FLER at APE

UK nicotine pouch brand SNÜ has added three new flavours—Wild Cherry, Cherry Cola and Tropical Punch—spanning multiple nicotine strengths from 9mg to 60mg. The new products also retain the brand’s “rub-and-smell” packaging feature, designed to let shoppers preview the aroma without opening the can and help lower in-store product loss.

West Virginia’s House of Delegates passed the Vape Safety Act of 2026, a proposal to tighten oversight of vape and smoke shops through licensing, fees and enforcement. The bill would establish a state directory requiring vape products sold in West Virginia to have FDA marketing authorization or a pending application under FDA review to be listed, and only directory-listed products could be sold starting Sept. 1, 2026 if enacted.

The Florida Senate Industries Committee advance SB 980, the “Florida Age-Gate Act,” which would restrict advertising, promotion, and open displays of certain nicotine dispensing devices that lack FDA marketing authorization, with escalating penalties. Separately, the Florida House Ways and Means Committee advance HB 377, which would exclude heated tobacco products from being taxed like cigarettes.

Health NZ signed a NZD 500,000 contract with New Zealand-owned vape company Alt NZ Limited in December 2025 for its free vape kit programme for smokers, with more than 7,000 kits distributed so far.

A short communication in Drug and Alcohol Dependence examined changes in the most commonly used nicotine vaping brands among Texas college students from 2023 to 2025. The study analyzed 6,049 students aged 18–25 who reported past-30-day nicotine vaping across three repeated cross-sectional spring surveys. The report found that use of Esco Bar, Elf Bar, JUUL, and Puff Bar declined from 2023 to 2025, while Geek Bar/Vape increased.

During the FDA PMTA roundtable session on “Studies of Adult Benefit,” officials said flavored ENDS must demonstrate “added benefit” over tobacco-flavored products under the APPH standard, including sustained complete switching evidence. Small manufacturers questioned switching benchmarks, study duration, and bridging expectations.