PMTA Deadline Extended Until September 2020
The PMTA deadline may be extended by 120 days giving the US and worldwide vaping industry time to breathe.
The Pre Market Tobacco Agreement process was set for May 12th this year, however due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Maryland Judge, Paul Grimm, has agreed to the FDA’s request for an extension until September 9th 2020.
It was Judge Grimm back in May 2019 that ordered the FDA to bring the PMTA process forward after anti-vape groups brought in a law-suit on the back of the supposed ‘teen vape epidemic‘.
That ‘epidemic’ has since proven to be false very many times.
Judge Grimm said at the time the FDA was almost negligent in continuing to push the deadline back and behind the scenes negotiations led to the May 2020 date.
This is only an “indicative ruling” – a kind of temporary motion due to a number of pro-vaping motions attempting to halt the PMTA process.
Under US law, Judge Grimm can’t change his initial ruling – that will be down to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit.
Once they’ve ruled – the motion will be sent back to Judge Grimm and then he can act…
The wheels of justice in motion are slow to say the least – but it looks pretty certain the extension will be granted.
This will of course give valuable time to those advocacy groups, including the Vapor Technology Association, time to build a stronger case to fight the PMTA’s.
For more information on the PMTA process, and what it means for the US and global vape industry and of course vapers, read my articles below:
- Vaping In America Faces Total Devastation As Anti-Vape Legislation Is Moved Forward
- Forget Flavour Bans the PMTA Process Is the REAL Threat To US Vapers
Another UK Vape Shop Ordered To Close
Trading Standards officers have ordered a UK vape shop to close after the owners stayed open despite not being on the government’s ‘essential’ shops list.
Broski’s Vape Store in Weston-super-Mare, Somerset England had posted on Facebook saying they were remaining open as they believed if DIY stores were classed as essential – then vape shops should be too.
The council visited the vape shop last Thursday and it was allowed to stay open until the following day so vapers could ‘stock up’ on supplies!
Owners Billy and Josh Grigolo said the decision to have stayed open was not for the money, but because they felt vape shops were offering a public health service during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Billy told his local newspaper:
We implemented a one in, one out policy and cleaned down the counters after every customer to stay safe.
All staff were checking their temperatures everyday.
We still believe it’s much safer for people to visit a vape shop with these policies in place than a hardware store or supermarket full of people where people can pick things and put them down, which is not possible in a vape shop.
The store is now offering home deliveries alongside many other bricks and mortar vape shops across the country.
Vape Advocates To Challenge New Zealand Vaping Bill
A new ‘vape bill’ introduced by politicians in New Zealand if passed will bring in sweeping changes to the current law and advocacy groups say it will be a disaster.
The Aotearoa Vapers Community Advocacy [AVCA] will be tackling the government’s select committee today [Wednesday April 8th] and it can be watched live on their Facebook page.
If passed, the new bill will significantly change the way vapers and smokers looking to quit in New Zealand, can get access to vital vape products.
Under the proposed law, gas stations and corner shops will be limited to selling only tobacco and menthol flavours, and there will be a complete ban on advertising.
Nancy Loucas, the director of AVCA, warned of the damage the bill might have, including creating a dangerous black market:
We make it very clear that the unintended consequences of such prohibitive regulation will not only make safer nicotine products (SNP) less accessible, less diverse and less appealing but will actually protect cigarette interests.
It would discourage smoking cessation and provide fertile ground for the creation of a flourishing black market which would create even more harm in communities.
If the Government must limit flavours in retailers other than specialist vape shops, there needs to be at least fruit and dessert flavours available alongside menthol, mint and tobacco.
Most former smokers found their flavour profile amongst the fruit and dessert e-liquid flavours and avoided tobacco, mint, and menthol as they were too similar to combustible cigarettes.
…in our view advertising should be controlled, but not banned.
Let’s hope they can convince the Government, however it seems likely they wont, but we can hope!
Pro-Vaping Canadian Heart Study!
It’s as rare as rocking horse sh!t to see any vape studies find in favour of the benefits of vaping – but here’s one!
Scientists at Jewish General Hospital/McGill University in Montreal say smokers are over twice as likely to quit if they switch to e-cigarettes.
However, they have emphasized the results show the switch needs to be done alongside stop smoking counseling.
But hey, good news is good news in these trying times right 😉
A total of 376 people from 17 areas of Canada were part of the 3 month test, and showed 21.9% of smokers given e-cigarettes containing nicotine were able to quit, compared to 9% that received only counseling.
Lead researcher Mark Eisenberg, MD, MPH said:
These findings show that nicotine e-cigarettes are effective for smoking cessation in the short term.
Vaping with counseling is more effective than counseling alone, although it’s not a magic bullet for smoking cessation.
While these are not clinical outcomes like death or lung cancer rates, the results are still quite impressive.
Impressive is definitely the word to take away from this study!
Remove ALL Vape Products During COVID-19 Pandemic!
In yet another ‘bat shit crazy’ US politician moment, there’s a call for ALL vape products to be removed from sale during the COVID-19 crisis!
You can file this under WTF – I’ve got a very full folder lol.
Raja Krishnamoorthi, chairman of House Oversight sub committee on economic and consumer policy, has written to FDA supremo Stephen Hahn demanding he also suspends any PMTA approvals…that as we all know are not happening until at least September 2020.
Krishnamoorthi wrote:
The FDA has both the authority and an obligation to start enforcing the law against all e-cigarettes in order to protect the public health.
Vaping will add to the stress on our hospitals as more people take up intensive care beds and require ventilators and other critical equipment.
Sometimes you just have to laugh – yeah I know it’s serious – but for goodness sakes these US politicians have lost the plot and continue to do so!
For the record and please feel free to pass this on to Krishnamoorthi and his ignorant virtue signalling cronies, what the UK experts say.
Dr James Gill, Locum GP & Honorary Clinical Lecturer, Warwick Medical School said:
[vaping] is likely to be far less harmful to the body’s respiratory system than smoking.
Dr Tom Wingfield, Senior Clinical Lecturer and Honorary Consultant Physician, Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, said:
…it is clear that vaping is far less harmful to the body’s respiratory system than smoking.
Dr Caitlin Notley, from the University of East Anglia, said:
There is no evidence that vaping increases the risk of infection or progression to severe conditions of COVID-19.
I’ve written a more detailed article on this subject – well worth a read if I say so myself lol: COVID-19 and Vaping – UK Health Experts Reveal the REAL Facts
…and finally…All Vape Shops have That One Customer!
If you haven’t watched the totally mental Tiger King documentary yet – then you probably won’t get this vape meme.
I’ve watched it and bloody hell, mental ain’t the word – crazy ain’t the word either lol.
Absolutely bat shit crazy bonkers story of ‘animal lovers’ and ‘murder’ that really is must see TV lol.
OK, now hands up vape shop owners who get this:
Ha! Made me chuckle!
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More vape news on Sunday – until then stay safe people!
