June 2023
Thousands of Unauthorized Vapes Pouring Into US Despite Crackdown on Fruity Flavors
The number of different electronic cigarette devices sold in the U.S. has nearly tripled to over 9,000 since 2020, driven almost entirely by a wave of unauthorized disposable vapes from China, according to tightly controlled sales data obtained by The Associated Press. The numbers demonstrate the Food and Drug Administration's inability to control the tumultuous...
Tobacco companies to display smoking health risk signs in US stores
Under federal court order, tobacco companies must post health risk warning signs in US retail stores selling cigarettes from 1 July. Point-of-sale signs advising on smoking health risks will be installed near tobacco displays in 220,000 retail stores across the US between 1 July and 30 September. These signs must be displayed until 30 June 2025. The...
Europe has a tobacco smuggling problem it needs to curb
Putting an end to tobacco smuggling would mean extra money in the budget to help those who need it the most — an ideal the European Union leaders vowed to uphold, Cristian Gherasim writes. Unfortunately, contraband and counterfeit goods have always been making their way into the EU with great costs to the economy, health...
As low-nicotine cigarettes hit the market, anti-smoking groups press for wider standard
he idea seems simple enough. Preserve all the rituals of smoking: Light up a cigarette, inhale the smoke, including the nasty stuff that can kill you, and exhale. But remove most of the nicotine, the chemical that makes tobacco so darn hard to quit, to help smokers smoke less. The Food and Drug Administration has been contemplating...
Ukraine’s steps to promote healthy nutrition and tobacco control in schools embrace hopes for the future
Ukraine is investing in healthier futures for its families and children. As part of a comprehensive approach to improving health, including recent efforts to implement a ban on foods high in trans fats within the country, the WHO Country Office of Ukraine and the WHO/Europe Special Initiative for NCDs and Innovation (SNI), in coordination...
Up in smoke: The black tobacco farmers British American Tobacco left behind
British American Tobacco South Africa (Batsa) has supported small-scale black tobacco farmers with equipment, funding and training since 2011. Some of these farmers in Limpopo feel used. The support dried up with little warning in 2021, leaving many of them in a desperate financial position. Batsa says that the programme was cut down...
E-cigarettes ban, a critical tool in Uganda’s battle against tobacco use
In the face of consistent opposition from the tobacco industry, Uganda is standing firm on its successful eight-year long ban on the sale of electronic cigarettes (e-cigarettes), says World Health Organization (WHO) Country Representative Dr Yonas Tegegn Woldemariam. The Tobacco Control Act, 2015 sought to effectively remove this globally popular tobacco alternative to smoking cigarettes...
New deadline for smoking and vape laws in South Africa
The Portfolio Committee on Health has announced that public consultation on the new Tobacco Products and Electronic Delivery Systems Control Bill will end on 28 July. In a media statement from Parliament, the government said that written submissions on the bill must be emailed to tobaccobill@parliament.gov.za or submitted online at https://forms.gle/FLrhnvThDk8ccLG97. As reported on 22 June, the submission period was originally...
