Tobacco Asia

20 tobaccoasia PRODUCT NEWS 产品新闻 rette market. However, as it continues to attract investment and users, the company also admits that its product is being used by teenagers. "We acknowl- edge kids are using the products," Juul chief administrative officer, Ashley Gould, said earlier this year. "We're committed to stopping it." So far, Juul has committed US$30 million towards efforts to stem underage use of its products. The Bluetooth technology and accompanying software could help users track their nicotine intake, but they could also be used to regularly verify that users are not underage. The company has also considered using Blue- tooth to form geofences around schools, causing any of its e-cigarettes to shut down when they're on a school campus. "We are actively evaluating new tech- nologies and features to help keep Juul out of the hands of young people," a company spokesperson said. According to c.e.o Kevin Burns, the Bluetooth-connected Juuls will start rolling out in Israel and Western Europe in October. More Data Shows E-Cigs Slashed Smoking Rates New research by Gallup has found that US smoking rates have reached a record low at 16%, and that e-cigarettes seem to have played a major role in this. The study surveyed nearly 19,000 Juul users and found that nearly two-thirds of the respondents who were smokers when they started using the device quit smoking as a result of the switch. The quitting rate via other NRTs such as patches, was reported to be less than 7% in comparison. Also, over 50% of the respondents who had not managed to quit smoking completely by using Juul devices still managed to reduce their smoking by 50-99% after starting to use them. Interestingly, the study also found that from the respondents who had never smoked prior to using the devices, only 2% had proceeded to start smok- ing. This confirms that e-cigarettes' gateway effect is minimal-to-nonexistent. For every respondent who started smoking after vaping, 137 managed to quit, and many more manage to significantly reduce their consumption. INDIA E-Cig Ban Reduces Safer Choices for Smokers The Council for Harm Reduced Alternatives (CHRA) and the Associa- tion of Vapers India (AVI), warned the central and state governments that a ban on e-cigarettes would deprive millions of smokers of safer choices and cause damage to public health. CHRA said it is unfortunate that the government is mulling banning e-cigarettes, "which are 95% less harmful compared to tobacco cigarettes", even as it promotes harm- reduction programs in interventions on addiction and communicable diseases. AVI director, Pratik Gupta, said, "The idea of banning e-cigarettes is premature, given that no study has been conducted by our health organizations on the health impact of vaping. Mean- while, multiple peer-reviewed scientific studies in the UK and elsewhere have convinced health experts and govern- ments to encourage smokers to switch to vaping. The hurry to ban e-cigarettes Gov't tragets is not understandable." "E-cigarettes are not only less harmful compared to tobacco cigarettes, but also help smokers wean off the nicotine dependence," he added. ISRAEL Banning High Nicotine E-Cigs Israel's Health Ministry is set to ban the sale of nicotine-rich e-cigarettes. A ministry official said the decision to ban e-cigarettes with nicotine content in excess of 20 milligrams for every milliliter liquid was taken in early August without any notice to the public. Europe has already set a 20-milli- gram ceiling, as Israel is doing now NEW ZEALAND Gov't Wants Tobacco Tax, Not Vapes The New Zealand Taxpayers' Union (TPU) issued an August 10 press release claiming that the New Zealand govern- ment is choosing to pursue tax revenues instead of helping smokers quit. In the release, TPU claims that regulations will require tobacco-alternatives to be packaged in a manner which would deter smokers from using the healthier alternatives. Alternative products sold in New Zealand will soon be required to be labelled with the same anti-smoking labels as regular cigarettes. This require- ment extends to non-combustion products such as e-cigarettes, heated tobacco, and snus. TPU executive director, Jordan Williams, said "Considering these products don't expose users to the harmful compounds in cigarette smoke, applying cigarette packaging to the new products runs completely counter to public health goals and the government's Smokefree 2025 goal." According to Williams, if all current smokers were to switch to the lower-taxed alternative products, the government would stand to lose approxi- mately NZ$2 billion in tax revenues. Williams also said that the New Zealand government "…appears to prefer money over the lives these products would save if regulated appropriately." INDONESIA Gov't Targets US$200m in Vape Excise Taxes The government estimates it may collect up to IDR3 trillion (US$207 million) in additional revenue next year from a new excise on tobacco extract, or vaping liquid. The government began imposing an excise on vaping liquid on July 1. Under a new regulation, the liquid is subject to a 57% excise tax, more than four times the maximum excise on regular cigarettes. In addition, the government requires up to 200 domestic producers to start attaching excise ribbons to product containers and pay excise on it by October 31. Only vaping liquids containing tobacco extract or nicotine are subject to the excise. Heru Pambudi, director general of customs and excise at the Ministry of Finance, said, "If there are any busi- nesses not using the ribbon after the transition deadline, we will seize it." Noegroho Wahyu, acting director of excise, said only three producers are currently registered but the government expects the remaining producers to do so before the deadline. He also said that the government will likely only collect between IDR50-70 billion in additional revenue from the new excise this year.

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