Author: James Anderson

Iconic British Tea Brand Faces Challenges Amid Changing Consumer Preferences Vape maker Supreme has rescued the 120-year-old tea brand Typhoo Tea in a £10m deal, aiming to keep the iconic British brand “in British hands.” The Manchester-based company, which makes the e-cigarette brand 88Vape and distributes nicotine and home products to supermarkets, stepped in after Typhoo fell into administration in November due to slumping sales and rising debts. Supreme chief executive Sandy Chadha expressed enthusiasm for the acquisition, stating, “Typhoo is such an iconic brand.” The company cited a mix of “sound business rationale and personal affinity” as the driving…

Largest Seizure of E-Cigarettes in Germany to Date, Tax Damage Estimated in Millions On November 27, 2024, German customs authorities seized approximately 650,000 illegal e-cigarettes, known as vapes, in the Rhineland region. This marks the largest seizure of its kind in Germany to date. Customs officers from the Krefeld Main Customs Office conducted a tax inspection at a warehouse of a Neuss-based company and discovered around 200 pallets of allegedly illegal vapes stored throughout the facility. The Krefeld customs officers promptly informed the responsible Essen Customs Investigation Office, which took over the investigation and arrested the suspects on site. Additional…

Health Ministers Adopt Recommendation to Protect Against Second-Hand Smoke and Vapour Health ministers from the European Union’s 27 member states agreed Tuesday to push for stricter anti-smoking rules, backing bans on smoking and vaping in many outdoor areas, including playgrounds and cafe patios. The ministers, meeting in Brussels, adopted a non-binding recommendation that invites member states to crack down on second-hand smoke and vapour. EU Health Commissioner Oliver Varhelyi hailed the agreement as a crucial step towards achieving a tobacco-free generation in Europe, emphasizing its critical role in protecting children and young people from the harmful effects of second-hand smoke.…

Senior Tories have branded Labour’s controversial Tobacco and Vapes Bill as “madness” due to a clause suggesting that people who knowingly market smoking or vaping-related products could face up to two years in prison. The legislation, which passed its second reading last week with an overwhelming majority, aims to create a smoke-free generation by imposing a UK-wide ban on the advertising, brand sharing, and sponsorship of herbal smoking products, cigarette papers, vaping, and nicotine products. Shadow Business Minister Greg Smith criticized the potential two-year prison sentence for advertising nicotine products to adults seeking to quit cigarettes as “wholly inappropriate.” Tory…

A new report has uncovered a significant disparity in vaping rates between LGBTQ+ individuals and their heterosexual counterparts. The findings, based on data collected from 2019 to 2021, reveal that 37.8% of LGBTQ+ adults have used vaping devices compared to just 16.5% of straight individuals. These devices include e-cigarettes, e-cigars, e-pipes, e-hookahs, vaping pens, and hookah pens, according to the U.S. Surgeon General’s comprehensive 837-page report. A Deeper Look at the Numbers The report also delves into subgroup differences within the LGBTQ+ community. It shows that 32% of gay men, 27% of lesbians, and a striking 47% of bisexual individuals…

The U.S. Supreme Court heard arguments on Monday in a case involving the Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) refusal to allow two e-cigarette companies, Triton Distribution and Vapetasia, to sell flavored vape products that the agency considers a health risk to youth. The case, an appeal filed by the FDA under the outgoing Biden administration, challenges a lower court’s decision that the agency failed to follow proper legal procedures under federal law when it rejected the companies’ applications to sell these nicotine-containing products. Potential Shift in Regulatory Approach Under Trump Administration During the arguments, Eric Heyer, the lawyer representing Triton…

The Supreme Court’s oral arguments on Monday regarding the Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) rejection of a new flavored vape felt like a lame-duck exercise, as the challenge against the agency regulation may become moot once President-elect Donald Trump takes office. Eric Heyer, the attorney representing the vape companies, acknowledged the uncertainty surrounding the FDA’s approach under the new administration, given Trump’s stated intention to “save flavored vapes.” The looming conclusion of the Biden administration, which has overseen agencies that have been significantly more aggressive in their regulatory efforts compared to what is expected under Trump, cast a shadow over…

Trading standards in England have confiscated more than 1.19 million illicit vapes in the 2023-24 period, marking a staggering 59% increase compared to the previous year, according to data released by National Trading Standards (NTS) on Tuesday. The seized products failed to meet basic UK safety standards, with most containing excessive nicotine levels. The data, gathered as part of Operation Joseph, a Government-funded project targeting enforcement and compliance in the sale of vaping products, also revealed alarming figures related to the sale of illegal vapes to minors. Nearly a quarter (24%) of the 775 in-person test purchases conducted by trading…

A Wisconsin oncologist has called on the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to take urgent action against the influx of illegal, flavored disposable vapes flooding the U.S. market, primarily from China. These products, intentionally designed to appeal to children with their eye-catching packaging, fruity flavors, and influencer endorsements, pose a severe public health crisis by luring vulnerable youth into nicotine addiction. The oncologist, who has witnessed the devastating impact of nicotine addiction firsthand, emphasizes that these illegal vapes are stronger, larger, and cheaper than their regulated counterparts, making them more accessible and potent to minors. This deadly combination is pulling…

A new study published in Nicotine and Tobacco Research has found that smokers who switched from cigarettes to e-cigarettes experienced significant improvements in respiratory health. Researchers analyzed data from the Population Assessment of Tobacco and Health (PATH) study, a large-scale, national survey of tobacco use conducted by the National Institutes of Health (NIH), to determine how different nicotine use behaviors impact respiratory symptoms over time. The study included adult participants who exclusively smoked cigarettes at the onset of the research and reported common respiratory symptoms such as coughing and wheezing. Researchers divided the subjects into four groups: those who quit…