Virginia Smoke Free

Virginia Smoke Free Association is a trade association & advocacy group focused on tobacco harm reduction(THR) through the use of vapor products

[Gregory Conley @GregTHR]

Statement from Midwest Distribution on FDA / DOJ raid:

"This morning, Food and Drug Administration agents and U.S. marshals executed a civil seizure warrant at our facilities. Midwest is fully cooperating with the authorities as they conduct this court-authorized activity.

The vast majority of the products listed on the warrant are over 75 brands of bottled e-liquids for use in refillable, open-system electronic nicotine delivery system (“ENDS”) devices. These bottled e-liquids are manufactured by U.S. companies here in the United States that employ hundreds, if not thousands, of U.S. workers. Many of these products, to our understanding, have premarket tobacco product applications that are among the hundreds of thousands of applications that have been pending with FDA for years, even though the relevant provision of the Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act requires FDA to make determinations on such applications within 180 days of their submission. These e-liquid products include products for which applications have been pending since the original deadline of September 9, 2020—over five years ago. To our understanding, prior to today’s enforcement action, FDA has allowed most, if not all, of these products to be marketed and sold while these premarket applications remain pending. It is the availability of these far less harmful products that have pushed U.S. cigarette smoking rates to record lows in recent years. And the CDC’s 2023 National Youth Tobacco Survey found that fewer than 6% of youth that use ENDS products use devices compatible with bottled e-liquids.

Midwest has always attempted to work cooperatively with FDA. After a recent FDA inspection in August, we advised FDA that we had removed from our product catalog and inventory several ENDS products about which FDA inspectors had inquired. We also offered to remove other ENDS products from our product catalog if FDA was concerned about our continuing to offer them for sale. FDA acknowledged receipt of our correspondence, but did not request that we stop selling any other products.

We find FDA’s actions particularly troubling given reports earlier this week that FDA plans to expedite within a matter of months reviews of several tobacco products manufactured by Big Tobacco companies, including — to our understanding — products with applications submitted years after some of the products FDA is seizing from our warehouse, as well as other reports that Big Tobacco is now actively marketing its own disposable ENDS products that lack premarket authorization. Nevertheless, Midwest intends to continue to cooperate with federal authorities and, if necessary, to vindicate our rights in court."

[Gregory Conley @GregTHR]

Oh boy—DOJ is currently holding a press conference after seizing "illegal Chinese vapes."

As a reminder, Trump said he'd save flavored vaping. About 20 million US adults vape.

And Pam Bondi just said only tobacco, menthol, and *cinnamon* flavored vapes are legal.

[Lance Churchill @LanceChurchill]

The vaping raid announced today wasn't just for Chinese disposables.
Statement from Midwest Distributing:
"The vast majority of the products listed on the warrant are over 75 brands of bottled e-liquids for use in refillable, open-system devices. These bottled e-liquids are manufactured by U.S. companies here in the United States that employ hundreds, if not thousands, of U.S. workers.
Many of these products, to our understanding, have premarket tobacco product applications that are among the hundreds of thousands of applications that have been pending with FDA for years."
Read the whole statement here:
https://t.co/XIYobb2IVP

[Lance Churchill @LanceChurchill]

Markary is coming after the vape shops! The one place minors are least likely to obtain a vape. He is so misinformed (or lying) that he intends to put THOUSANDS of small retailers out of business & hand the market to Big Tobacco companies. This is wrong! @realDonaldTrump @POTUS

[Dimitris 🇬🇷 🇺🇸 @VapinGreek]

👇👇👇

[Lance Churchill @LanceChurchill]

"Numerous studies, as well as real world data, now confirm that rising vaping rates correlate with declining smoking rates across the globe.
Yet, this achievement remains largely ignored by many public health authorities, anti-vaping advocates and policymakers, who are focusing on vaping’s rise rather than its harm reduction benefits."
https://t.co/rgfR8G9l6w

[Virginia Smoke Free @VA_SmokeFree]

Special thanks to Alt Zero for joining our advocacy efforts in VA. Their lines of eliquid include Excision, Just & Alt Zero. Available in freebase & salts. Please reach out to Anthony @ 863-214-1279 if you’d like to check out their products. Thank you Alt Zero for your support!

[Gregory Conley @GregTHR]

Future FDA Commissioner @MartyMakary has spoken favorably of Cochrane Reviews in the past. Let's hope he takes this one seriously.

[American Vapor Manufacturers @VaporAmerican]

Most 👏 effective 👏 smoking 👏 cessation 👏 method 👏 ever  👏 devised.
https://t.co/ClGVxipBlj

[Noelle Pryor @rvaNoelle]

@VA_SmokeFree was able to defeat HB2488 which sought to give localities the authority to impose additional local taxes on liquid nic. We await the full list of budget provisions to see if our restructured tax framework for liquid nicotine made it into the House budget. 🤞

[Virginia Smoke Free @VA_SmokeFree]

We have defeated HB2488 which sought to give localities the authority to impose additional local taxes on liquid nicotine. Once the full list of budget provisions goes public, we’ll have more insight if our restructured tax framework for liquid nic made it into the House budget.

[Virginia Smoke Free @VA_SmokeFree]

VSFA Lobby day was a success! Thankful for the relationships we’ve built through our advocacy efforts. We’ll have a legislative update on our member page. If you do business in VA, we’d love to have your support!

[Lindsey Stroud @lmstroud89]

Menthol and flavored cigar proposed FDA rule have been shelved (for now).

Still have many states pushing forward with full tobacco and vape bans at the state level...

With this, I imagine those are going to get even worse.

https://t.co/SSQMFliXKY

[𝗗𝗔𝗡 𝗠𝗔𝗥𝗟𝗜𝗡 @dnmarlin]

Don't worry..... @FDATobacco will ignore the science.

[Phillip Kirschberg @RushmoreExt23]

Two things:
1. This was a tough day for the @WHO, but can you honestly say that it wasn't partially self-inflicted?

2. Please read their take (below) on harm reduction for people who smoke, and vote as your conscience demands.

Thank you for your leadership.

[Charles A. Gardner, PhD @ChaunceyGardner]

Nicotine vapes have helped 10 million US adults quit smoking according to @CDCgov's National Health Interview Survey.

They should be applauded, not stigmatized.

26 million continue to smoke deadly cigarettes causing 490,000 deaths every year.

Priority? Reduce that number.

[Jonathan Foulds PhD @JonathanFoulds]

"This is an opportunity for the FDA to begin creating a regulatory system and an efficiently regulated market of scientifically reviewed products accompanied by science-based communications to adults regarding relative risk."
https://t.co/sTDfsQzQRi

[Lindsey Stroud @lmstroud89]

📉 Youth smoking rates have plummeted thanks to public health efforts. Now it’s time to fix the FDA’s regulatory system to reduce adult smoking

Nice piece from @DaveDobbins1970 in @InsideSourcesDC

https://t.co/Q2r06QfhUI

[Virginia Smoke Free @VA_SmokeFree]

Virginia Smoke Free Association is having a lobby day in Richmond at the General Assembly bldg on Thursday at 8am. Open to anyone that wants to join us!