Vapers Digest 7th October

Monday’s News at a glance:

A Challenge to WHO’s Stance – Glover: Lives Will Be Lost – Vaping ‘to be banned’ near playgrounds, hospitals and schools in UK – Danish Pouch Restrictions – Canadian Vaping Association Fires Back – Convenience Store Giants Challenge Health Canada’s Nicotine Pouch Rules – Kids No Longer Smoke Cigarettes. Why Aren’t We Celebrating? – Banning Prison Visitors From Vaping – Health executives allege oversight – Shaping a future of reduced tobacco harm – South Africa’s massive tobacco ban fumble – State of Smoking and Health in Nepal – PackBreakers Ep 3: Talking Vaping with Rob Fisher – Vaping in Greece | Vaping Unplugged Podcast Ep. 61 with Nick Ramses

Two from Dave Cross, Planet of the Vapes:

A Challenge to WHO’s Stance

In a recent interview at the Global Tobacco & Nicotine Forum (GTNF) 2024, Nancy Loucas, Executive Coordinator of the Coalition of Asia Pacific Harm Reduction Advocates (CAPHRA), voiced concerns over the exclusion of consumer perspectives in global tobacco control policies. Loucas, a seasoned advocate with over two decades of experience, emphasised the importance of evidence-based approaches and consumer representation in harm reduction strategies.

As a tireless advocate for consumer rights, Nancy Loucas has consistently called for the inclusion of consumer perspectives in policy discussions. Consumers are the most affected by these policies, yet their voices are often silenced or ignored.

Glover: Lives Will Be Lost

New Zealand has shown the world how vapes helped cut its smoking rate in half and governments around the world risk lives, according to leading international health expert Dr Marewa Glover. The harm reduction expert warned governments that millions of lives will be unnecessarily lost if policymakers fail to embrace the opportunities offered by tobacco harm reduction products.

New Zealand’s smoking rate has almost halved in just five years due to the widespread acceptance and use of smoke-free nicotine products such as vapes, Auckland-based Dr Glover told a global forum at the Harvard Club in New York, held alongside the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA79).

Vaping ‘to be banned’

Near playgrounds, hospitals and schools in UK

Ali Anderson – Clearing the Air

Vaping is set to be banned in playgrounds, hospital grounds and near schools under new legislation proposed by the UK government.

Health secretary Wes Streeting is considering restricting the use of vapes outdoors in England with Chris Whitty, the country’s chief medical officer for England, said to also favour the move.

The restrictions – leaked to the Times newspaper – are likely to be included in the Tobacco and Vapes Bill, which is due to be presented to parliament in the coming weeks.

🤔 “What we’ve seen since 2011 [the year of vaping’s introduction] is an extraordinary decline in smoking prevalence across the board, but particularly amongst the youngest adults, adults aged 18 to 24.”

👀 Our Chris Snowden, Head of Lifestyle Economics, appeared on @GBNEWS to… pic.twitter.com/MsKjQ0zZZW

— Institute of Economic Affairs (@iealondon) October 5, 2024

So sorry that Sovape is closing its doors. But its legacy will be lasting. Everyone involved in this terrific #vaping consumer association over the years should be tremendously proud. Thank you, Sovape! https://t.co/vKp2qIHQxg

— Jessica Harding (@jetsipha) October 7, 2024

Danish Pouch Restrictions …

Will Drive 150,000 Back to Smoking – Smoke Free Sweden

Proposed restrictions on flavours, nicotine content and increased taxation of oral nicotine pouches, may lead to a de facto ban on nine out 10 nicotine pouches currently sold in Denmark. This will represent a massive reversal in the war against tobacco and will drive tens of thousands of ex-smokers back to deadly cigarettes, leading international experts warn today.

Health reform regulations, to be presented to the Danish parliament on Friday (11 October), would restrict flavours and the nicotine content in a pouch to 9mg, far below international standards – and a fraction of the nicotine level in combustible cigarettes.

Canadian Vaping Association Fires Back

At Tobacco Control Lobbyists

A war of words has erupted between the Canadian Vaping Association (CVA) and tobacco control lobbyists over the potential for a nationwide flavour ban on vaping products. The CVA is pushing back against demands for such a ban, arguing that it would have serious negative consequences for public health and actually increase youth vaping.

The controversy stems from an October 4th press conference where tobacco control groups called for a flavour ban and the resignation of Addictions Minister Ya’ara Saks. The CVA contends that these groups are ignoring evidence that vaping is a valuable tool for helping adults quit smoking, and that flavour bans could drive vapers back to traditional cigarettes.

Health Canada’s Nicotine Pouch Rules – The Daily Pouch

In a refreshing twist on harm reduction and access to alternative nicotine products, convenience store behemoths like Mac’s Convenience Stores Inc., Couche-Tard Inc., and Parkland Corp. have launched a court battle against Health Canada. These companies are pushing back on new regulations that restrict nicotine pouch sales exclusively to pharmacies, as reported by Globalnews.ca.

The crux of the argument from these retail titans is the belief that limiting the sale of nicotine pouches—designed to be a less harmful alternative to smoking—could backfire by pushing consumers towards the black market.

Kids No Longer Smoke Cigarettes.

Why Aren’t We Celebrating? – Kenneth E. Warner PhD

The decrease in cigarette smoking among American youths is one of the great public health triumphs of the present century. Yet, few people are talking about it. Public health agencies and tobacco control organizations mention it, if at all, in passing. Media coverage is minimal. Should we not be shouting it from the mountaintops?

In 2023, 1.9% of US high school students and 1.1% of middle school students reported smoking cigarettes at least once in the past 30 days.1 Past-30-day smoking prevalence among 12th graders rose through the 1990s to 36.5% in 1997, a level from which it fell virtually annually thereafter.

Vaping in Greece

Vaping Unplugged Podcast Ep. 61 with Nick Ramses

Banning Prison Visitors From Vaping

Is Unjustified and Harmful – Jonathan Kirkpatrick

Washington State is one of only four in the nation to allow what are commonly called conjugal visits. These Extended Family Visits (EFV), typically held in trailers, are available for immediate family members if approved, while regular visitation in the visits room can be accessed by anyone who fills out the paperwork and meets the criteria.

Overwhelming evidence shows the personal and societal benefits of prisoners being able to strengthen family bonds through EFV and other visits. Yet Washington Department of Corrections (WDOC) has deliberately created a policy that jeopardizes these benefits by imposing ideology-based restrictions.

Health executives allege oversight …

In new Victorian vaping laws will result in black market boom

Australian vapers will be driven to the black market because pharmacies are banned from selling e-cigarettes online, the opposition says. New laws that came into effect last week have enabled therapeutic vaping products to be made available for adults to purchase from behind the pharmacy counter.

However, buyers are required to show photo ID for age verification and have an in-person conversation with the pharmacist about the health harms first. The changes mean the only lawful way to buy a vape is through a pharmacy. (Alternative Link)

Shaping a future of reduced tobacco harm

Vivian Manyeki

Tobacco use remains one of the greatest public health challenges of our time, with over 1.3 billion smokers worldwide and eight million deaths annually attributed to smoking-related diseases.

Despite decades of anti-smoking campaigns, the persistence of traditional smoking, coupled with the rising popularity of alternative nicotine products such as e-cigarettes and vapes, has complicated the war on nicotine addiction. This means there is a growing necessity to address the rise in alternative nicotine products, particularly among the youth.

PackBreakers Ep 3:

Talking Vaping with Rob Fisher – VSML South Africa

South Africa’s massive tobacco ban fumble

Seth Thorne

The South African government’s ban on all tobacco and vaping products in the country as part of the Covid-19 lockdown was seen to be a fumble, with consequences seen through the enriching of the illicit market and large excise revenue losses for the state, among others.

Some of these ultimate consequences have now been raised as concerns over certain provisions in the Tobacco Products and Electronic Delivery Systems Bill.

State of Smoking and Health in Nepal

Tobacco Use and Trends: In 2022, an estimated 5.4 million people (4.3 million males and 1.1 million females) aged 15 years and older were tobacco product users in Nepal. This positions the country as the 31st globally and the 6th in the WHO South-East Asia Region in terms of number of tobacco users.1, 2

In 2019, 18.3% of adults (33.3% male and 4.9% female) aged 15-69 years used smokeless tobacco in Nepal. 15.3% of adults (28.2% male and 3.8% female) were daily smokeless tobacco users.

On this Day…2023

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

E-cigarettes in young people:

Applying the precautionary principle in primary care

Not fit for publication or as a guide for general practice – Clive Bates

According to its authors, this editorial by the Royal College of General Practitioners (RCGP) Adolescent Health Group…

…highlights the concerns about adolescents, and offers support to primary care practitioners when assessing e-cigarette use in young people.

Unfortunately, the editorial is filled with misunderstandings and misinformation and does not meet an acceptable standard for publication or for informing hard-pressed general practitioners (GPs) with reliable or actionable insights.

I will describe a range of issues.

Not Conservative

Facts Do Matter

So. It is happening. As most of us have always thought. You will, of course, remember (at least for the UK) the chatter about disposable vapes started gathering momentum with some commentary from a Green MSP and now the current “Conservative” Prime Minister has decided that his Government is going to implement a variety of measures for “A smoke-free generation”.

It would seem that Sunak has been taking lessons from former Labour Prime Minister Tony Blair in targeting what is now a highly stigmatised portion of society (albeit a slowly dwindling portion, thanks – of course – to the various anti-smoker policies introduced over the years; many of which had little to no direct impact).

Stopping the start: our new plan to create a smokefree generation- Gov UK

Vaping crackdown …

Could fuel rise in smokers – Jane Merrick

A planned crackdown by Rishi Sunak on vaping among young people could lead to a rise in the number of tobacco smokers, the government has admitted.

In one of the major policy announcements of his Conservative conference speech, the Prime Minister announced plans to ban anyone currently aged 14 and under to ever buy a cigarette, as well as a crackdown on the sale of brightly-coloured, flavoured vapes to children.

But a government document setting out details of the plans reveals there could be “unintended consequences on youth and adult smoking rates” by imposing new restrictions on fruit and sweet flavours of vaping products, and so any legislation on this aspect would need to be “carefully considered”. Alternative Link