Author: David Palacios Rubio
World No Tobacco Day 2020: the debate about harm reduction
Written by David Palacios Rubio || 31st May 2020 || Regulatory briefing |
World No Tobacco Day provides an opportunity to consider the approach that public health authorities, policymakers, and advocates around the world have towards the role of tobacco-alternatives products ...
States urge European Commission to include e-cigs in EU tax directive
Written by David Palacios Rubio || 28th May 2020 || Regulatory briefing |
EU nations are to recommend to the European Commission that e-cigarettes should be included in the forthcoming revision of the structure and rates of tax applied to manufactured tobacco products ...
Altria aims for non-combustible success after Juul ‘disappointment’
Written by David Palacios Rubio || 16th May 2020 || Business briefing |
Virginia-based tobacco manufacturer Altria aims to establish the company as the industry leader by increasing its tobacco alternatives portfolio in ten years’ time and joining efforts in preventing underage use ...
Juul hits hard times as it plans to exit EU markets, US sales drop 10%
Written by David Palacios Rubio || 6th May 2020 || Business briefing |
Juul is not having the best of times, with an increasing decline in sales leading the company to pull out of South Korea and some European countries – while its sales in the US are not doing much...
Planned e-cig tax and restrictions to go before Danish Parliament
Written by David Palacios Rubio || 6th May 2020 || Regulatory briefing |
The Danish government is to submit to Parliament a proposal to levy a tax on e-cigarettes and a national action plan on restricting e-cigarettes to cut tobacco uptake by young people ...
FDA angers US House subcommittee by refusing to stop all e-cigarette sales
Written by David Palacios Rubio || 21st April 2020 || Regulatory briefing |
The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has rejected a call to “clear the e-cigarette market” during the COVID-19 crisis – eliciting an angry response from a House subcommittee ...
Brussels admits delays may occur in TPD revision; EU notifications hit 250k
Written by David Palacios Rubio || 16th April 2020 || Regulatory briefing |
Brussels is continuing work on the revision of the EU Tobacco Products Directive (TPD), but admits some of the research work could be delayed by the coronavirus crisis ...
US Federal Trade Commission sues Altria over Juul investment
Written by David Palacios Rubio || 3rd April 2020 || Business briefing |
The US Federal Trade Commission (FTC) is taking tobacco manufacturer Altria to court over its acquisition of a 35% stake in shares in Juul, alleging that the agreement between the two companies violated federal antitrust laws ...
US FDA requests extension of PMTA deadline due to coronavirus problems
Written by David Palacios Rubio || 31st March 2020 || Regulatory briefing |
The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has requested a 120-day extension to the deadline for premarket tobacco product applications (PMTAs) due to the challenges that the coronavirus outbreak is posing to companies ...
New York vape industry’s fear after doctors call for ban during pandemic
Written by David Palacios Rubio || 30th March 2020 || Regulatory briefing |
The vaping industry has shown concern after doctors in New York State called for a temporary ban on e-cigarette sales out of concern that vaping could put people at greater risk from COVID-19 ...
Tobacco 21 law signed in Wyoming and Florida; Alaska moves forward
Written by David Palacios Rubio || 27th March 2020 || Regulatory briefing |
Wyoming and Florida are the two latest US jurisdictions to adopt new e-cigarette regulations that will increase the legal age to purchase tobacco products – including e-cigarettes – while other states such Alaska are moving ahead with new...
US FDA suspends all vape store inspections for at least a month
Written by David Palacios Rubio || 20th March 2020 || Regulatory briefing |
The US Food and Administration (FDA) has decided to issue “a partial stop work order” for the external companies that are carrying out product compliance checks and vape store inspections ...
Juul suspends all sales in Indonesia, faces probe by coalition of US states
Written by David Palacios Rubio || 27th February 2020 || Business briefing |
Less than a year after launching in the country, Juul Labs is stopping selling all its products in Indonesia while it puts new measures in place to combat under-age purchases. Juul also faces further legal action in the...
WHO appoints new tobacco control leader to take charge of COP9
Written by David Palacios Rubio || 11th February 2020 || Regulatory briefing |
The Word Health Organization (WHO) has appointed a new head of the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC) Secretariat in time to take charge of the ninth Conference of the Parties (COP9) in the Netherlands ...
Altria investment value in Juul drops by 65% in a year
Written by David Palacios Rubio || 31st January 2020 || Business briefing |
The investment value of Altria in e-cig company Juul fell by 65% in almost a year due to the recent developments in the US affecting the brand ...
Australian doctors shift their position, endorsing e-cigarettes for cessation
Written by David Palacios Rubio || 30th January 2020 || Regulatory briefing |
The Royal Australian College of General Practitioners (RACGP) has reviewed its position on smoking cessation and is now considering vaping as a possible tool to quit smoking ...
The good, the bad and the uncertain – what lies ahead for vaping in 2020?
Written by David Palacios Rubio || 23rd January 2020 || Business briefing |
2019 was a heated year for the vaping industry worldwide, with a lot happening on both the regulatory and market fronts. So how is 2020 shaping up? ...
Juul removes flavours from Canadian market ‘to earn public trust’
Written by David Palacios Rubio || 16th January 2020 || Business briefing |
Juul Labs has halted production of most of its flavoured vaping pods in Canada in anticipation of imminent plans by federal authorities to enact stricter regulations on vaping products ...
Back to Plan A: French budget drops notification fee for vaping products
Written by David Palacios Rubio || 8th January 2020 || Regulatory briefing |
In a late change, the French budget law for 2020 (Loi de finances) removes the existing notification fee for new vaping products marketed in the country ...
FDA’s new clampdown on flavoured cartridges fails to satisfy either side
Written by David Palacios Rubio || 6th January 2020 || Regulatory briefing |
The US FDA’s new policy of removing most e-cigarette cartridge flavours from the market has been greeted by scepticism and criticism from both the vaping industry and anti-tobacco groups ...
US Senate raises legal tobacco and vaping purchase age from 18 to 21
Written by David Palacios Rubio || 20th December 2019 || Regulatory briefing |
The US Senate has passed an act which raises the minimum sale or purchase age for tobacco products from 18 to 21...
Denmark plans flavour ban and plain packaging scheme for e-cigarettes
Written by David Palacios Rubio || 18th December 2019 || Regulatory briefing |
The Danish Ministry of Health has put forward a plan for a flavour ban as well as sale, advertising and packaging restrictions to tackle the use of tobacco and e-cigarettes by minors ...
Senate confirms Stephen Hahn as new FDA commissioner
Written by David Palacios Rubio || 13th December 2019 || Regulatory briefing |
The US Senate has confirmed cancer specialist Stephen Hahn as the new US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) commissioner ...
EU Commission delays e-cig and HnB tax scheme decision to 2020
Written by David Palacios Rubio || 13th December 2019 || Regulatory briefing |
The European Commission is delaying evaluating tobacco tax rates and the possible introduction of a new harmonised tax scheme for e-cigs and heated tobacco ...
Palo Alto, California considers ‘urgent’ law banning e-cigarettes
Written by David Palacios Rubio || 9th December 2019 || Regulatory briefing |
Palo Alto, in the San Francisco Bay Area, could be the next Californian city to adopt a ban on vaping products ...
LA city approves next steps toward vaping sale restrictions
Written by David Palacios Rubio || 6th December 2019 || Regulatory briefing |
The city of Los Angeles will now start the process of drafting new regulations to restrict the sale of flavoured tobacco products – including e-cigarettes ...
EU Commission and Parliament kick off TPD revision assessment procedure
Written by David Palacios Rubio || 27th November 2019 || Regulatory briefing |
Brussels has officially started the formal process to review the European Tobacco Products Directive (TPD) by 2021, with a focus on e-cigarettes and new tobacco products ...
FDA inspects 800 vape stores in two years, seeks tobacco experts for panel
Written by David Palacios Rubio || 20th November 2019 || Regulatory briefing |
The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Center for Tobacco Products (CTP) carried out 800 inspections in vape stores between 2016 and 2018, with thousands of warning letters have been issued to retailers for violations ...
Industry is kept waiting for Trump’s ‘very important decision’ on flavours
Written by David Palacios Rubio || 12th November 2019 || Regulatory briefing |
The US vaping industry is biting its nails awaiting the Trump administration’s next steps after a delay in publication of the new guidance on flavoured e-cigarettes ...
Juul halts sale of mint pods ahead of new FDA guidance on flavours
Written by David Palacios Rubio || 8th November 2019 || Business briefing , Marketing & retailing |
E-cigarette manufacturer Juul Labs is halting sales of its mint flavour after the publication of a survey by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) that shows an increase in the use of e-cigarettes among high school...
Trump chooses lung cancer specialist to be the new FDA commissioner
Written by David Palacios Rubio || 6th November 2019 || Regulatory briefing |
US president Donald Trump has nominated lung cancer specialist Stephen Hahn to be the new full-time US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) commissioner ...
White House reviewing new FDA guidance on flavoured e-cigs
Written by David Palacios Rubio || 29th October 2019 || Regulatory briefing |
The White House has received the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA)’s final version of its guideline on flavoured e-cigarettes currently on sale without premarket authorisation ...
FDA approves its first modified risk tobacco order for eight snus products
Written by David Palacios Rubio || 23rd October 2019 || Regulatory briefing |
The US FDA has grated its first ever modified risk orders to eight snus products from Swedish Match, which can now be advertised as less harmful than traditional cigarettes ...
French National Assembly rejects Macron’s bid to scrap notification fee
Written by David Palacios Rubio || 23rd October 2019 || Regulatory briefing |
The French National Assembly (Assemblée nationale) has rejected a government proposal to remove the notification fee for new vaping products, set out in the draft budget for next year ...
Judge halts Montana ban on flavoured e-cigs, Massachusetts told to try again
Written by David Palacios Rubio || 22nd October 2019 || Regulatory briefing |
A judge in Montana has temporarily halted the state’s emergency ban on flavoured e-cigarettes – while in Massachusetts the state has been ordered to rewrite the terms of its prohibition order ...
Now Oregon flavours ban is put on hold by court as lung cases hit 1479
Written by David Palacios Rubio || 21st October 2019 || Regulatory briefing |
The Oregon Court of Appeals has temporarily barred governor Kate Brown and the Oregon Health Authority from enforcing a prohibition on flavoured nicotine vapour products ...
New York state e-cig ban on hold until 18th October, court rules
Written by David Palacios Rubio || 4th October 2019 || Regulatory briefing |
The Appellate Division of the New York Supreme Court has put on hold the emergency regulation banning the sale of flavoured e-cigarettes that governor Andrew Cuomo adopted on 18th...
Juul withdraws support from bid to overturn San Francisco e-cig ban
Written by David Palacios Rubio || 3rd October 2019 || Business briefing |
After being the main financial backer of the campaign to overturn San Francisco’s vaping ban on November’s public ballot, Juul has changed its mind and decided to withdraw all support from the organising group ...
E-liquid producer challenges Canada’s restriction on e-cigarette promotion
Written by David Palacios Rubio || 3rd October 2019 || Regulatory briefing |
A Canadian manufacturer is challenging the prohibition against promoting vaping as a healthier alternative included in the national Tobacco and Vaping Products Act (TVPA) ...
Two more US state governors issue e-liquid prohibitions by decree
Written by David Palacios Rubio || 26th September 2019 || Regulatory briefing |
Massachusetts and Rhode Island have joined the list of US states that have banned sales of e-liquids since the lung illness outbreak that was declared at the end of August ...
Kevin Burns quits as Juul CEO amid global criticism of the company
Written by David Palacios Rubio || 25th September 2019 || Business briefing |
Kevin Burns has resigned as CEO of Juul Labs, to be replaced immediately by K.C. Crosthwaite, senior vice president and chief strategy and growth officer of tobacco giant Altria, which owns a 35% stake in Juul ...
US lung illness outbreak a watershed for the public perception of vaping
Written by David Palacios Rubio || 20th September 2019 || Business briefing |
Although in most of the cases THC or other illicit substances have almost certainly been involved, the US outbreak of vape-related lung illness is extremely damaging to the e-cig industry ...
Trump declares flavours ‘off the market’ until approved by FDA
Written by David Palacios Rubio || 12th September 2019 || Regulatory briefing |
US president Donald Trump has announced that his administration is preparing new market restrictions on flavoured e-cigarettes ...
Five deaths in US lung outbreak; 450 cases now identified, says CDC
Written by David Palacios Rubio || 7th September 2019 || Business briefing |
The outbreak of lung illness apparently related to vaping has now claimed five lives and affected 450 people across the US, says the...
Michigan becomes first US state to ban sales of flavoured e-cigs
Written by David Palacios Rubio || 4th September 2019 || Regulatory briefing |
Michigan state governor Gretchen Whitmer has announced a “unilateral decision” to prohibit the sale of flavoured e-cigarettes, making it the first US state to implement such a ban ...
Denmark paves the way towards tougher childproofing rules for e-cigs
Written by David Palacios Rubio || 4th September 2019 || Regulatory briefing |
The Danish Safety Technology Authority and Health Authority have circulated within the vapour industry a working document that would re-interpret the requirements for childproofing of e-cigarettes ...
First death from mysterious lung condition affecting US vapers
Written by David Palacios Rubio || 24th August 2019 || Regulatory briefing |
A person who had “recently vaped” has died in Illinois after being hospitalised for severe respiratory illness. The death escalates to a new level the sudden emergence of unexplained lung conditions among vapers, most of them young, across...
Vaping under suspicion, but no proof in US lung disease outbreak
Written by David Palacios Rubio || 21st August 2019 || Business briefing |
Unproven but strongly suggested links between vaping and severe health problems in young people have been breaking out all over the US, raising conflicting fears and unanswered questions ...