by David Palacios Rubio || 9th September 2021 || News analysis |

The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has rejected most of the 6m premarket tobacco product applications (PMTAs) it received for vaping products, but Juul’s intently-watched application remains under review ...

Argentina’s ruling party puts forward ‘fundamental’ proposal to ban e-cigs

Written by David Palacios Rubio || 8th September 2021 || News analysis |

A bill to prohibit the manufacturing, distribution, sale and use of e-cigarettes in Argentina has been presented in the Chamber of Deputies, the lower house of the National Congress ...

Californian proposal for 12.5% e-cig tax on its way to under-fire governor

Written by David Palacios Rubio || 6th September 2021 || News analysis |

A new 12.5% sales tax on e-cigarettes has been approved by the California State Legislature and now requires only the signature of governor Gavin Newsom – who is facing a recall election next week ...

US FDA denies more PMTAs a week before the final deadline – ‘more will follow’

Written by David Palacios Rubio || 2nd September 2021 || News analysis |

The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has issued a number of “additional” marketing denial orders (MDOs) for flavoured e-cigarettes, denying their premarket tobacco product applications (PMTAs) ...

US Congress looks set to cut Biden’s proposed budget for the FDA by half

Written by David Palacios Rubio || 31st August 2021 || News analysis |

Both the House and the Senate are intent on increasing the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) budget for next year, but the figure is likely to be well short of the $6.5bn proposed by president Joe Biden...

US FDA denies marketing authorisation for 55,000 flavoured vapour products

Written by David Palacios Rubio || 27th August 2021 || News analysis |

The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has ruled out premarket tobacco product applications (PMTAs) for 55,000 flavoured vapour products after concluding that on balance they pose a threat to public health ...

Quit success double but smoking by young adults up in first UK lockdown

Written by David Palacios Rubio || 26th August 2021 || News analysis |

A study by Cancer Research UK has found that the success rate of attempts to quit smoking in England almost doubled during the first Covid-19 lockdown, while smoking by young adults increased by almost 25% ...

It’s PSG-eekvape as e-cig maker gains promotion with leading football club

Written by David Palacios Rubio || 25th August 2021 || News analysis |

Chinese e-cigarette manufacturer Geekvape has signed a deal with top French football club Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) for the 2021-2022 season – a deal tied up in regulatory restrictions ...

WHO urges governments to impose tough e-cigarette regulation and tax

Written by David Palacios Rubio || 29th July 2021 || News analysis |

The World Health Organization (WHO) has issued a warning about “addictive” e-cigarettes and said they should be strictly regulated and taxed by governments to protect public health ...

MPs demand new plan for e-cigs to help achieve ‘smoke-free’ target for England

Written by David Palacios Rubio || 27th July 2021 || News analysis |

MPs have called on the UK government to present “ambitious plans” for vaping products if they want a chance of hitting the target of a smoke-free country by 2030 – a target public health experts consider unreachable ...

With TPD revision on the horizon, what are the next steps for EU regulation?

Written by David Palacios Rubio || 22nd July 2021 || News analysis |

An intense period of negotiations on a revision of EU regulation of tobacco alternatives is coming, following the Tobacco Products Directive (TPD) implementation report represented by the European Commission ...

Costa Rican government reluctant to put forward 40% e-cigarette tax proposal

Written by David Palacios Rubio || 15th July 2021 || News analysis |

The government of Costa Rica does not believe this is the time to debate a proposal to impose a new tax on e-cigarettes – a proposal that has been described by the country’s attorney general as “abusive”...

Can e-cigs help homeless people quit smoking? UK project aims to find out

Written by David Palacios Rubio || 6th July 2021 || News analysis |

A new UK research project for the government-funded National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) is to conduct a trial looking at whether e-cigarettes could help homeless people to quit smoking ...

Could Juul Labs’ $40m North Carolina settlement affect other legal challenges?

Written by David Palacios Rubio || 1st July 2021 || News analysis |

The $40m agreement between Juul Labs and the US state of North Carolina marks an unexpected milestone for the manufacturer – one which could set a precedent for other outstanding claims ...

Spanish anti-smoking bodies press for tax on both e-liquid volume and nicotine

Written by David Palacios Rubio || 28th June 2021 || News analysis |

Spanish anti-smoking organisations have urged the government to introduce a tax scheme for e-cigarettes as part of the new Tobacco Act that is expected to be approved by the end of 2021 ...

US investor sues Relx for not explaining risk of tightened Chinese regulations

Written by David Palacios Rubio || 16th June 2021 || News analysis |

A Relx shareholder has filed a lawsuit in the US accusing the Chinese e-cigarette manufacturer of misinterpreting potential regulatory risk when filing for the US initial public offering (IPO) last October ...

Review of UK tobacco rules will need to wait a few more months

Written by David Palacios Rubio || 28th May 2021 || News analysis |

The UK government’s post-implementation review of the 2016 Tobacco and Related Products Regulations (TRPR) won’t be ready before the end of the year ...

New Zealand retailers fear government plan to cut number of tobacco outlets

Written by David Palacios Rubio || 27th May 2021 || News analysis |

A proposal by the New Zealand government to limit the number of shops that can sell tobacco products is causing concern among the country’s retailers, who would need to apply for new business licences under the scheme ...

Blokhuis gets his way as Netherlands heads for ban on vaping flavours

Written by David Palacios Rubio || 25th May 2021 || News analysis |

Most flavours other than tobacco are to be banned in e-cigarettes in the Netherlands after the Council of Ministers approved the recommendation of health minister Paul Blokhuis ...

Stricter EU rules on e-cigs are needed in upcoming TPD revision, says Commission

Written by David Palacios Rubio || 20th May 2021 || News analysis |

The European Commission believes there is a need for strong action to toughen up the current Tobacco Products Directive (TPD) in the upcoming revision of the EU-wide regulations ...

EU TPD implementation report: the countdown has started

Written by David Palacios Rubio || 12th May 2021 || News analysis |

The EU Commission will soon reveal the outcome of the Tobacco Products Directive (TPD) implementation report, a long-awaited document that will assess the strengths and weaknesses of the legislation ...

EU science committee confirms doubts on cessation but steps back on ‘gateway’

Written by David Palacios Rubio || 29th April 2021 || News analysis |

The European Commission’s Scientific Committee on Health, Environmental and Emerging Risks (SCHEER) has confirmed its sceptical attitude to the role of e-cigarettes in smoking cessation but softened its view on the "gateway effect" ...

EU tax harmony needed ‘urgently’ – but no decision is expected before next year

Written by David Palacios Rubio || 23rd April 2021 || News analysis |

Tax officials in Brussels are agreed that the harmonising of excise duties on tobacco alternatives is urgent after calls from EU member states and the sector to put an end to the different national tax regimes in Europe...

Juul aims to double availability in UK vape stores with new distribution deal

Written by David Palacios Rubio || 19th April 2021 || News analysis |

Juul Labs has reached a distribution agreement with wholesaler UK Vapour Brands (UKVB) to extend its footprint “as much as possible” across British specialist vape retailers ...

Vape companies ask US Supreme Court to rule FDA deeming regulations invalid

Written by David Palacios Rubio || 8th April 2021 || News analysis |

A group of eight vaping companies are escalating their legal fight against the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA)’s oversight of e-cigarette products, and in particular the premarket approval (PMTA) process ...

Government-appointed commission urges Sweden to ban e-cigarette flavours

Written by David Palacios Rubio || 2nd April 2021 || News analysis |

A new report commissioned by the Swedish government suggests stricter regulation of tobacco-alternative products, including a blanket ban on all flavoured e-cigarettes and tighter rules on marketing and advertising ...

Imperial ‘on track’ for the year with expected increase in vaping revenue

Written by David Palacios Rubio || 30th March 2021 || News analysis |

Imperial Brands expects to deliver its yearly objectives for 2021 thanks to anticipated increased revenue from its smoke-free portfolio ...

US customs officers seize counterfeit ‘Rick and Morty’ e-liquids worth $1.5m

Written by David Palacios Rubio || 12th March 2021 || News analysis |

A shipment from the Chinese city of Shenzhen containing more than 77,000 refillable e-liquids featuring popular US sitcom Rick and Morty have been seized by customs officials at Chicago O’Hare’s International ...

PHE report suggests medicine before or after vaping as best way to quit smoking

Written by David Palacios Rubio || 25th February 2021 || News analysis |

Public Health England (PHE) is calling on local authorities to continue supporting e-cigarettes after new research confirmed they are more effective than nicotine replacement therapies (NRT) in smoking cessation ...

BAT enjoys 52% increase in vapour revenue as overall figures slip back

Written by David Palacios Rubio || 18th February 2021 || News analysis |

British American Tobacco (BAT) has reported a "strong performance" of its e-cigarette business in 2020, with vapour revenue up more than 50% on the previous year and growth accelerating ...

European strategy on beating cancer comes under MEPs’ legislative scrutiny

Written by David Palacios Rubio || 8th February 2021 || News analysis |

Intense debate has begun in the European Parliament on Europe’s Beating Cancer Plan, presented by the European Commission last week, including suggested measures to tighten regulation of tobacco alternatives ...

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