Vapers Digest 3rd March
Friday’s News at a glance:
Martin McKee: still wrong about vaping after all these years – Exposing Defective Research: Case 2 – February Vaping Bull Crap Avalanche! – Vaping: The Great Innovation Public Health Failed to Embrace – INNCO Denounces Bullying – ECST Remains Optimistic About Thailand – Further Parliamentary Activity – UKVIA Justifies Flavours – Who needs the FDA Center for Tobacco Products? – Elf Bar Lawsuit and Name Change – Supreme Court Rejects Appeal – For your own good? – Opinions on new nicotine products among MEPs – Harm Reduction & Vaping Fact Sheet – AVM Meets with Brian King – Nicotine Science and Policy Daily Digest
Martin McKee: Still wrong about vaping
Christopher Snowdon, Velvet Glove Iron Fist
The heavily overweight Zero Covid crank Martin McKee had a letter published in The Times yesterday in response to an op-ed from the paper’s resident puritan Alice Thomson (whom we have come across before). Thomson has spotted a real problem – the sharp rise in vaping among teenagers, especially those using Elf bars – but characteristically comes up with the wrong solutions: banning flavours, banning colours and getting Public Health England (which she thinks still exists) to “treat vaping in the same way as cigarettes”.
This is music to the ears of Fatty McKee who is claiming that his ignorant and dishonest campaign against e-cigarettes has been vindicated.
Exposing Defective Research…
But Denied Credit for the Effort: Case 2
Brad Rodu, Tobacco Truth
Two weeks ago I described a flawed mortality study by National Cancer Institute staff that led to a correction but no recognition for our group’s work in uncovering the errors. Here we detail a second, similar case, involving a vaping study by faculty at Columbia and the University of Arkansas, including a former member of the FDA Tobacco Products Scientific Advisory Committee (TPSAC).
Emine Bircan and colleagues in April 2021 published a study, “Electronic cigarette use and its association with asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and asthma- COPD overlap syndrome among never cigarette smokers,” in the journal Tobacco Induced Diseases (here).
February Vaping Bull Crap Avalanche!
Michelle – Ecig Click
I scour social media and keep an eye on mainstream media for stories about vaping.
The last month or so I have found it difficult mentally.
The reason being the avalanche of total bullcrap making the headlines.
I am used to a smattering of dodgy scaremongering – I did a study tracking UK mainstream media and found over 6 months the articles were mainly negative.
Three stalwarts in tobacco harm reduction (THR) – @Clive_Bates, @swimdaily & @Shapiroharry – make a case for allowing access to safer alternatives in India.@nsitharaman @mansukhmandviya @PiyushGoyal @kharge @ShashiTharoor @MamataOfficial @ArvindKejriwalhttps://t.co/E49Yqk8RGG
— AVI (@vapeindia) March 2, 2023
Vaping: The Great Innovation ….
Public Health Failed to Embrace – Sally Satel
In the State of the Union address this month, President Biden revived his “Cancer Moonshot” initiative. First introduced during the Obama Administration, the President hopes the campaign succeeds in cutting the cancer death rate in half over the next 25 years.
Because cigarette smoke is a potent carcinogen, every tool should be used to decrease cigarette smoking. E-cigarettes should be one of these tools but, as I discussed several weeks ago, many public agencies refuse to recognize them as a vehicle that can help get us to the moon.
Four from Dave Cross, Planet of the Vapes:
INNCO Denounces Bullying
The International Network of Nicotine Consumer Organisations (INNCO) has denounced the bullying and attempted censorship that preceded THR Summit Spain 2023. It says it views with concern what happened in Spain, “where apparently pressure from the Spanish Ministry of Health and the World Health Organisation tried to prevent a much-needed debate on the role of Harm Reduction tools in a nation where the prevalence of people who smoke continues to increase.”
A few months ago, the Spanish medical professional organisation “Plataforma para la Reducción del Daño por Tabaquismo” (which has no relation with INNCO) announced the Congress “THR Summit Spain 2023 Opportunities in the fight against smoking: a global vision from science” – where scientific experts from Spain, USA, Canada, UK, Sweden, and Greece would meet.
ECST Remains Optimistic About Thailand
Despite continued shop raids, extortion of tourists by the police, and negative regional media coverage about vaping, consumer group ENDS Cigarette Smoke Thailand (ECST) still believes that a legalised approach to vaping in Thailand remains firmly on radar. All eyes will be on the country’s possible policy shift come the result of the next general election.
Territorial Defence Volunteers and the Phuket City Police raided a store in Phuket Town last week. Following complaints to the police, the raid team first arrested a man outside in possession of two dozen disposables before going inside to seize 90 e-cigs, 107 coil heads, and 69 bottles of e-liquid.
Further Parliamentary Activity
Continuing a very busy time for tobacco harm reduction and vaping in the Houses of Parliament, Lib Dem Daisy Cooper was concerned about advertising and the lack of a Tobacco Control Plan. Kirsten Oswald wondered about teen vaping, Hendon Tory Matthew Offord raised the subject of recycling disposables, and Shadow Environment Minister Ruth Jones was also concerned about the environment.
Daisy Cooper asked the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, regarding ecig advertising, when the Tobacco Control Plan is going to be published.
UKVIA Justifies Flavours
The UK Vaping Industry Association (UKVIA) has argued in a televised Scottish debate why vape flavours are important and the impact of restricting them. UKVIA Director Doug Mutter took part in a live national TV debate to explain why flavours were vital to help former smokers stay off cigarettes in response to the current push to see a complete ban in Scotland.
Doug Mutter took part in a head-to-head debate with Sheila Duffy, the Chief Executive of ASH Scotland on STV’s flagship current affair show Scotland Tonight.
Who needs the FDA Center for Tobacco?
Jacob Grier
Nearly ten years ago to the day, I published an article in the Atlantic detailing one entrepreneur’s struggle to bring a new cigarette to market. This is not a cause that one would expect to get sympathetic treatment in that publication, so it’s a testament to the Food and Drug Administration’s failures to effectively regulate tobacco that it got published there at all. At issue was the agency’s delay in ruling on an application for Hestia cigarettes, a nascent brand started by David Sley.
As I reported at the time, Hestia applied under the “substantial equivalence” pathway, which was supposed to be the easy path to FDA authorization. Basically, it means that new products that are substantially the same as pre-existing cigarettes, raising no new questions of health, should be allowed onto the market after a straightforward process of review.
Two from Jim McDonald, Vaping 360:
Elf Bar Lawsuit and Name Change:
ELFBAR, probably the biggest-selling disposable vape brand in the world, has been sued for trademark infringement, and will change its name in the United States. The ELFBAR name will continue to be used in the UK and other markets worldwide.
The brand will become EBDESIGN in the U.S., although the company may restore the ELFBAR name if the trademark dispute is decided in its favor. EBDESIGN-branded products will begin arriving at U.S. ports in just a few days.
Supreme Court Rejects Appeal
The U.S. Supreme Court has refused to hear an appeal of a lower-court decision upholding a Los Angeles County, CA, ban on flavored tobacco and vaping products passed in 2019. The law took effect in 2020, prohibiting in-store sales of flavored vapes, smokeless tobacco, and menthol cigarettes in unincorporated areas of the county.
The court’s refusal to entertain the appeal could indicate it will reject future appeals on similar grounds—specifically, an appeal of future rulings upholding California’s statewide flavored vape and tobacco ban, which took effect last December.
For your own good?
Benjamin Elks
Tobacco has long been the target of many nanny-state policies, intent on restricting adults enjoying a perfectly legal activity. From the menthol ban, to pack size restrictions, to the ever increasing taxes being levied, smokers are being aggressively restricted by those who think they know what’s best.
The justification for these moves has always been that smoking kills. To paraphrase, it’s a bad habit that you should stop. It’s a message you can’t get away from, given it’s printed on every pack and pouch. Smokers know the risk they are taking. They weigh up their options and they make their choice.
Opinions on new nicotine products
Tobacco Intelligence
For the third year running, in late 2022 we surveyed members of the European Parliament (MEPs) about their views on new nicotine products – e-cigarettes, heated tobacco and nicotine pouches.
Their opinions are particularly important given that major European Union regulation of the sector is expected, notably a Tobacco Excise Directive and a revision of the Tobacco Products Directive.
Very few MEPs consider that new nicotine products should be more restricted by law than traditional tobacco, and a majority believe online sales should be allowed for adults (with age verification). But a growing number are unsure.
Few MEPs consider that new nicotine products should be more restricted
The Canadian Vaping Association:
Warns Quebec that MNA Ciccone’s ill-informed vaping recommendations would be a public health disaster
Member of National Assembly Enrico Ciccone recently implored Minister of Health Christian Dube to implement the 7 recommendations from a public health report on vaping. These recommendations include banning flavoured vape products, requiring a permit to sell vaping products, limiting the number of vaping stores near schools, and implementing a tax on vaping products.
In either an effort to score cheap political points, or a complete misunderstanding of the role of harm reduction, MNA Ciccone called vaping products junk and a danger to the youth of Quebec. ‘Won’t someone think of the children’ is a rhetoric tactic as old as time. Moral panic has become the tone of all media discourse on vaping.
NSW Premier Dominic Perrottet
Admits to the ‘occasional’ vape – and reveals his favourite flavour
NSW Premier Dominic Perrottet has admitted to vaping in a radio interview. Perrottet told 2Day FM’s Hughesy, Ed & Erin he has the “occasional one”, with his favourite flavour being “mixed fruit”.
“Well, you can get a prescription for vapes and we want to make sure it’s done in the right way,” he said.
The premier was asked if he moved away from smoking cigarettes. “Yes, I did,” he replied. “And that’s the challenge for kids as well, we don’t want to encourage them to get into vaping.”
Harm Reduction & Vaping Fact Sheet
World Vapers’ Alliance
What is Harm Reduction? The goal of harm reduction is to reduce the adverse effects of a certain activity. Classic examples of harm reduction are seat belts or cycling helmets. They don’t make driving perfectly safe but reduce the potential harm drastically. The reason why they work is that they are practical. A total driving ban would decrease the risk of driving the most, but it is just unrealistic. That is why we try to make driving as safe as possible. Harm Reduction means putting practical solutions first instead of idealized goals which don’t work in practice.
AVM Meets with Brian King – A Recap
World Vapers’ Alliance
On February 24, 2023 I was fortunate to be a part of the American Vapor Manufacturers webinar with the fairly new CTP Director Dr. Brian King. Here is a summary of what we spoke about during this first ever meeting with our industry.
My main and most important take away from this webinar was Dr. King admitting that there is NO youth epidemic.
My question to Dr. King regarding their use of the word epidemic, “CTP has been describing teen vaping as an epidemic since 2018. A word that was chosen using focus groups to heighten the emotional reaction.
On this Day…2022
A look back at how things have moved on or otherwise….
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