Philip Morris International to Open First iQOS Store in South Africa

Philip Morris International will open its first iQOS store in South Africa. The company will establish a flagship store in Johannesburg aimed at stimulating demand for the cigarette alternative iQOS in Africa.

According to spokesperson Alessandro Poggiali, Philip Morris plans to use this store as a springboard to expand into other regions of the African continent. He stated that South Africa is the only African country where Philip Morris distributes iQOS, but more countries are expected to join in the future.

"We have established dedicated sales points in many countries to interact with consumers," Poggiali said in an interview in Johannesburg.
Philip Morris has set up 70 iQOS stores in 23 countries, which is part of a broader trend in the tobacco industry, with British American Tobacco and Japan Tobacco also investing in smoking alternatives to drive new revenue sources. Traditional cigarettes are under pressure from global regulators, and their popularity is declining as more people become aware of their inherent health risks.

According to a report from the Smoke-Free World Foundation, there are 7 million smokers in South Africa, accounting for about 1/8 of the population. The World Health Organization estimates that about 80% of the 1.1 billion smokers worldwide live in low- and middle-income countries.

Poggiali stated that opening an iQOS store in South Africa will help establish connections with regulators and consumers in other markets in the region. The company estimates that about 10,000 smokers switch to iQOS daily. The company is still awaiting approval from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to sell in the United States.

Israel Legislation Accepts E-Cigarettes

Israel, which previously had a battle with JUUL and banned its sales, has once again become a focal point in the e-cigarette circle. Recently, they have introduced related requirements for e-cigarettes, and like Canada, this has been legislated!

The Israeli Ministry of Health announced a new regulatory draft "Pharmacist Regulations (Conditions for the Production and Sale of E-Cigarettes) 5778-2018." The regulations prohibit the production and sale of e-liquids and related products with nicotine concentrations exceeding 20mg/ml. The nicotine concentration limit complies with the EU directive 2014/40/EU.

The draft regulations require that the sale of refill containers and materials should only be limited to child-resistant, damage-resistant, or leak-proof packaging.

Israel Legislation Accepts E-Cigarettes

The most important point is: the regulations will prohibit the sale and manufacture of e-liquid products with nicotine concentrations exceeding 20mg/ml. This means that commonly used nicotine concentrations of 50mg, 35mg, etc., will no longer be available in Israel!

Compared to a complete ban on e-cigarettes, Israel's regulations have become much more lenient. The prohibition of e-liquids with nicotine concentrations above 20mg/ml is mainly to ensure that users or children do not accidentally ingest them, as high concentrations of nicotine can indeed pose a fatal danger if ingested.

Personally, I feel that this legislation in Israel may become a trend in the international attitude towards vaping.

First, the concentration and packaging restrictions are a relatively moderate management approach, neither indulgent nor completely prohibitive, while also ensuring safety regarding nicotine.

Secondly, this legislation has not only attracted national attention but has also drawn the interest of the WTO (World Trade Organization), and I believe it will spread to more countries.

I wonder if this legislation will have a greater impact than Canada's legislation, thus changing more countries' attitudes towards vaping. We still need to learn more about this. In any case, this is a relatively positive piece of news, as another country recognizes and accepts vaping.
NNA Supports APPG FOR VAPING Report

On November 20, the All-Party Parliamentary Group for Vaping (APPG) recommended a fundamental liberalization of vaping policies in the workplace to encourage more smokers to switch to vaping. The following policy suggestions were made:

1) Vaping policies in the workplace should balance the needs of vapers and smokers;

2) Employers should develop workplace policies that allow outdoor activities and prepare accessible indoor smoking areas.

3) By becoming vape-friendly, serve as a model for other workplaces and public places. #p#分页标题#e#

4) Public Health England should educate employers and owners of public places to take positive action.

5) Vapers should vape responsibly."

The UK Office for National Statistics stated, "strongly supports this report" and hopes to see these recommendations fully implemented. The organization added that these policies are practical and help clear up existing confusion and misinformation.

Sarah Jakes, chair of the NNA (New Nicotine Alliance), stated: "Currently, there are 3.2 million vapers in the UK, of which 1.7 million use e-cigarettes exclusively to quit smoking. This has led to a general decline in smoking rates, but many smokers still hesitate due to misunderstandings about e-cigarettes. More liberal workplace policies can correct these misunderstandings while providing a more encouraging environment for those trying to quit and for smokers considering using e-cigarettes."

Research on E-Cigarette Use and Smoking Cessation Among Taiwanese Youth

Last month, Taiwanese researchers published a study titled "E-Cigarette Use and Attempts to Quit Smoking Among Taiwanese Youth" on NCBI. The data came from the Taiwan Global Youth Tobacco Survey conducted annually from 2014 to 2016, which included adolescents aged 12 to 18.

"Current e-cigarette use (OR = 1.21) is positively correlated with attempts to quit smoking. Smokers who observe anti-smoking media messages (OR = 1.12), participate in anti-smoking courses (OR = 1.17), are influenced by cigarette packaging warnings (OR = 3.32), or receive cessation assistance (OR = 3.11) are more likely to attempt to quit smoking."

Similarly, data extracted from two population-based surveys in the U.S., NIHS and TUS-CPS, indicate that the current high success rate of smoking cessation is related to e-cigarette use.

Vaporized Invests £2 Million in Production

The e-cigarette company Vaporized has invested £2 million at its Edinburgh headquarters to meet growing demand. The company develops and produces e-cigarettes on behalf of major U.S. brands such as Arc Distro, Bad Drip, and Charlies Chalkdust.

The company has produced over 100 bottles of e-liquid and can provide additional output to meet future demand increases.

Latest data shows that nearly 3 million people now vape. Subsequently, the company announced this investment.

Doug Mutter, director of Vaporized, stated: "We are developing ambitious growth plans, aiming to triple our store footprint and double our workforce to 1,000 people over the next three years. This investment will create 20 new professional jobs, ensuring we can meet customer demand."

Mr. Mutter continued: "Investing in our manufacturing and product development expertise can give us a real competitive advantage. More and more smokers are recognizing evidence-based public health opportunities, and international brands are responding to the growing consumer demand. We see this as a real growth area."