Analysis of critical issues and trending industry topics

As FDA faces a paperwork tsunami, big firms may come out of it best

Written by Barnaby Page | 19th August 2021

The number of applications thrown in the metaphorical dumpster is huge, but so is number of outstanding applications, and the question remains how the FDA can possibly deal with all of them ...

How will Australia’s new sales regime work?

Written by Barnaby Page | 11th August 2021

Australian consumers will soon be able to obtain medically licensed nicotine-containing e-cigarettes from community and online pharmacies, but questions remain ...

WHO puts its case against e-cigarettes: time to round up the usual suspects

Written by Aidan Semmens | 5th August 2021

In the heavyweight battle over e-cigarettes between the World Health Organization and the world’s vaping advocates, does anyone really have incontrovertible evidence on their side? ...

Smoking, vaping and driving – a question of risk perception vs relative true risk

Written by Aidan Semmens | 29th July 2021

When a driver dropped a lit cigarette into his lap it could have caused a tragic traffic accident: are such perils the real reason to quit smoking? And are facial injuries a key argument against...

What's the plain truth about packaging? Does going neutral really work?

Written by Aidan Semmens | 22nd July 2021

Up to now the received wisdom has been that taking distinctive branding off cigarette packs and making them all the same drab, ugly brown will dissuade people from buying them. Now a new study throws...

Juul in jeopardy? That’s how the press is billing the FDA’s upcoming PMTA verdict

Written by Aidan Semmens | 15th July 2021

The US press are calling it a “fight for survival” for the e-cigarette giant – but as one experts says, “The FDA has to evaluate this in a forward-looking way and can’t really punish Juul”...

Vaping has yet to find its Bogart – and perhaps it's really better that way

Written by Aidan Semmens | 9th July 2021

In the old movies, smoking was both normal and cool. Is it possible to imagine vaping having the same on-screen glamour? ...

In the great e-cig flavours battle, there's evidence to support every point of view

Written by Aidan Semmens | 25th June 2021

On one side, the firmly-held belief that they entice youth into vaping. On the other, the equally strong view that they are vital in weaning smokers off their deadly habit. So what does the science...

E-cigs vs Covid: never mind the science, let's all just follow our instincts instead

Written by Aidan Semmens | 18th June 2021

Is vaping or smoking a risk factor for Covid-19 – or could it even be protective? Your answer to that question may say more about you than it does about the science ...

Was freeing e-cigarettes from FDA rule ever really a straw worth reaching for?

Written by Aidan Semmens | 11th June 2021

It was always a long shot – such a long shot that no one, surely, was surprised that the US Supreme Court refused to review the case ...

To vape or not to vape – that's not the only question for the globally-focused WHO

Written by Barnaby Page | 4th June 2021

Advocates for e-cigarettes are often infuriated with the position taken by the World Health Organization towards vaping – but might there be some fair reason behind the WHO’s less-than-enthusiastic stance? ...

It's all an Act – the END is not as near as Krishnamoorthi's title sequence suggests

Written by Aidan Semmens | 21st May 2021

The END ENDS Act – it sounds like an existential threat to the whole e-cigarette industry in the US. Or at least an end to the legal e-cigarette industry. The reality is rather less extreme...

Worlds apart – while others ban e-cigs, UK hospitals hand them out for free

Written by Aidan Semmens | 7th May 2021

Smokers visiting A&E departments in five UK hospitals are being offered free e-cigarette starter packs in a 30-day trial to determine their effectiveness in smoking cessation ...

Washington attack on nicotine in smokes could be good news for e-cigarettes

Written by Aidan Semmens | 23rd April 2021

News that the Biden administration is considering reducing nicotine levels in combustible cigarettes in the US has affected stock prices in the UK – and has potentially interesting implications for the vaping market ...

Smoke-free or nicotine-free? That's the question the WHO must consider

Written by Aidan Semmens | 16th April 2021

Does the World Health Organization’s absolute opposition to vaping truly serve the cause of global health? The UK parliamentary panel looking into the question doesn’t think so ...

Product placement in music videos is the way to make vaping look cool to kids

Written by Aidan Semmens | 9th April 2021

New research suggests “exposure to e-cigarette product placement in music videos is associated with vaping among young adults”. Meanwhile, back in the Marvel universe, something strange is stirring ...

Why attempts to close the 'gateway' could lead to more smoking by kids, not less

Written by Aidan Semmens | 2nd April 2021

Is vaping by young people really as bad for public health as orthodox opinion would have it? Are young vapers really more likely to become smokers – and if so, why? New research should make...

Why high-nicotine vapes might make a big difference to schizophrenia sufferers

Written by Aidan Semmens | 19th March 2021

A new study has found that the use of high-strength nicotine e-cigarettes can help adults with schizophrenia spectrum disorders quit smoking. And that can be both a life-saver and a life-improver ...

Vaping cannabis 'more dangerous than smoking cigarettes'! Or is it?

Written by Aidan Semmens | 12th March 2021

This week’s most prominent vaping story has come with headlines like “Teens vaping pot face more health risk than cigarette smokers”. Which turns out on examination to be somewhat less than the truth ...

E-cigs to be BANNED? Never let the facts get in the way of an arresting headline

Written by Aidan Semmens | 5th March 2021

Who plans to ban e-cigarettes? You may well ask. But if you only read the headlines on the news stands – and, let’s face it, that’s how a lot of people get their general sense...

Covid-19 and vaping: the facts and figures behind the newspaper horror stories

Written by Aidan Semmens | 19th February 2021

When it comes to scare stories that whip up unfounded associations with Covid-19, you have to question how responsible that is. Take these two recent reports from the British press ...

Why 'the devil you know' – smoking – appears to be making a comeback

Written by Aidan Semmens | 12th February 2021

Is negative publicity for e-cigarettes driving people back to smoking? It seems something is, at least in the US – despite, or perhaps even because of, the Covid-19 pandemic ...

It's the not-burning question: When is an e-cigarette not a vape – and vice-versa?

Written by Aidan Semmens | 5th February 2021

What is an e-cigarette? You would think that by now that would be an easy question to answer – but it seems some folk are still confused, and spreading confusion ...

New powers in Washington suggest a whole new world for US vapour

Written by Aidan Semmens | 22nd January 2021

Will a new political era in the US mean a new regulatory landscape for e-cigarettes? ...

Is it just coincidence that as youth vaping rises, cigarette smoking declines?

Written by Aidan Semmens | 15th January 2021

How do levels of youth vaping relate to smoking levels? This question goes right to the heart of attitudes and policy on e-cigarettes ...

So what's so wrong with vaping flavours? Chocolate or banana, anyone?

Written by Aidan Semmens | 19th December 2020

The real danger in e-liquid flavours may not be a question of who they appeal to, but of what they do to the user’s lungs ...

Does the coronavirus pandemic signal the end of the youth vaping 'epidemic'?

Written by Aidan Semmens | 12th December 2020

Has the pandemic brought an end to the so-called epidemic of teen vaping? Is it even the beginning of the end? It’s too complex and too early to tell for sure ...

Why the US vapour industry should fasten its seat-belts for a bumpy ride

Written by Aidan Semmens | 5th December 2020

Everyone from Big Tobacco to the small vape store will have a keen eye on who president-elect Joe Biden picks to be the next chief of the FDA, the US agency with responsibility for regulating...

E-cigarettes and the young – does anyone have a sure way to keep them apart?

Written by Aidan Semmens | 29th November 2020

It’s the question that goes right to heart of e-cigarette regulation – and anxiety about it – all across the world: How can e-cigarettes be kept out of the hands of young people? ...

Tobacco or not? The nicotine may be synthetic, but the question is real enough

Written by Aidan Semmens | 21st November 2020

Can synthetic nicotine possibly be classified as tobacco? At the most straightforward level, the answer has to be “no”. But it’s a bit more complicated than that ...

Are China’s privately owned e-cigarette businesses living on borrowed time?

Written by Aidan Semmens | 16th November 2020

While small private enterprises may be allowed – even encouraged – to thrive, there is always the chance that too rapid growth may provoke the state corporation to move in ...

If Biden wins, will a new administration be bad news for the US vapour industry?

Written by Aidan Semmens | 30th October 2020

Will a Biden victory spell tougher times for the US e-cigarette industry? The short and obvious is: probably. But of course it’s more complicated than that ...

Why taxing e-liquids may not be quite such a bad thing for the vapour trade

Written by Aidan Semmens | 24th October 2020

Can a tax on e-liquids actually help the e-cigarette industry? It sounds counter-intuitive even to suggest that’s possible ...

If there's a scientific consensus on e-cigs, it may not be quite what you think

Written by Aidan Semmens | 16th October 2020

Is there a scientific consensus on the harmfulness of e-cigarettes? The latest review of the best science on the subject suggests that certain widely-held views don't have the evidence behind them ...

Rebellious youth and the psychology that makes 'dangerous' vaping so alluring

Written by Aidan Semmens | 12th October 2020

Is youth vaping a typical passing teenage fad? If we’re to believe the self-styled “#1 site for moms seeking advice, community, and entertainment”, the answer would appear to be yes ...

'Must do better' – tobacco companies score poorly in harm reduction exam

Written by Aidan Semmens | 2nd October 2020

We’re told repeatedly that the whole point of e-cigarettes is to reduce harm from smoking – so how are we doing in terms of harm reduction? ...

Law firm pits Juul against RICO – an act that was designed to bring down the Mob

Written by Aidan Semmens | 25th September 2020

How can a charge originally designed to take on America’s organised crime families be applied to Juul’s alleged targeting of teenagers? ...

'Vapour' or 'chemicals': do the words used to describe vaping alter risk perception?

Written by Aidan Semmens | 21st September 2020

A widely reported university study has called for the terminology of vaping to be more accurate – but how accurate is the language of the study itself? ...

As PMTA deadline passes, is it the point of no return for vaping in the US?

Written by Aidan Semmens | 11th September 2020

Is this week’s PMTA deadline the beginning of the end for the US vaping industry? No – but it’s probably the end of the beginning ...

Why blaming e-cigarettes for deadly EVALI is not just wrong, but dangerous

Written by Aidan Semmens | 31st August 2020

Was the much-trumpeted rise in youth vaping responsible for last year’s outbreak of vape-related lung injury (EVALI) in the US? The short answer can be given in one word ...

The deadly danger that lurks in well-meaning prohibition of vaping flavours

Written by Aidan Semmens | 24th August 2020

Do restrictions on e-cigarettes, such as flavour bans, send users back to smoking? No doubt it’s the law of unintended consequences at work, but the answer would seem to be “yes” ...

To ban or not to ban, that is the question over e-cigs during COVID-19 pandemic

Written by Aidan Semmens | 17th August 2020

Would it be appropriate to ban e-cigarettes for the duration of the COVID-19 pandemic? That’s what some US Congress members are calling for ...

Fantasy figures that cloud the real issues in the teen vaping debate

Written by Aidan Semmens | 25th July 2020

If 65% of Australia’s teenagers are vaping, where are they all? And, you might ask, where are they getting their vapes, since nicotine vapour products are effectively banned in Australia ...

Is Britain beginning to fall out of love with vaping?

Written by Aidan Semmens | 17th July 2020

There have been a few signs lately that some in the world’s most vape-friendly nation may be experiencing a frisson of doubt ...

Vaping vs smoking – what do EU Parliament officials have to hide?

Written by Aidan Semmens | 10th July 2020

The vexed question of the distinction between vaping and smoking, often confused by rulemakers at all levels, has arisen in the very heart of one of the world's largest and most influential rulemaking bodies ...

Has Netherlands health minister Paul Blokhuis got it right on vape flavours?

Written by Aidan Semmens | 3rd July 2020

Netherlands health secretary Paul Blokhuis is a committed opponent of smoking and vaping. But has he got it right in his plan to ban all e-cig flavours except tobacco? There are reasons to think he...

How has the ban on vaping imports gone down Down Under?

Written by Aidan Semmens | 26th June 2020

Health minister Greg Hunt this week announced a ban on all e-cigarette imports except under medical prescription – effectively a total vaping ban in a country where imports were previously the only legal way...

Could the land that makes e-cigarettes for the world ban them at home?

Written by Aidan Semmens | 22nd June 2020

Could China, where most of the world’s e-cigarettes are made, actually be considering banning them? It could have major global repercussions for the whole vaping industry – and so, potentially, for levels of smoking –...

Are people vaping more or less during the COVID-19 emergency?

Written by Aidan Semmens | 12th June 2020

Q: Are people vaping more or less during the COVID-19 emergency? A: It’s complex ...

Eight months in, what lessons might be learned from India's e-cig ban?

Written by Aidan Semmens | 5th June 2020

India’s blanket ban on e-cigarettes, summarily imposed by the federal government last September, is proving somewhat ineffective ...

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