E-Cigarette and Vaping News

Country by Country Status on Vaping

March 19, 2015

A Global Legal Status

Please check if this article written in March 2015 is still current and valid before quoting us.

We have written a consensus country by country on vaping. We simplified it into three categories banned, permitted and unclear (which includes partial).

Electronic cigarettes, e-cigarettes, e-cigs and vaping are products sold as a smoking substitute. They don’t fall into the category of tobacco products or pharmaceutical products or even as a cessation product. Currently uncategorised they can be described as a product intended to deliver nicotine and or with flavour which can also be used as an alternative to smoking tobacco.
Pharmaceutical licenses are MA (Market Authorisation) to sell a product as a licensed medicinal product and to date no e-cigarette has such a license.

In some cases countries ban the commercial import but not the personal import of e-cigarettes and hence deliveries through the mail system are not affected.

Where is vaping banned? A Country by Country Status on Vaping

ARGENTINA – Banned.
AUSTRIA – Banned.
BRAZIL – Banned.
BRUNEI – Banned.
COLOMBIA – Banned.
INDONESIA – Banned.
JORDAN – Banned.
MALAYSIA – Banned.
MEXICO – Banned.
OMAN – Banned.
PANAMA – Banned.
SINGAPORE – Banned.
THAILAND – Banned.
TURKEY – Banned.
UNITED ARAB EMIRATES, UAE, including Dubai – Banned.
URUGUAY – Banned.
VENEZUELA – Banned.

Country by Country Status on Vaping : where it is permitted?

CHINA – Permitted; but may vary by region.
CZECH REPUBLIC – Permitted.
ESTONIA: Permitted
GERMANY – Permitted.
ISRAEL – Permitted.
ITALY – Permitted.
KOREA, REPUBLIC OF – Permitted.
LATVIA – Permitted.
MALTA – Permitted.
NETHERLANDS – Permitted.
POLAND – Permitted.
RUSSIA – Permitted.
TAJIKISTAN – Permitted.
UKRAINE – Permitted.
UNITED KINGDOM – Permitted.
UNITED STATES, USA – Permitted; but may vary by region.

Country by Country Status on Vaping : where it’s partial or unclear

AUSTRALIA – Partial permission. Permitted, if without nicotine.
BELGIUM – Partial permission. Permitted, if without nicotine.
CANADA – Partial permission. Permitted, if without nicotine.
DENMARK – Partial permission. Permitted, if without nicotine.
FRANCE – Partial permission.

E-Cigarettes and nicotine liquid are considered to be consumer goods regulated by general product safety regulations, unless they meet the criteria for medical licensing: if they claim to be for smoking cessation; or if the amount of nicotine in the cartridge is greater than or equal to 10 mg; or if the nicotine strength in a refill is more than or equal to 20mg/ml.
http://www.afssaps.fr/Infos-de-securite/Communiques-Points-presse/L-Afss…

FINLAND – Partial permission. Nicotine-free liquids and e-cigarette devices can both be sold in Finland.
GREECE – Unclear.
HONG KONG – Partial permission. E-cigarettes containing nicotine are classified as licensable poison products and prohibited.
IRAN – Unclear.
JAPAN – Partial permission. E-cigarettes with nicotine are banned because they are classed as unlicensed medical products.
MAURITIUS – Unclear.
NEW ZEALAND – Partial permission. Zero-nicotine products are permitted.
NORWAY – Partial Ban. The Norwegian Tobacco Act forbids the sale of new tobacco products and/or nicotine products, a classification that they claim encompasses ecig products. Imports from EU countries are generally accepted.
SOUTH AFRICA – Unclear.
SWEDEN – Partial permission. E-cigarettes and nicotine-free cartridges may be sold, but nicotine-containing refills are prohibited.
SWITZERLAND – Partial permission. Zero-nicotine products are permitted.

Taxes and categories of Nicotine

March 19, 2015

There are two ways to tax e-cigarettes (e-cigs) : direct and indirect taxes. Taxes and categories of nicotine makes sense in that you first establish how to segment this new industry, then raise taxes fairly. Currently there are five jurisdictions that tax nicotine containing liquids or e-cigarettes. In the US there are Minnesota and North Carolina, in Europe theres Italy and Portugal, in Asia there is South Korea. In the main most other countries raise taxes on e-cigarettes through indirect taxes such as sales tax.

How are each dealt with?

Take South Korea, the government made a new category and added an excise tax of $1.09 per one milliliter of e-liquid and started collecting as of January 2015. Portugal also levied a tax in January along with a new category, of 0.60€ per ml. North Carolina established a “Vapor Tax” of USD 0.05 per 1 milliliter of nicotine-containing liquid. In the same vain Italy started in January with a new category and yield of 0.37 € per ml. However something rotten brews in Italy. While the new levy doubles the prices of e-liquids it helps giants such as Philip Morris International. Why? Simply because it puts the same levy on tobacco products such as Marlboro HeatSticks. This coincides with Philip Morris launching a 500 Million Euro factory in Italy.

HeatSticks vs E-cigarettes

Many scientists agree that e-cigarettes are probably safer than conventional cigarettes. However other new devices such as Marlboro HeatSticks do use tobacco and have not yet been tested to the same degree. Unless studies prove they are as safe as e-cigs, e-cig firms say, they should not be taxed at the lower rate in Italy.
Valerio Forconi, Corporate Affairs and Legal Director in the Italian branch of tobacco giant Imperial Tobacco, says the principle of the tax is wrong.
Fontem Ventures, a subsidiary of Imperial, plans to launch a new e-cig in Rome in March. While they do not object to the new tax they strongly disagree that HeatSticks are treated the same way.

This makes Italy perhaps “the only country in the world” that effectively gives Philip Morris a tax discount on smoking.

Politics of e-cigarettes

February 10, 2015

In the last week we have seen further discussions on e-cigarettes, in this blog we refer to the politics of e-cigarettes for many reasons. It first started with the study of mice that was published in various newspapers and online forums.

Interesting to read the BBC news feed which stated that “In experiments on mice, scientists found that e-cigarette vapour could harm the lungs and make them more susceptible to respiratory infections.”

The word that must be stressed here is could, similar to ‘maybe’, which means that it is not a fact. On the daily feed from vaping news the story evolved into facts.The screen shot

shows how it transformed into a fact. See how BBC news “could” becomes Sky News “Are”…

THE POLITICS OF E-CIGARETTES

The ongoing debate of e-cigarettes spilled over into the Parliament and naturally lead to further Politics of e-cigarettes. In light of all the negative publicity last week, e-cigarettes can be used in Parliament. MPs and staff will be allowed to vape in three areas- these are the Portcullis House building, MP’s offices and their main pub Stranger’s.

ON GOING DEBATE

Circulating on facebook and newspapers are surveys and perceptions of addictions and bad habits. Last week we came across the public vs scientists’ views

Further, the Mirror has continued to ask the public opinion, should e-cigarettes be banned. Image posted for the update as of 10th April 2015.

The Politics of E-cigarettes continues…

Cigarettes & E-cigarettes Health effects

February 10, 2015

The key difference between conventional cigarettes and electronic cigarettes (e-cigarettes or vaping) is tobacco. There are plenty of studies on cigarettes health effects that prove tobacco is linked to cancer. There are few studies of e-cigarettes health effects. Conventional cigarettes contain a whole list of chemicals which are harmful to your health. E-cigarettes have some similar chemicals. One of these chemicals is Nicotine. Note: everyone tests positive for nicotine. It is a normal part of our diet, unless someone does not eat vegetables. It shows up in everyone’s blood stream in small amounts, because it is a common ingredient in vegetables. It is highly addictive and has been linked to reduced bone health. (1)

E-cigarettes health effects: what do we know?

Jonathan Foulds, who studies cigarettes health effects like tobacco addiction at Penn State Milton S. Hershey Medical Center states “E-cigarettes are at least 90 percent less harmful, and maybe much less harmful to your health than that”. He adds “It’s really the smoke that does the harm”. “Burning tobacco produces thousands of chemicals, including dozens that cause cancer. It produces carbon monoxide, which is a poisonous gas, and tar, which clogs the lungs.” Still, excessive nicotine can contribute to heart disease, although it’s not the main contributor to heart disease that results from smoking. He adds, nicotine is especially dangerous to an unborn foetus, so e-cigarettes don’t offer an acceptable option for pregnant women.But for most smokers, “any cigarette replaced by vaping is probably a step in the right direction,” says Foulds.

Studies by the FDA on E-cigarettes Health effects in 2009 (2) found detectable levels of known carcinogens and toxic chemicals in e-cigarettes. It is therefore understandable that some legislation will be needed on manufacturing of e-liquids. Traceability and transparency in the manufacturing of vaping liquids will be in the public interest. The truth about the studies on health has yet to be proven it is almost impossible to determine if a product increases a person’s risk of cancer or not until the product has been around for at least 15-20 years. Despite positive reviews from e-cigarette users who enjoy being able to smoke them where regular cigarettes are prohibited, very little is known about their safety and long-term health effects. To date e-cigarettes health effects compared to cigarettes are considerably less damaging.

(1) Tanaka, H.,Tanabe, N., Kawato, T., Nakai, K., Kariya, T., Matsumoto, S., & … Maeno, M. (2013). Nicotine Affects Bone Resorption and Suppresses the Expression of Cathepsin K, MMP-9 and Vacuolar-Type H+-ATPase d2 and Actin Organization in Osteoclasts. Plos ONE, 8(3), 1-12. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0059402.
(2) Summary of Results: Laboratory Analysis of Electronic Cigarettes Conducted By FDA. FDA News & Events. FDA, 22 July 2009. Web. 09 Aug. 2013.

The benefits of vaping

February 4, 2015

The birth of the e-cig has given many traditional cigarette smokers the opportunity to try a smarter alternative. Smokers can now substitute the unhealthy and expensive costs associated with smoking cigarettes with a smarter and more cost effective alternative. The benefits of vaping has also attracted many who may not have previously smoked in to the world of vaping.

So why use Electronic Cigarettes? Fake Cigarettes? Smokeless Cigarettes or E-Cigs? We demonstrate the benefits of vaping our Matchless Electronic Cigarette and the benefits of vaping in general.

1. They’re legal to smoke anywhere

There are currently no laws prohibiting vaping or smoking of e-cigs indoors. It is therefore legal to smoke indoors, in pubs or in public pubs (subject to management permission)

2. Health benefits of vaping

Matchless e-cigs do not contain any tobacco. They also do not contain the vast majority of chemicals and carcinogens present in cigarettes. They do contain Nicotine which is addictive.

3. Cost Effective

The cost savings is one of the main benefits of vaping. The savings are significant. Just take a look at the table below for an idea of how much you save by using the Matchless rechargeable ecig.

4. Original Cigarette Taste

If you enjoy the taste of tobacco then you’ll be delighted to taste our Tobacco E-cig flavours. They come in two varieties; red and blue (strong and medium). Both our flavours are specially formulated to bring you a genuine tobacco taste. Other great tasting flavours are now also available. Other flavours available are the popular vanilla, cherry and mint flavours.

5. No Flame and No burn hazard

Matchless e-cigs are not a fire hazard unlike traditional cigarettes. Matchless e-cigs do not need to be lit.

6. Odourless

Another popular reason why many smokers have replaced their traditional cigarettes with matchless e-cigs. The vapour produced by matchless e-cigs is odourless. Matchless e-cigs will not give you a bad breath or cling to your clothing, home or car.

7. Replicates the smoking experience

Matchless e-cigs not only deliver the nicotine you crave, they also fully replicate the smoking experience.

8. Quality packaging

The packaging has been designed to further replicate the real smoking experience. We’ve created quality packaging, cellophane wrapped. You’d be forgiven for mistaking it for real cigarettes.

9. No Mess

No ash, ashtrays or cigarette butts. Matchless e-cigs provide a much cleaner experience. The vapour dissipates quickly and it does not linger like smoke.

10. And the final benefit of vaping: Ease of Use

We understand that you’re looking for a pleasant and easy vaping experience. As a result we’ve made our matchless e-cigs extremely easy to use. The disposable versions come preassembled as one piece so all you have to do is take it out of the box and vape it up.

Study on formaldehyde in e cigs

January 29, 2015

Over the past week there have been headline grabbing statements in press. News on studies of formaldehyde in e cigs, begging for the attention of the public and smoker too. Statements like “high levels of formaldehyde hidden in e-cigs” and “researchers find cancer-causing agent in electronic cigarettes or vape pens”. As the week passed it evolved into ” e-cigs are worse than normal cigarettes studies show”.

What is amazing amongst these Chinese whispers are the facts that remain still: smoking is within the top 5 killers in the UK and US and note that it is the tobacco, not the nicotine, that kills. Unfortunately vaping is linked to smoking because you mimic the actions and there is nicotine. But that is where the similarities end. The public are being brain washed into thinking that vaping is worse than smoking- there are no facts to prove this. The press has recently sensationalized these studies on formaldehyde in e cigs but it’s worth remembering that their conclusions are misleading. Furthermore it’s difficult to deny that vaping is a smarter and safer alternative to smoking tobacco.

The study conducted by the Portland State concluded that vaping at high voltage will cause formaldehyde releasing agents to develop. We dont believe this is typical of vaping. There are few vapers who use high voltage hardware. Why? well it is like drinking burnt coffee, the taste is simply not the same. When you vape at high voltage the taste changes, in fact, it can be unbearable.

The press hasn’t been completely thorough. What they have neglected to highlight is that vaping at normal voltage does not produce formaldehyde in e cigs.

There is no proof that e-cigs / vaping are worse for you than smoking. This is a fact. We at Matchless will continue enjoying our vaping sessions, while remaining sensible about the voltage levels we vape at.