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The Times newspaper, UK: Vaping in hospital wins support of health chiefs. Hospitals should allow vaping in private rooms as part of an anti-smoking drive, health chiefs have said. While the vapour given off by e-cigarettes may be annoying for others, there is no evidence that it is harmful, according to Public Health England, which has reviewed its guidance. All smokers, including pregnant women, should be encouraged to use e-cigarettes to quit tobacco, it said. Hospitals should also be allowed to sell e-cigarettes in their shops and regulators should push manufacturers to license them as medical quitting aids, allowing doctors to prescribe them. The review, conducted by experts from King’s College London, the UK Centre for Tobacco and Alcohol Studies and the University of Stirling, found that vaping posed only a small fraction of the risks of smoking, with 0.5 per cent of the risk of cancer. It found that e-cigarette use helped at least 20,000 people to quit tobacco every year. The experts said they were frustrated by the publication of studies linking e-cigarettes to health problems.

Singapore has made vaping illegal It will be illegal to possess, purchase and use vaporisers in Singapore as of 1 February 2018. This includes e-cigarettes, e-pipes and e-cigars as the law covers any toy, device or article. Persons found guilty of this offence can be fined up to $2,000. This follows the 1 August 2016 law which made it illegal to buy vaporisers online and ship them to Singapore for personal use. Those guilty of the offence are liable to a fine of up to $10,000 and/or up to 6 months’ jail. Repeat offenders are liable to a fine of up to $20,000 and/or to 12 months’ jail.

New Zealand: Electronic Cigarette Technical Expert Advisory Group The Ministry of Health advises it has established a Technical Expert Advisory Group on Electronic Cigarette Product Safety to support the introduction of an electronic regulatory scheme. This group will provide advice on the technical aspects of the development of the regulatory scheme, such as appropriate minimum quality and safety standards in the New Zealand context. These standards include manufacturing, ingredients, labelling and packaging.

ABC NEWS: Is Australia out of step with other countries? About four per cent of Australian smokers currently use e-cigarettes. E-cigarettes and their potential health effects have been hotly contested for some time. Advocates say they are a less harmful alternative to tobacco cigarettes, and could help smokers quit, and, ultimately, save lives. But many Australian public health experts oppose the use of e-cigarettes, arguing there isn't enough evidence to show they're safe. Last month, Federal Health Minister Greg Hunt said he would never lift the ban on e-cigarettes, despite an on-going parliamentary inquiry into their use. But Mr Hunt's position is at odds with health authorities in comparable nations including England, Scotland and more recently, New Zealand, who have backed e-cigarettes in a bid to lower smoking rates and reduce harm.

New Zealand believes vaping will improve public health. The Ministry of Health believes e-cigarettes have the potential to make a contribution to the Smokefree 2025 goal and could disrupt the significant inequities that are present. The potential of e-cigarettes to help improve public health depends on the extent to which they can act as a route out of smoking for New Zealand’s 550,000 daily smokers, without providing a route into smoking for children and non-smokerss. The Ministry of Health encourages smokers who want to use e-cigarettes to quit smoking to seek the support of local stop smoking services. Local stop smoking services provide smokers with the best chance of quitting successfully and should support smokers who want to quit with the help of e-cigarettes. When used as intended, e-cigarettes pose no risk of nicotine poisoning to users, but e-liquids should be in child resistant packaging. E-cigarettes release negligible levels of nicotine and other toxicants into ambient air with no identified health risks to bystanders.

Global forecast for e-Cigarettes and vaporizers. In 2016, the e-cigarette and vaporizer market was valued just over USD 9 billion and is expected to rise to USD 50 Billion by 2024.

US. FDA extends its regulatory power to include e-cigarettes. As of August 8, 2016, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) extended its regulatory power to include e-cigarettes. Under this ruling the FDA will evaluate certain issues, including ingredients, product features and health risks, as well their appeal to minors and non-users. The FDA rule also bans access to minors. A photo ID is required to buy e-cigarettes, and their sale in all-ages vending machines is not permitted.

U.S. E-Cigarette Regulation: A 50-State Review. The Public Health Law Centre has published a chart that provides a snapshot of the U.S. landscape of e-cigarette regulation as of June 15, 2017. The information was based on a 50-state (plus Washington, D.C.) survey of current state statutes pertaining to e-cigarette regulations in the following areas: definition of “tobacco product,” taxation, product packaging, youth access/other retail restrictions, retail license/permit requirement, and smoke-free air legislation. In some instances, public domain websites have not yet been updated to include the most recently passed laws. The N/A designation refers to the lack of state laws or regulations related to e-cigarettes as of June 15, 2017; however, many local laws in these states (and throughout the U.S.) address e-cigarettes.

EU. The EU Tobacco Products Directive. All products which do not comply with the 2016 Regulations cannot be sold after 20th May 2017. Any remaining stock of products on the market must be removed from sale.

UK. New vaping regulations. New laws restricting the sales of e-liquids and e-cigarettes will “inevitably” push up the cost of vaping, a trade organisation has warned. Vaping devices are known for being cheaper than cigarettes and are designed as way to help smokers kick their habit. The key changes which come into force from 20 May 2017 include: Refillable tanks must have a capacity of no more than 2ml; E-liquids can not be sold in quantities greater than 10ml; Unless registered as a medicine e-liquids can not have a nicotine strength of more than 20mg/ml; E-liquid packaging must be child-resistant and tamper evident; Additives including colouring, caffeine and taurine are banned; All e-cigarettes and e-liquids must be registered with the Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency before they can be sold; Stricter labelling requirements.

The Times Newspaper, UK. Smoke signals say young people prefer e‑cigarettes. The number of young British people trying e‑cigarettes has risen sharply, with almost a third of 16 to 24-year-olds vaping, official figures show. Among all British adults, 17.6 per cent smoked e-cigarettes, data from the Office for National Statistics showed. The decline in cigarette smoking continues, with only 17.2 per cent of adults smoking in 2015, the lowest proportion since records began in 1974. The second year of data found 30 per cent of them tried vaping in 2015, up from 24 per cent the year before. This compares with 20.7 per cent of young people who smoked tobacco cigarettes. Vaping is most common in this age group, the data shows, leading to concerns that youngsters are picking up an e‑cigarette habit rather than using them to quit smoking. Among all British adults, 17.6 per cent smoked e-cigarettes, data from the Office for National Statistics showed.

BRUSSELS, March 8 (Reuters). EU finance ministers call for higher taxes on e-cigarettes. Electronic cigarettes may need to be taxed at higher rates, European Union finance ministers agreed on Tuesday, as "vaping" increases in popularity. E-cigarettes in most EU states are exempt from excise duties, which are levied on traditional tobacco products in addition to sales tax. That means they are usually cheaper. With an eye on both state revenues and public health considerations, ministers meeting in Brussels said the exemption from excise duties should be reconsidered, and asked the European Commission to decide by 2017 whether to propose increasing taxation on e-cigarettes. The Commission, the EU body which draws up legislative proposals, is likely to take a cautious approach, a spokeswoman said. "It would be extremely unlikely that we would propose to apply the same taxation levels on e-cigarettes as those applied to cigarettes," the spokeswoman said.

UK London: E-cigarettes ‘far safer’ than smoking, say health experts. First long-term study of vaping effects show fewer toxins compared to normal cigarettes. Vaping has been given an emphatic thumbs up by health experts after the first long-term study of its effects in ex-smokers. After six months, people who switched from real to e-cigarettes had far fewer toxins and cancer-causing substances in their bodies than continual smokers, scientists found. Experts hope the findings will reassure would-be quitters who have been confused by mixed messages about the safety of e-cigarettes. Lead author Dr Lion Shahab, from University College London, said: “Our study adds to existing evidence showing that e-cigarettes and NRT are far safer than smoking, and suggests that there is a very low risk associated with their long-term use. We’ve shown that the levels of toxic chemicals in the body from e-cigarettes are considerably lower than suggested in previous studies using simulated experiments. This means some doubts about the safety of e-cigarettes may be wrong. Our results also suggest that while e-cigarettes are not only safer, the amount of nicotine they provide is not noticeably different to conventional cigarettes. This can help people to stop smoking altogether by dealing with their cravings in a safer way.” The Cancer Research UK-funded scientists studied a total of 181 individuals including smokers and ex-smokers who had used e-cigarettes or NRT products such as patches and nasal sprays for at least six months.

Ireland: Increased use of e-cigarettes would assist smokers to quit, study finds. The Health Information and Quality Authority has said that an increased use of e-cigarettes by smokers trying to quit "would increase the number of people who successfully quit compared with the existing situation in Ireland". For the first time e-cigarettes are included in a study on the cost effectiveness of aids for quitting smoking in Ireland. HIQA's analysis also looks at how many people use e-cigarettes to stop smoking in Ireland, as well as trends in other countries, while acknowledging that research into e-cigarettes is only beginning. HIQA has commenced a national public consultation on how best to quit smoking as part of an assessment into the cost-effectiveness of interventions offered by the HSE. A public consultation seeking feedback on this report is open until 3 February 2017. Following this, a final report will be prepared for consideration by the HIQA board, before being submitted to the Minister for Health and the HSE.

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The UK Times has printed a full apology to five scientists for three articles that wrongly suggested tobacco companies funded their research into e-cigarettes.

The British Medical Journal reported that e-cigarettes helped 18,000 people, out of the 54,000 that quit smoking, to likely stay off cigarettes long term. The report indicated that this could ultimately save 10,000 lives.

The Irish Times: The Irish government has been urged to tax eLiquids but now is not the time to place such a tax. Smokers need an alternative to tobacco cigarettes so tax tobacco products but give smokers an incentive to move to electronic cigarette products on a tax free basis. If the UK's Royal College of Physicians suggest that the risks in vaping is unlikely to exceed five per cent of those with tobacco products then we should make it easier for smokers to switch.

The Irish Times: Four EU member states – Portugal, Italy, Romania and Slovenia – have introduced taxes on e-cigarettes, or on the liquid used in them. Public Health England, an agency of the UK’s department of health, said e-cigarettes were not risk-free but when compared with smoking, evidence showed they carried “just a fraction of the harm”.

The TIMES newspaper: Give vapers their own rooms and more breaks, bosses told. E-cigarette users should be allowed extra breaks and the use of “vaping” rooms at work so they do not have to mingle with tobacco smokers, Public Health England has said. The government body issued new official advice for employers to make vaping the “more convenient option” in the hope of persuading more people to give up tobacco. It says being forced to vape outdoors will “undermine their ability to quit smoking”.

Warsaw, Poland- A new study from the UK Centre for Substance Use Research, presented at the Global Forum on Nicotine, shows e-cigarettes are playing an important role in reducing the likelihood of young people smoking, in many cases acting as a 'roadblock' to combustible tobacco. In detailed qualitative interviews with young people aged 16 to 25 across Scotland and England, the majority of participants viewed e-cigarettes as having reduced - not increased - the possibility of both themselves and other people smoking. There was very little indication amongst the young people interviewed that e-cigarettes were resulting in an increased likelihood of young people smoking, said Dr Neil McKeganey who led the research. "In fact the majority we interviewed, including those who were vaping, perceived smoking in very negative terms and saw vaping as being entirely different to smoking."

Whilst American vapors mull over the FDA's latest ruling, a former British MEP now sitting in the House of Lords has tabled what’s known as a ”Fatal Motion” that would block Article 20 of the EU Tobacco Products Directive from being introduced into UK law. This motion gives the UK Government the opportunity to address EU legislation issues relating to e-cigarettes that consumers and industry consider unnecessary, arbitrary and do not support scientific evidence of their relative risk compared to tobacco cigarettes.

The FDA has issued regulations bringing vapor products in line with tobacco products. The FDA has issued a 499-page document placing all vapor products under the jurisdiction of the Tobacco Control Act of 2007. Under the changes, vapor products, including nicotine free e-liquid, will be held to the same requirements.

Britain's Royal College of Physicians has issued a report stating that E-cigarettes are likely to bring benefits for public health and should be widely promoted to smokers to help them quit tobacco.

The CECMOL 2016 China International Vapor Expo. It's back to the Shenzhen Convention and Exhibition Centre for the three day event.

Vapexpo Kiev. Two days from 1-2 April.

Paris International Vape Trade Show. Two days from 20-21 March.

Vape Expo Poland. Three days from 4th-6th March.

London News. About 20,000 “vapers” gave up smoking in 2014 who would not otherwise have quit. Experts said that e-cigarettes were saving lives in a “consumer revolution” outside the NHS. The Department of Health have ruled out the outlawing of 'e-cigs' in enclosed spaces in England, despite calls by WHO, The World Health Organisation to do so.

ABC News. A paper published in the Medical Journal of Australia reported that in 2013 e-cigarette users, or "vapers", represented almost 20 per cent of all current and former smokers, double the percentage reported in 2010.

FDA News: Regulation of e-Cigarettes. Only e-cigarettes that are marketed for therapeutic purposes are currently regulated by the FDA Center for Drug Evaluation and Research (CDER). The FDA has issued a proposed rule that would extend the agency’s tobacco authority to cover additional products that meet the legal definition of a tobacco product, such as e-cigarettes.

News. BBC Scotland advised that Scotland's largest health board would allow the use of electronic cigarettes within its hospital grounds. Tobacco smoking was banned in all hospital grounds in Scotland in April 2015, but health boards were given discretion over the use of vaping devices. NHS Lothian was the only one of the 13 health boards at the time to allow restricted use of e-cigarettes. NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde [NHS GGC] announced it would also do so after new evidence that e-cigarettes helped to reduce tobacco smoking. NHS GGC's director of public health said: "It is clear from research carried out by Public Health England, ourselves and others, that e-cigarettes do have their place in the fight against tobacco and are being used effectively to help people stop smoking altogether".

From 1 December 2015, the display and the advertising of electronic cigarettes (e-cigarettes) and accessories was banned in New South Wales, Australia. These new changes apply to retailers only, not wholesale vendors. Using an e-cigarette in a car with a child under the age of 16 is also against the law and a AUD250 on the spot fine applies to the driver and any passenger who breaks the law.

The third annual E-Cigarette Summit took place at the Royal Society in London with the intention of providing an evidence based perspective on the public health issues raised by the growing popularity of e-cigarettes.

A law prohibiting the use of e-cigarettes in public places in the state of Maine in the USA was scheduled to go into effect.

Changes to the UK law. On 1 October 2015 it became illegal for retailers to sell e-cigarettes or e-liquids to anyone under the age of 18 and for adults to attempt to buy e-cigarettes on behalf of anyone under the age of 18.

The positive stance on vaping taken by Public Health England (PHE) and other UK public health bodies has been the cause of criticism, forcing those bodies to defend and, in some instances, modify their positions.

Headlines. The Guardian newspaper UK. Academics at war over e-cigarrete claims. “A fierce row has broken out over the extent to which e-cigarettes are harmful. Pro-“vaping” campaigners, who believe the new technology can help wean smokers off cigarettes, claim that attacks on e-cigarettes could become a threat to public health – leading people to believe that the electronic devices are as bad for a person’s health as normal cigarettes.”

Headlines. RTE News Ireland. The Department of Health decides not to extend the smoking ban to include e-cigarettes and vaping devices. The Department will introduce special licensing conditions for those selling e-cigarettes and equipment. Vaping shops and cafes in Ireland will have to obtain a special license. Other rules - part of the European Tobacco directive - will also apply to e-cigarettes here. These rules mean that for the first time nicotine strength will be limited while the size of bottles will be capped at 10ml. All contents will have to be listed and new products will have to be submitted to the authorities six months in advance of the launch. The evidence of harm or otherwise from e-cigarettes will be kept under review by the Department of Health. The new regulations will come into force in May 2016.

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Headlines. The Times newspaper UK. “Bosses should consider allowing their employees to vape at their desks, campaigners have said. Graham Jukes, chief executive of the Chartered Institute of Environmental Health, said making it easier for people to use e-cigarettes than to smoke tobacco might help them to switch. He added that offices did not ban cakes and biscuits despite a national obesity crisis, so e-cigarettes should be the same. ‘It doesn’t harm the person next to you, and that’s the same argument I would apply to vaping — it isn’t actually affecting anybody else’.”

Headlines. The Irish Times newspaper. “E-cigarettes 95% safer than tobacco, say UK health officials”. “Health officials in Britain have for the first time endorsed e-cigarettes, saying they are 95 per cent safer than tobacco equivalents and even suggesting doctors should be able to prescribe the ‘game-changing’ devices to smokers trying to quit.”

Headlines. The Times newspaper UK. “Health officials have endorsed e-cigarettes for the first time, claiming that they are a game-changer in the battle with smoking, the country’s biggest killer.” “If all of England’s eight million smokers switched to e-cigarettes overnight more than 75,000 lives a year would be saved, experts said. Not only are e-cigarettes 20 times less dangerous than tobacco, they are also among the most effective quitting aids,” they added.

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Yorkshire, England. Two day fair; ‘The Electronic Cigarette Exhibition 2015’.

Data from Euromonitor International showed that the 2014 Global sales of vapour devices, including e-cigarettes and e-liquids, went through the $6 billion barrier for the first time. The main reason for the surge was the doubling of the USA market to a total of $2.8 billion. This was represented by 13 million users globally, with the majority based in the USA and Europe. The UK became the second largest market after the USA, followed by Italy, Poland and France. Projections made that the market would grow to $23.4 billion by 2019 and $50 billion by 2030 if legislation remained as is.

A policy statement by the UK's Faculty of Public Health recognized that there were potential benefits from the use of e-cigarettes but raised concerns that their effectiveness was not yet proven and that e-cigarettes were less effective than nicotine replacement therapy. It also raised concerns regarding dual usage of e-cigarettes and tobacco, concerns regarding advertising and young people and finally concerns regarding e-cigarettes undermining "decades of lobbying by public health related organisations" that led to the "smoking ban and tobacco control legislation".

Vapor Expo International at Rosemount, Illinois, USA.

World Vapour Expo at Miami Beach, Florida. Three day event.