Tim Hong - Clearing the Air

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Russia steps up anti-vape crackdown with new regional retail ban

Russia has taken another significant step toward eliminating legal vape sales as one of its regions approved a full retail ban effective from March 1, 2026. The law, introduced by Governor Dmitry Makhonin and passed after two readings, prohibits sales of all…

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Youth vaping halves in New Zealand

Youth vaping in New Zealand has fallen sharply, with new national data showing regular use has halved in just two years. The findings come from the latest ASH Year 10 Snapshot Survey, which polls more than 30,000 students each year. It’s a…

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Fruit and mint flavours dominate vape sales after disposable ban, new data shows

Fruit and mint flavours remain the most popular vape categories sold since July’s disposable vape ban, according to new figures. The data from online retailer Haypp reinforces industry warnings that flavour choice is central to supporting smokers who switch to reduced risk…

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Economists tell EU: equal taxes on vapes and cigarettes erase incentives to switch

Experts warn new tax plan could push smokers toward illicit tobacco instead of safer alternatives Economists warned EU lawmakers today that taxing vaping products and other smoke-free alternatives at the same rate as cigarettes could discourage smokers from switching to less harmful…

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Smoking hits record lows in the U.S. and Nordics as vapes and nicotine pouches take over

Smoking is reaching historic lows across Finland, Iceland, and the United States, with new data showing rapid declines driven by the rise of alternative nicotine products such as vapes and nicotine pouches. Across all three countries, traditional smoking is being displaced by…

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COP Day 3 bulletin: GATC lies about harm reduction and quitting

The Global Alliance for Tobacco Control (GATC) - which coordinates anti-nicotine NGOs at the WHO’s Conference of the Parties on tobacco control - has written to all COP delegates falsely claiming that “the evidence on the use of e-cigarettes as cessation aid…

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Ireland weighing nicotine pouch ban, says chief medical officer

Ireland’s Department of Health is considering new restrictions on nicotine pouches as part of its efforts to curb nicotine use among young people. The proposal, which could extend existing tobacco control laws, comes as health officials debate how to balance youth protection…

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Putin backs plan for total vape ban in Russia

Russian President and noted germaphobe Vladimir Putin has backed a proposal to outlaw vapes nationwide. During a visit to a sports and education center in Samara on Thursday, Putin responded positively to an appeal from Yekaterina Leshchinskaya, head of the pro-Kremlin youth…

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UK engineer powers home using 500 recycled vapes

A UK engineer and YouTuber has repurposed 500 disposable vapes into a working powerwall capable of running both his home and workshop. The project, created by Chris Doel, uses lithium-ion batteries salvaged from discarded single-use vape devices to show how e-waste can…

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