ECigIntelligence

Regulatory and market intelligence for the e-cigarette sector

Nicotine

US regulatory Live Alerts monthly round-up April

1st April 2022 - Alerts , Live alerts US | Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North America, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, United States, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, Washington D.C., West Virginia, Wisconsin, Wyoming |

IQOS more familiar in Canada than US

4th December 2019 - Charts and infographics |

The ECigIntelligence consumer survey has highlighted that there is a significantly higher percentage of Canadians that have tried iQOS compared to US respondents. This is probably because IQOS was not launched in the US at the time of data collection. See our full comparison of the heated tobacco consumer preferences in the US and Canada […]

US/Canada consumption comparison

22nd November 2019 - Charts and infographics |

ECigIntelligence were able to elucidate the average pre-filled pod/tank consumption for different age groups in the US and Canada. The US 25-49’s are consuming more than the average where as in Canada 18-24’s consume more than the average, with respect to the independent average in each country. For the full comparison of the consumer habits […]

Malaysia regulatory report

20th June 2019 - Regulatory reports |

The Malaysian Ministry of Health is working on a framework for the regulation of e-cigarettes, and expects to put a proposal before parliament at the end of 2019. In the meantime

Indonesia regulatory report

11th June 2019 - Regulatory reports |

The legal classification of e-cigarettes in Indonesia is not entirely clear, as in different situations they may fall under either tobacco law or consumer product regulation

Ready-to-use e-liquid most popular: US survey report

2nd May 2019 - Market reports |

This report explores consumer e-liquid preferences, choices and behaviours based on our consumer survey conducted in December 2018. As the respondents were members of the Consumer Advocates for Smoke-free Alternatives Association (CASAA), we believe most respondents were interested in the vaping sector and would potentially have higher levels of consumption

Notified products: France market report

16th April 2019 - Market reports |

In our latest look at the French market we find that the French notification list now contains more than 30,000 vapour products, and consists mostly of e-liquids with more than 800 brands — the majority of which are French

Portugal regulatory report

10th April 2019 - Regulatory reports |

Our updated report outlines the rules governing e-cigarettes in Portugal, where they have been regulated since 2016 according to the European TPD, and how the regulations are applied

Switzerland regulatory report

18th February 2019 - Regulatory reports |

Our updated report looks at the tobacco law that is likely to form the basis of future regulation of e-cigarettes and HnB products in a country that is in Europe but outside the EU

Open pods now dominate: France market report

25th January 2019 - Market reports |

In our latest look at the French market, we find that since last year, the range of pods and ultra-portables has increased from 13 to 31 brands. The market is currently dominated by open pods, where ultra-portables were leading the year before

E-liquids now taxed: Cyprus regulatory report

8th January 2019 - Regulatory reports |

In our latest look at regulations in Cyprus, we can see that a special procedure is applicable for “reduced-risk” claims of e-cigarette products, there is currently no notification fee and a tax on e-liquids and heated tobacco has been imposed

Czech Republic regulatory report

19th December 2018 - Regulatory reports |

This regulatory report on the Czech Republic includes updates on the regulatory landscape, product restrictions, labelling and packaging, obligation to notify, public usage, taxation, and enforcement

Lithuania regulatory report

26th November 2018 - Regulatory reports |

This report on e-cig regulation in Lithuania contains updates on age and product restrictions, obligation to notify, public usage, advertising and marketing, taxation, enforcement, and bills currently under debate

Texas regulatory report

15th November 2018 - Regulatory reports |

Our latest report on e-cig regulation in Texas has updates on age restrictions, notification, retail channels, public usage, advertising and marketing, relevant laws and relevant bodies

Vaping laws expanded: Germany regulatory report

30th October 2018 - Regulatory reports |

In our latest look at the regulatory landscape in Germany, we find a bill amending the German Tobacco Products Law is being considered which could prohibit all outdoor advertising, while a bill that would have extended restrictions to nicotine-free products has been dropped

Things heat up as the e-cig continues to evolve

6th September 2018 - Market reports |

In a shift from the more traditional e-cigs, which heat e-liquid to produce a vapour which is then inhaled, heated tobacco devices apply controlled heat to tobacco. Here ECigIntelligence looks at the latest innovation in closer detail

Second highest notification fees in Europe: Denmark regulatory report

3rd September 2018 - Regulatory reports |

In our latest look at Denmark, we find that the country has the second highest notification fee in the EU, which amounts to about €4950 ($5771). The Danish Health Authority dismisses scientific evidence that e-cigarettes are an effective smoking cessation tool and even claims that e-cigarettes help to maintain the nicotine addiction and smoking habit.

Pods on the rise: US market report

27th June 2018 - Market reports |

In our latest look at America, we find the pod category has taken off with hundreds of new products entering the US market. In terms of product ranges and reported sales, open pod devices are replacing traditional basic devices

A picture of e-cig pricing in the UK

16th May 2018 - Market reports |

ECigIntelligence looks at the pricing and products range in e-liquids and hardware categories across the top five e-cigarette retailer websites in the UK and finds a shift towards advanced hardware products

New product enables legal e-liquid sampling in the US

23rd February 2018 - Marketing & retailing |

A US advocacy and consulting group believes it has come up with a product that enables consumers to sample e-liquid and still conform to the US Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA’s) sampling restrictions. The Cating Group launched its “Sample Sticks” in December last year.

As cigarette sales fall, PMI and JT plan further HnB investment

16th February 2018 - Business briefing |

As tobacco giants Philip Morris International (PMI) and Japan Tobacco (JT) have been hit by falling tobacco sales, revenues from their e-cigarette and heat-not-burn (HnB) portfolios have increased. As they plan further investments to increase their market presence, 2018 should prove to be an interesting year for HnB products.

Shake and vape products represent almost third of Italian online market

5th January 2018 - Market reports |

In our latest look at the Italian market, we find that ready-to-use e-liquids, especially 10ml bottles, are the most common bottle sizes stocked on the top five websites, while 28% of the e-liquid products found at the top five online retailers are shake and vape products. Recently, Italy banned online nicotine sales and websites appear to have generally complied with the law

Swiss market dominated by open advanced systems

5th December 2017 - Market reports |

The Swiss market is dominated by open advanced systems mostly purchased offline. Due to the country’s nicotine ban Switzerland seems an ideal market for shake and vape e-liquids. Foreign shake and vape e-liquids, mostly imported from the U.S., are at the forefront, but several domestic e-liquid brands also produce large format nicotine-free e-liquids.

E-liquid market fragmented in Poland

29th November 2017 - Market reports |

In our latest look at Poland, we find that fewer than 10% of respondents have been running their business for less than a year, which indicates fewer entrants into the sector following implementation of the Tobacco Products Directive (TPD). The Polish e-liquid market is highly fragmented, with the top 12 brands accounting for only 55% of total quoted best-selling brand mentions. The leading brand is Pinky Vape, while the hardware device sector is more consolidated.

Popularity of shake and vape on the rise in Germany

29th November 2017 - Market reports |

As shake and vape grows in popularity, ECigIntelligence takes a look at the German market in detail and finds that experienced vapers in Germany mostly use their own-mixed e-liquids, which can help in avoiding TPD restrictions for e-liquid-containing nicotine. This trend seems to have grown in Germany since May 2017, and almost half of the e-liquid brands sold in Germany are ready to mix.

Italy consumer survey: low-nicotine e-liquids prove most popular

22nd November 2017 - Market reports |

Our consumer survey took place from September to October 2017. Most respondents were ex-smokers, with around a third vaping for more than two years. The majority of our respondents where male and aged between 25 and 44.
We found that advanced devices dominate, and more than 60% of respondents are mixing their own e-liquid. E-liquids containing low nicotine content are reportedly the most popular.

New regulatory initiatives create uncertainty in Italian e-cigarette market

17th November 2017 - Regulatory reports |

Uncertainty surrounds the Italian e-cigarette market, following a number of recent regulatory decisions and initiatives. These include a court decision on the long-running issue of whether to tax nicotine-free e-liquids; proposals to ban online sales and limit offline sales; a range of potential new tax regimes; and new powers to shut down non-compliant online sellers.

Nicotine products on the horizon as Norway eases in TPD rules

30th September 2017 - Market reports |

The EU’s Tobacco Product Directive (TPD) has not yet been fully adopted in Norway. It is anticipated that the sale and manufacture of nicotine containing e-cigarettes and e-liquids will be allowed in the first half of 2018. They are currently banned except for personal import. Online remains the main distribution channel, with foreign online companies having a significant presence.

Finland: market grows despite strict regulation

22nd September 2017 - Market reports |

The EU’s Tobacco Products Directive (TPD) was transposed in Finland the form of the Tobacco Act, which made Finland one of the EU’s most strictly regulated countries. Market growth of 40% throughout 2016–2017 was mainly determined by increased numbers of vapers (+16%), growth of the share of daily users (30% in 2017 compared with 14% in 2016), plus an overall price increase in most e-cigarette categories.

Physical stores remain focus of vape chains in France

20th September 2017 - Market reports |

in our latest look at the French market, we see that all the studied vape store chains are at least partially using a franchise business model. Our franchising conditions’ analysis revealed the Jwell chain has the most attractive franchise conditions, while Clopinette had the strictest. All the vape stores have an online retail presence; however, their focus is on their physical stores.

Italy: vape store geographical breakdown and analysis

15th September 2017 - Market reports |

Our research on Italian e-cig retailers has revealed that the region around Rome is Italy’s most developed vape store market, with more than four times as many vape stores per inhabitant than the lowest-density areas. There may be scope for growth in Milan and Naples, given these cities have around half the vape store density of Rome.

The vape store market is dominated by the leading vape store chains in the northeastern region. Elsewhere, stores are predominantly independently owned/branded. There is very little crossover between the online and vape store distribution channels.

Open systems dominate markets across the Baltic States

14th September 2017 - Market reports |

Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania, collectively known as the Baltic states have a total population of around 6m and share common political traits, economies and history. In our latest report, we estimate the Baltic states’ e-cig market is currently worth around €15m, with 75,000 vapers. Open-system products dominate the market, with basic open systems being very popular. The online channel is more developed in Lithuania and Estonia. In Latvia, due the ban on online retail, most sales are offline.

Portugal market adapting to new regulations and lower tax

30th August 2017 - Market reports |

After the fall of the market size due the e-liquid tax, it seems both companies and vapers have now adapted to the new regulation. As the market starts to grow again, we find advance modular systems have a high prevalence. With distance sales forbidden, Portugal stores have adapted the same strategy as companies in Belgium and Austria: the catalogue is online but there is no delivery.

Shake and vape: the legal implications in the EU

24th August 2017 - Regulatory reports |

The sale of ingredients for shake and vape – enabling users to mix their own nicotine and non-nicotine e-liquids – is a legal grey area for sellers in many European countries, as it can be a way to get round TPD quantity restrictions on nicotine-containing liquids. In this report, ECigIntelligence looks into the matter in detail.

Bulgaria: scope for further development

18th August 2017 - Market reports |

The Bulgarian e-cig market is currently worth BGN78m ($47m in 2017), with 200,000 vapers. Almost one in 20 Bulgarians regularly uses e-cigarettes – nearly half because they can vape in places where smoking is banned. The online channel is undeveloped and most sales are offline. However, we believe there is scope for the market to develop further.

Malaysia: tough regulation stifles market growth

10th August 2017 - Market reports |

ECigIntelligence estimates the Malaysian e-cig market to be worth 513.4m ringgit ($120m) in 2017, with 600,000 vapers. Regulatory uncertainly and a ban on e-cigarettes in some states makes the outlook for future growth pessimistic. This static market is focused on hobbyists and dominated by open system e-cigs, with most vapers using advanced mods with digital screens.

E-cig market grows in Czech Republic, fuelled by tobacco regs

9th August 2017 - Market reports |

In this August 2017 look at the Czech Republic, we find that the relatively mild regulation of e-cigarettes is apparently fuelling further growth in the sector. The Czech e-cigarette market is also geared more towards open systems, with closed systems being mainly available offline. About half of all e-cigarette sales go through online channel.

Light-touch regulation aids HnB over e-cigs in Japan

7th August 2017 - Regulatory reports |

In our latest look at Japan, we find the country is a favoured market for heated tobacco products because regulation is much lighter on tobacco than it is on nicotine-containing e-cigs. In a country where 20% of the population smoke, heated tobacco products are regulated in a similar way to tobacco in most policy areas.

Sweden’s new e-cig law transposes TPD

21st July 2017 - Regulatory reports |

E-cigarettes are regulated in Sweden by the Act on Electronic Cigarettes and Refill Containers (2017/425), which came into force on 1st July 2017. It transposed the EU’s Tobacco Products Directive (TPD) into Swedish legislation. Non-nicotine products are currently not regulated.

Study finds fruit flavours favoured in Germany

16th May 2017 - Market reports |

In our latest look into the German market, we find a high prevalence of mods against other e-cig formats, with the most popular products being Joyetech ego AIO, Smoke Alien kit and Eleaf Istick Pico kit. The most popular e-liquid flavour are the fruits category. E-liquid is an average 20% more expensive in physical stores.

Fruit flavours remain favourite among UK vapers

9th May 2017 - Market reports |

In our latest look at the UK market, we find estimated daily revenues of British vape stores vary, mainly between £500 and £1,500. Stores in more populated cities do not seem to be getting more customers than those located in smaller towns, but fruit flavours remain the most popular.

Survey finds U.S. e-liquid market fragmented as pessimism grows

3rd May 2017 - Market reports |

The US Vape Store Survey is an ongoing joint project of ECigIntelligence and the Smoke-Free Alternative Trade Association (SFATA). The first survey was conducted in December 2015. This latest survey took in vape stores across the U.S. from December 2016 to January 2017. It garnered responses from 213 owners representing 417 stores, mostly in the South.

California: vaping treated as if it was tobacco

24th March 2017 - Regulatory reports |

In this March 2017 look at regulations in California, we find that nicotine-containing products are subject to a wholesale tax of 27.3%. This tax rate will be revised periodically. Vaping in the state is treated as tobacco in regards to public usage.

TPD is being transposed as UK plans to leave the EU

15th March 2017 - Regulatory reports |

In this March 2017 report on the UK market, we find that there is currently no national legal restriction on the public usage of e-cigarettes in the United Kingdom. Variations in interpretation of the TPD include a modification of the six month standstill period for launching new products, while Tank size limits for new products is 2ml and applies to all tanks, regardless of whether they contain nicotine when sold.

Portugal halves e-liquid tax rate blamed for vape store closures

13th January 2017 - Regulatory briefing |

Portugal looks set to cut the tax on nicotine e-liquids by 50%, from €0.60/ml ($0.70) to €0.30/ml ($0.35) in its budget for 2017.
The country currently has the highest rate of tax on e-juices of all the European member states, something that has been blamed for the drastic drop in the number of vape stores in the country.

Germany: post-TPD regulation

13th January 2017 - Regulatory reports |

The future of e-cigarette regulation in Germany is becoming clearer since the transposition of the European Tobacco Products Directive (TPD), but the country’s separate states still have some autonomy is setting the rules.

E-liquid tax having negative impact on Portugal market

9th December 2016 - Market reports |

Due to a tax on e-liquids containing nicotine, most e-liquid bought in Portugal is nicotine free. Vapers are then adding nicotine separately to avoid increasing the price. However, a lot of sales are occurring across the border in Spain, which is having a large, negative impact on the Portuguese market.

Taiwan: likely to end pharma regime for nicotine-containing products

1st December 2016 - Regulatory reports |

In this report, ECigIntelligence looks in detail at the situation in Taiwan, where the legal situation may possibly be set to change. It is likely that nicotine-containing products will become legal while nicotine-free liquid will be banned, leading unusual situation of nicotine-containing e-cigarettes being available as consumer products while nicotine-free products were treated as pharmaceutical products.

E-cigarette researchers outraged by charities’ “threatening” letters

11th October 2016 - Marketing & retailing , Regulatory briefing |

Scientists and researchers have said that anti-smoking charities are acting like the anti-Communist zealots of the 1950s McCarthy era in trying to keep them away from an international conference on tobacco and nicotine. One public-health expert said: “The tactic is to say ‘tobacco industry’ like senator Joseph McCarthy would once say ‘communist’ and assume that […]

Poland regulatory report: e-cigs regulated as tobacco

30th September 2016 - Regulatory reports |

Recent legislation transposes the EU’s Tobacco Products Directive into Polish law and regulates e-cigarettes in the same way as tobacco.

This means advertising and vaping are banned in public places are banned, in line with the restrictions on combustible tobacco products.

France regulatory report: public spaces relaxed, ads banned

5th September 2016 - Regulatory reports |

One of the world’s largest e-cig markets, France has transposed the Tobacco Products Directive (TPD) in several pieces of legislation, starting with the Health Law plus decrees and ordinances with more detailed product specific regulation for e-cigarettes.

The most stringent provision has been an almost complete ban on any type of advertising and sponsorship, which equalises the e-cig regime with that of tobacco.

TPD compliance: what to test and how to test it

17th August 2016 - Regulatory reports |

The EU’s Tobacco Products Directive (TPD) demands that manufacturers supply information on the ingredients and components of e-cig products, as well as testing ingredients and carrying out toxicological assessments – but it is vague on the detail of what to test and how. More clarity has been forthcoming from the European Commission (EC), however, with guidance on its expectations for testing.

Russia: regulations expected by 2017

5th August 2016 - Regulatory reports |

  There may be more recent ECigIntelligence reports on this territory. Please visit the home page for Russia or the advanced search page.         Executive summary   • E-cigarette products are mainly unregulated in Russia, aside from general consumer and safety regulation. • Several initiatives to regulate policy are currently being discussed at the State Duma. […]

Making a myth: teens, e-cigs, science and the media

25th July 2016 - Regulatory briefing |

A new U.S. study claiming to show a link between youth e-cigarette use and tobacco smoking has not only been criticised by many scientists working in the field, but also demonstrates how misconceptions and misinformation on the topic of vaping spread through the media.

The deeming rule and PMTAs: what it all means for manufacturers

26th June 2016 - Regulatory reports |

    There may be more recent ECigIntelligence reports on this territory. Please visit the home page for the United States or the advanced search page.       Introduction   On 10th May, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) finalised its regulations that deemed tobacco products to be subject to the federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act. […]

E-cigarette regulation in Portugal: TPD plans become clear

6th September 2015 - Regulatory reports |

Introduction • Regulatory landscape • Current regulatory framework • Product categorisation • Age restrictions • Product restrictions • Notification procedure • Public usage • Advertising and marketing restrictions • Cross-border sales • Taxation • Case law • Enforcement • Conclusions • Graphic: how Portuguese e-cigarette regulation will change

In-depth: e-cigarette legislation in Cyprus, July 2015

30th July 2015 - Regulatory reports |

There may be more recent ECigIntelligence reports on this territory. Please visit the full list of regulatory reports, or the advanced search page.       Executive summary   E-cigarettes are not currently regulated in Cyprus but they are subject to general consumer protection and safety regulations unless they are deemed a medicine “by presentation”.   ECigIntelligence has […]

In depth: the new Dutch decree on e-cigarettes, Feb. 2015

30th January 2015 - Regulatory reports |

Executive summary • Introduction • Dutch regulatory powers • Previous Dutch e-cig regulation • New regulation in detail • Definition of e-cigarette • Advertising • Ingredients • Additives • Packaging • Instruction leaflet • Child-proofing • E-liquid volume and nicotine concentration • What next?

Vapers “significantly less dependent” than smokers

17th December 2014 - Regulatory briefing |

Relatively little scientific work has been done on comparing dependence on nicotine via tobacco with dependence on the substance via other delivery vehicles. But new U.S. research attempts to answer this question using a new index of dependence created specifically for the comparison.

In depth: e-cigs in the U.S. – market and regulatory analysis

24th September 2014 - Regulatory reports |

A comprehensive survey of the U.S. e-cigarette market and regulation, including: Market size • Consumption patterns • Online pricing • Distribution • Raw material supply • E-cigarette usage surveys • Current U.S. e-cigarette regulation • The future of e-cigarette regulation in the United States • Potential challenges to the deeming regulations • Taxation of e-cigs • State and local government regulation case study – California • Public place restrictions by state and local governments • Challenging the deeming regulations – precedents • The FDA regulatory process • The role and influence of trade and consumer associations

In depth: medical licensing in Europe: big rewards, but a long road

31st March 2014 - Market reports |

The vote in the European Parliament that passed the revamped Tobacco Products Directive will have some e-cigarette manufacturers contemplating the costly and often lengthy process of medicines licensing, in order to compete with larger firms able to afford the advantages that a marketing authorisation could bring.

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