Vapers Digest 13th September

Friday’s News at a glance:

Government Plans On Extending Ban – Back To Parliament – Top 3 Methods to Quit Smoking Published – WVA Speaks Up on Rates and Bans – Another day, another alarmist and misleading study – Voices of Harm Reduction Pt 1: Skip Murray – UK outdoor smoking ban WON’T include vapes – Canada’s nicotine pouch ban – Study claiming fitness of youths who vape – Banning disposable and flavoured vapes – Vaping helped me quit my 40-a-day cigarette habit – Luxembourg notifies of de facto ban of nicotine pouches – Polish Citizens Are Misinformed – Banning vapes is a bad way of reducing youth vaping -Tobacco Control 2.0: – Thinking ’bout THR Newsletter – Can Social Workers Be Supported to Spread THR? – FDA’s Center for Tobacco Products lands in the hot seat – Frustration Voiced at FDA Hearing – Doctors want further studies on nicotine benefits – Free vapes in emergency rooms aid cessation – Flavored e-cigarettes cut smoking rates – Momentous Ruling

Four from Dave Cross, Planet of the Vapes:

Government Plans On Extending Ban

The Tobacco and Vapes Bill will prohibit the importation and sale of single use disposable vape products. The government has also spoken about extending the bans on where adults can smoke. Not content with this, the Government also intends to extend the smoking ban to include vaping in beer gardens and mentioned that they will also ban vaping in indoor spaces too.

According to The i newspaper, Keir Starmer will definitely be banning smoking from locations such as pub beer gardens as the new government has refused to rule out “major new smoking laws”.

Back To Parliament

Welcome back to coverage of questions and answers from the Houses of Parliament – the first since parties swapped sides of the Commons and changed the Government’s priorities. The Conservative’s Andrew Rosindell posed a question to the Department of Health and Social Care as did Labour’s Lord Foulkes of Cumnock in the House of Lords.

Romford’s Andrew Rosindell asked the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care if the Department has plans to extend powers from HMRC to Trading Standards to provide on-the-spot fines for retailers selling illegal tobacco and illegal vape products.

Top 3 Methods to Quit Smoking Published

A summary of all the Cochrane Reviews from 2021 to 2023 has been published in Addiction Journal by the Cochrane Tobacco Addiction Group (Cochrane TAG) and recommends vaping as one of its top 3 methods to quit smoking. As well as vaping, the authors of the report recommend Varenicline (a prescription drug sold under the brand names Chantix and Champix) and Cytisine (a plant-based compound available under prescription in the United Kingdom).

The authors (Livingstone-Banks, Lindson, and Hartmann-Boyce) say that the three methods work best when combined with behavioural support, such as counselling.

WVA Speaks Up on Rates and Bans

The World Vapers’ Alliance has slammed the Labour Party’s proposal to ban disposable vapes and spoken about how vaping is driving down smoking in the United States (cigarette smoking in the US has dropped to an all-time low of 11%). It has warned that Labour’s policy in the UK is a misguided policy that could undermine public health efforts and hit the most vulnerable hardest.

According to poll results revealed by Gallup, the organisation highlights that cigarette smoking in the US has dropped to an all-time low of 11%.

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Another day, another alarmist and…

Misleading gateway study – Colin Mendelsohn

ONCE AGAIN, AUSTRALIAN RESEARCHERS have jumped on the bandwagon, making alarmist claims that vaping causes young people to start smoking. But let’s be clear: this study proves no such thing.

The researchers behind the Generation Vape study followed up 14-17-year-olds who had tried vaping and found they were five times more likely to also try smoking (even just a puff or two) at a later date.

Voices of Harm Reduction Pt 1:

Skip Murray – Peter Beckett

Skip Murray opened a vape shop with her son in Minnesota in 2015, which was forced to close due to ever burdensome FDA regulations, the pandemic and the EVALI misinformation scandal. She has since become a tireless advocate for safer nicotine products, focusing on disadvantaged communities and neurodiverse nicotine users. She tweets at @imaracingmom and writes a weekly newsletter

A lot of your advocacy work focuses on nicotine use in neurodiverse populations and you’ve been very open on Twitter about why you think there is such a strong link between nicotine use and neurodiversity. Tell us about that.

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Three from Ali Anderson, Clearing the Air:

UK smoking ban WON’T include vapes

The proposed UK ban on smoking in outdoor public places is not set to include vapes, it has been revealed. Prime minister Sir Keir Starmer is said to be considering a ban on smoking in pub gardens and other outside spaces to reduce the cost to public health and the NHS.

The ban would extend to small parks, as well as areas outside of nightclubs, hospitals and sports venues. The proposals would be added to the government’s controversial Tobacco and Vapes Bill, first introduced by Rishi Sunak’s Conservative government to gradually phase out smoking.

Canada’s nicotine pouch ban is…

“Deadly error defying science,”

Canada’s new ban on nicotine pouches is a “deadly error” and “backward step” in the global fight against the toll of tobacco, health experts have warned.

Nicotine pouches are proven to be significantly safer alternatives to cigarettes and help millions of smokers worldwide to quit, according to global health campaign group Smoke Free Sweden.

It says the products have played a major role in dramatically reducing smoking rates in Sweden, which is now on the brink of becoming the first country to achieve official ‘smoke-free’ status.

Study claiming fitness of youths who vape

Is “as bad” as smokers criticised by academics

A study claiming the fitness of young people who vape is “just as bad as smokers of the same age” cannot be trusted, leading academics have said.

The report by a team at Manchester Metropolitan University claims to challenge a body of evidence showing that vaping is a healthier alternative to smoking.

Its findings were presented last week at the European Respiratory Society Congress in Vienna, Austria, by lead author Dr Azmy Faisal.

Banning disposable and flavoured vapes

The Minister for Health’s proposal to ban all disposable and flavoured vapes on the grounds of a public health risk is ignoring reams of expert-led data, including the Government’s own research, which shows the opposite is true (“Disposable vapes to be banned and colours, flavours restricted under Cabinet plan”, News, September 10th).

Flavours are an important driver of adoption for smokers switching to vaping. BAT Ireland supports a ban on vape flavours which appeal to those under age, such as flavours inspired by candy, desserts and soft drinks.

Vaping helped me quit my 40-a-day habit

Sara-Jayne Makwala King

As government prepares to introduce stricter new rules around vaping, a vaping advocate claims information given by the Department of Health around the dangers is inaccurate.

Under the proposed legislation, vaping would be subject to the same restrictions as tobacco cigarettes.

It could even see jail time for those caught vaping in certain public places.

Thinking ’bout THR Newsletter

Kim “Skip” Murray

Kaelynn Partlow is a Registered Behavior Technician and is autistic. She helps people with autism learn skills that improve their quality of life. Her YouTube channel educates people on what autism is like for her and her clients.

While some of us with autism are known for our “obsessions,” Kaelynn words it more positively and calls it “specialized focus.” Some autistic people maintain the same focus for most of their lives. I tend to latch on to something for a block of time, usually several years, and then a new focus takes over my life.

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Luxembourg notifies EC of de facto ban

Of nicotine pouches

The Luxembourgish government is updating its law on tobacco control and has notified the European Commission of the proposed changes, for scrutiny on what barriers it will create to trade within the internal market.

While the bill addresses a broader range of tobacco and nicotine products, the proposed rules for nicotine pouches provide an interesting yet worrying development. However, in article 7.4 the proposal takes a completely unexpected turn and bans the marketing and sales of nicotine pouches containing more than 0.048mg of nicotine per pouch.

Polish Citizens Are Misinformed

About Nicotine Pouch Harm – Maddison King

The scientific journal Tobacco Induced Diseases has released a new paper. Titled “Awareness and use of nicotine pouches in a nationwide sample of adults in Poland,” it explores the impact of nicotine pouches on the Polish market and provides other interesting data about perceptions of harm when compared with combustible cigarettes.

The nicotine pouch study interviewed over 1,000 nationally representative Polish citizens in February 2024. The authors asked questions concerning:

Banning vapes is a bad way …

Of reducing youth vaping – Dr Eric Crampton

Sometimes bad policy is good politics. At least over relevant political time horizons. Problems that only emerge in the future will be for some other government to deal with.

And sometimes it’s a mistake on both counts.

Under pressure about youth vaping, National has proposed legislation that will ban the vaping devices used by most adults who vape. It is terrible policy and a political mistake that will hit them in 2026.

Interview mit Michelle Minton –

Perspectives on Nicotine GFN24

Gut gemeint ist oft das Gegenteil von gut. Aber wie weit darf die Politik gehen, um eine vollständige Nikotinentwöhnung zu erzwingen? Michelle Minton (Senior Policy Analyst Reason Foundation) diskutiert einige Beispiele aus den USA. Für viele Europäer noch völlig undenkbar, können dort Raucher und Dampfer ihre Sozialwohnungen verlieren oder gar nicht erst bekommen. Der Kampf gegen Nikotin polarisiert, aber kann das Undenkbare auch in Europa zur Realität werden?

Tobacco Control 2.0:

Modern Approach to a Decades-Old Problem – Jeffrey S. Smith

The history of tobacco control in the United States spans more than six decades, beginning with the landmark 1964 Surgeon General’s report that called attention to the severe health risks of smoking. This report catalyzed a series of public health initiatives, including restricted smoking in public places, increased cigarette excise taxes, reduced access to cigarettes, and enhanced public awareness campaigns. These efforts led to significant declines in smoking rates, from nearly 42 percent in the 1960s to less than 14 percent in 2019, and have generated reductions in smoking-related diseases such as lung cancer.

Can Social Workers Be Supported

To Spread Tobacco Harm Reduction? – Kiran Sidhu

Groups of people who are most likely to interact with social workers have extremely high smoking rates. Tobacco harm reduction advocates say that represents a key opportunity for social workers to assist in saving lives.

A recent briefing paper from the Global State of Tobacco Harm Reduction (GSTHR) makes this point. “When appropriately trained and resourced,” it states, “social workers could … play an important part in supporting smoking cessation and tobacco harm reduction with many of the people who need it most.”

FDA’s Center for Tobacco Products

Lands in the hot seat – Janelle Irwin Taylor

Members of Congress this week grilled Brian King, Director of the Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) Center for Tobacco Products, about long wait times companies are experiencing in getting approval to bring to market alternatives to combustible cigarettes.

Under federal law, the Center for Tobacco Products is required to review new premarket tobacco product applications for smoke-free alternatives, such as nicotine pouches and e-cigarettes, within 180 days after receiving them. However, some applications are taking far longer, including a nicotine pouch product by Philip Morris International called Zyn, which has been awaiting approval for about four years.

Frustration Voiced at FDA Hearing

U.S. lawmakers and advocacy groups expressed concern about the Food and Drug Administration’s regulation of smokefree products during a Sept. 10 House of Representatives’ Energy and Commerce Subcommittee hearing.

Health Subcommittee Chair Brett Guthrie criticized FDA delays and what he viewed as a lack of transparency. “Manufacturers filing premarket tobacco product applications [PMTAs] with the goal of meeting the standard of an ‘appropriate protection of public health,’ still have no clear guidance and are waiting for hundreds of days for outreach on their applications,” he said.

Doctors, health experts want further…

Studies on nicotine benefits

Scientists and tobacco harm reduction (THR) advocates are calling for further research on nicotine to explore its potential therapeutic benefits, stressing that the substance itself is not the cause of diseases among smokers.

Dr. Andrew Manson, a nicotine scientist, said the demonization of smoking has overshadowed the potential benefits of nicotine. “Stress management, weight management, mood management, and the ability to focus on tasks are clear conscious and subconscious benefits for people using nicotine,” he said.

Episode 25: Peter Beckett

Research shows free vapes in…

Emergency rooms aid smoking cessation

The University of East Anglia led a study which found that giving out free e-cigarette starter packs in hospital emergency departments to people who smoke helped one in four people quit.

The trial, which was funded by the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) and run by UEA’s Norwich Clinical Trials Unit, took place across six UK hospitals, and this latest research delves into the different ways people transitioned from smoking to vaping after receiving the e-cigarette smoking cessation intervention.

Flavored e-cigarettes cut smoking rates

And toxic exposure in high-risk groups

Cigarette smoking is disproportionately prevalent among adults with psychiatric conditions, substance use disorders, and those with lower educational levels. In an effort to reduce the prevalence of smoking, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has developed a national policy to reduce nicotine content in cigarettes to minimally addictive levels.

Randomized controlled trials conducted in the general population, as well as among at-risk populations, have demonstrated that smoking cigarettes with very low nicotine content can reduce smoking frequency, exposure to toxic materials, and addiction risk.

Momentous Ruling

Timothy S. Donahue

U.S. courts will no longer need to “humbly respect” how government agencies interpret the law. The end of Chevron deference means unelected officials will no longer have the leeway to subjectively decide what Congress intends when it passes regulatory legislation.

The court’s ruling in Loper Bright Enterprises v. Raimondo and the related case Relentless v. Department of Commerce will likely have far-reaching impacts on nearly every action government agencies take. For the nicotine industry, it could change how courts view the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s premarket tobacco product application (PMTA) process. It could also impact the agency’s efforts to regulate menthol and lower the levels of allowable nicotine in combustible cigarettes.

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On this Day…2023

A look back at how things have moved on or otherwise….

How effective are medications

And e-cigarettes for quitting smoking, and what works best?

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Visit Nicotine Science & Policy for more News from around the World

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