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MARCH/APRIL 2015
products would subject them to all
existing tobacco-related laws, including
taxation regulations, which, he noted,
would bring in additional revenue for the
government.
…Writing in the
National Review
,
Gregory Conley, president of the
American
Vaping
Association
representing small- and medium-
sized vapor businesses, said that
“Big
Tobacco” is lobbying state governments
to impose taxes and regulations on its
smaller competitors. Reynolds American,
the largest player in the cig-alike e-cig
market, he writes, has “devised a vapor-
product regulatory strategy to protect its
cigarettes and cig-alike e-cig products
from thousands of smaller PV [premium
vapor products] and e-liquid competitors
in several states.” Reynolds and others
are advocating taxation on all vapor
products and the imposition of the same
regulatory and licensing requirements
that apply to cigarettes, while also urging
FDA to ban all PVs, e-liquid products and
most flavored vapor products, in what
Conley describes as “Big Tobacco’s war
on these innovative technology products”
at the cost of new businesses that are
providing local jobs, paying taxes and
helping to reduce the toll of smoking.
…GlaxoSmithKline CEO Andrew Witty
said that the British drug maker is feeling
the pressure from e-cigs, the growth
of which is dampening sales of
GSK’s
nicotine patches and gum
, and even
explored the possibility of competing
directly by introducing its own e-cigs,
but ultimately “decided we’re not going
to play” because e-cigs are “just too
controversial.”
…Senator Bill Nelson (D-Florida) re-
introduced the
Child Nicotine Poisoning
Prevention Act
that would direct the
Consumer Product Safety Commission
to issue rules requiring child-resistant
packaging for liquid nicotine refills.
…Hawaii Senate Health Committee
Chairman Josh Green (D-Kona-Kau) is
working on a bill that would
ban e-cigs
in places where smoking is already
prohibited
, impose a 30-percent sales tax
on the devices to raise revenue for public
health programs, and raise the legal age
to buy e-cigs and tobacco products from
18 to 21. Green was expected to introduce
the measure during the legislative session
that began January 21.
…A new bill named the Public Health
(Regulation of Electronic Cigarettes) Bill
2015 introduced by Fianna Fail Senator
Averil Power and Independent Senator
John Crown in Ireland proposes to subject
e-vapor products
to restrictions similar to
what currently apply to tobacco products,
require e-liquids to come in childproof
containers, bane-cigadvertisingandevent
sponsorships by e-vapor manufacturers
and importers, prohibit e-vapor sales to
those under 18, and prohibit the use of
e-cigs in public places, workplaces, and
vehicles carrying anyone under 18.
…Addressing community stakeholders,
faith leaders and public health officials
in Richmond, Virginia on January 27 as
part of a cross-country listening tour
to understand how communities are
addressing public health issues in their
areas, U.S. Surgeon General Dr. Vivek
Murthy said that there is a “desperate
need” for
more clarity on e-cigs
to help
guide policies. If data supports theories
that the devices help cigarette smokers
quit smoking, he said, “then I think we
should absolutely embrace that and
use e-cigarettes in targeted ways.” He
added that in light of uncertainty voiced
by some regarding the health risks of
e-cigs and whether they serve as a
gateway to traditional smoking, “I think it’s
TMA REPORT