Simplified Cheaper PMTA Process? – Fatwa Issued On Vaping and SMOK Donates To the Fight Coronavirus Fund – Plus More

Confusion Over Simplified and Cheaper PMTA Process?

The vape industry might just have been offered a lifeline with an announcement of a simplified cheaper PMTA process.

However, nothing is on paper as yet, as the announcement seemed to be an off the cuff or confused remark from Alex Azar – the US secretary of Health and Human Services – whilst on a radio show.

Azar also seemed a little confused about the whole Pre Market Tobacco Agreement system suggesting open tanks – mods and e-liquids would not be covered!

In a nutshell ALL vape products that have been on the market in the USA since 2007 will need to pass through the costly PMTA’s system – run by the FDA – OR be deemed illegal to sell.

For a more detailed look at PMTAs – please read:

• 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
• Fight To Delay the PMTA Process – Appeal Court Will Decide

After a question from a local vape shop owner, the health secretary suggested the FDA would be ignoring most vape products only concentrating on closed pod systems – which is where my confusion stems from.

Azar said:

Under the law, by May of this year, all e-cigarettes—not all vaping products—just e-cigarettes, which are nicotine delivery devices, are required to come in and seek FDA approval.

They’ve been on the market illegally up to this date, because they’ve not been approved by FDA

We’re working with small businesses and the vaping association to actually create pathways that would streamline approval for the open-tank small vape shop-based products,” Azar said.

What we’re focused on are the cartridges in the systems with kid-attractive flavors, not the open-tank vaping systems, and as to all products we’re committed to working with all actors in the system to get them through the regulatory process that Congress set up as expeditiously as possible.

That regulatory process is not something the President created.

That was created by Congress back in the Obama administration.

We just have to implement it.

Huh?

So when is an e-cigarette NOT a vape product and vice versa?

I said in the article Trump Vape Meeting that Azar looked way out of his depth on this whole e-cigarette question and for me these remarks prove it.

Whilst it’s good to see some movement/discussion on the PMTAs – how many smaller vape shops and vaping businesses are actually manufacturing mods – drippers and tanks?

Sure there will be a lot of smaller e-liquid companies that might reach out for FDA assistance in getting through the PMTAs – but that still means larger companies from China and the rest of the world will still need to fork out close to half a million dollars per PMTA.

Yes the USA has announced a temporary ‘closed flavoured pod’ ban except for menthol and tobacco and maybe this is where out of his depth Azar has got his wires crossed – and that’s me being kind.

Azar’s comments have clouded the waters on this crucial issue and Trump and the FDA either needs to reign him in – brief him fully on PMTAs or put someone in his place that knows what the hell’s going on.

US Surgeon General and More Vape Confusion!

Forget vaping if you want to quit smoking, use drugs and counseling instead says the US Surgeon General.

The recently released Smoking Cessation: A Report of the Surgeon General includes a detailed look at the use of e-cigarettes as a cessation aid, but falls short of saying vaping actually works!

As we know, patches – gums and sprays are half as effective when it comes to quitting that vaping and stop smoking medications ALL have serious side-effects including suicidal thoughts.

More money for Big Pharma and f**k vaping is really the bottom line here…

OK, the report does recognize there’s ‘some’ – but not enough evidence – to suggest vaping on a nicotine product compared to a none nicotine device ‘may’ help smokers quit – prize for the dumbest point right there lol.

There’s a slimmed down version of the report that includes the BS line:

E-cigarette aerosol generally contains fewer harmful chemicals than the smoke from burned tobacco products.

However, e-cigarette aerosol can contain cancer-causing chemicals and tiny particles that reach deep into the lungs.

Absolute rubbish of course – and leads to the line:

Smoking cessation medications approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and behavioral counseling are effective treatments for quitting smoking, particularly when used in combination.

We’ve just seen the World Health Organization’ rubbished report push the Big Pharma medicinal approach to quitting smoking, and now the US Surgeon General is doing the very same thing.

It’s little wonder US politicians and the wider public are confused about the safety of vaping with this sort of nonsense being spewed out.

And BTW, the US Surgeon General – Vice Admiral Jerome Adams – has a real downer on all things vape.

I mean who could forget him trying desperately to link the recent EVALI outbreak to straight up nicotine vapes and NOT contaminated THC cartridges as this tweet shows:

No bias here…lol.

Read: Adult Smoking Cessation—The Use of E-Cigarettes

Fatwa Ordered On E-Cigarettes

The 50 million members of an Islamic organization have been told vaping is ‘haram’ or forbidden within the religion.

Muhammadiyah is a major Islamic group based in Indoensia and the rulers have just decreed a fatwa on all things vape.

A fatwa is a:

…ruling on a point of Islamic law given by a recognized authority.

Fatwas in the past have included Bin Laden’s call to attack America and the infamous case of Salman Rushdie following his publication of the book the Satanic Verses…

The Muhammadiyah central executive board made the ruling last week and a spokesman said:

Smoking electronic cigarettes is haram, just like smoking conventional cigarettes, because it is categorized as a form of consumption that can damage or endanger [the user’s health].

Those who do not smoke should not let themselves or their family members [smoke] electronic cigarettes, while those who are already active smokers must try their best to stop.

For the record it is still legal to vape within Indonesia, however I recently reported on the country’s National Narcotics Agency urging the Government to ban all things vape.

The country has 57million smokers and sees deaths from lit tobacco related diseases of around 225,000 smokers – almost 15% of all deaths.

No word on what the punishments are for Muslims that smoke or vape…

Pro-Vaping Instagram Posts Beating Anti-Vape Message

A recent study has shown the pro-vaping message is smashing the anti-vape message by 10,000 to one on Instagram.

However this could all change as the popular social media platform starts to clamp down on so called ‘vape influencers’.

A team from the Berkeley University in California looked at 245,894 Instagram posts which included the start of the US Government’s anti-vape social media campaign #TheRealCost, which included that silly ‘magic tricks’ video.

Researcher Julia Vassey said:

US public health officials have been calling vaping among youth an epidemic and have been putting a lot of effort into trying to stop this epidemic by introducing #TheRealCost anti-vaping campaign but this stark imbalance in the volume of posts has caused the FDA message to be overwhelmed by marketing from the vaping brands.

We focused on Instagram because the vaping influencers we interviewed for this study identified Instagram as their most important social media marketing platform.

Based on the results, the FDA anti-vaping campaign is not very popular and we saw Instagram user comments disputing the FDA claims of damaging health effects from nicotine and calling the campaign propaganda.

Instagram users more knowledgeable on the safety of vaping than the US Government?

Imagine my shock!

Good to see and despite all the mainstream media crapS – many of us are not swayed by the stupid BS anti-vape articles.

Incidentally, the #TheRealCost campaign is estimated to have cost $60million…

Money down the drain – literally…

SMOK Donates Cash To Fight Coronavirus Outbreak

Our thoughts go out to everyone in China affected by the deadly Coronavirus.

China is currently on lock down – right in the middle of the country’s New Year ‘celebrations’.

Vape giant SMOK has felt compelled to make a donation to help fight the disease as you can see from the company’s recent Tweet.

China is the spiritual home of vaping and very many of us in the vape industry have made some great friends in the country.

Let’s hope a swift solution can be found – and soon.

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More vape news on Wednesday…