Vapers Digest 2nd December

Monday’s News at a glance:

Harry’s blog 124: Giving a voice to the voiceless – MPs Vote Through “Landmark” Bill – THR Would Save Lives – Prague joins Rome and Bucharest in opposing EU public vaping ban – Independent retailers fear illicit tobacco and vapes sales will soar – Let’s talk e-cigarettes, November 2024, Ep37 – The Autistic Traveler #2 – Lessons from the WHO FCTC For the WHO Pandemic Treaty – The WHO’s Missed Opportunity – National Assembly unanimously bans e-cigarettes – Denver should reject a flavored tobacco ban – Interview with Aza from Considerate Pouchers Uzbekistan – PackBreakers Episode 6: The Birth of VSML With Craig Stuart –

Giving a voice to the voiceless

Harry Shapiro

Imagine the outcome if your local park football team took on Real Madrid. This is equivalent to the challenge faced by tobacco harm reduction consumer activists trying to take on the well-funded and well-organised global cartel opposing the use of safer nicotine products. Consumers are shut out of the international debate and denied a seat at the table while their lived experiences are ignored or dismissed as utterances in the service of Big Tobacco.

The same problem is faced by experienced and credible THR researchers trying to find a home for their papers in mainstream academic journals. Papers are rejected on vague and spurious grounds related to links to the tobacco industry. The only criteria should be – does the research stand up to scrutiny?

MPs Vote Through “Landmark” Bill

Dave Cross, Planet of the Vapes

MPs voted through “the world-leading” Tobacco and Vapes Bill, “moving the UK one step closer to protecting future generations from the harms of smoking and vaping”, at its second reading in the House of Commons. The “ambitious” bill includes plans to clamp down on youth vaping with many of the measures claimed to be specifically aimed at protecting children.

The UK Government says: “Subject to consultation, the sale of vape flavours that overtly appeal to children – such as bubble gum, gummy bear and cotton candy – could be brought to an end, alongside restrictions on vape packaging that is designed to appeal to young people.

THR Would Save Lives

Dave Cross, Planet of the Vapes

Almost 200,000 Kenyan lives will be saved if policymakers adopt a more progressive approach to alternative nicotine products, according to ground-breaking new research by leading international health experts at Smoke Free Sweden. The landmark report released last week by the tobacco harm reduction experts highlights the alarming prevalence of smoking in Kenya, where 19.7% of adult men smoke.

In 2019, tobacco-related illnesses claimed the lives of 12,000 Kenyans, according to the report Saving 600,000 Lives in Nigeria and Kenya. While the World Health Organization (WHO) projects that current tobacco control measures will reduce this toll to 8,000 by 2060, the authors argue that this number remains far too high.

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Circling the drain:

Now Prague joins Rome and Bucharest in opposing EU public vaping ban

Alastair Cohen, Clearing the Air

After the European Parliament rejected the Commission’s proposal to ban vaping in all public spaces, and the day before EU Health Ministers are slated to debate it, Czechia has joined Italy and voiced opposition to the proposal.

“[W]e believe that policies that aim to protect public health should be rational, realistic and based on prevention and harm reduction”,

The Czech government said in a statement to other Member States dated 28th November, the same day as the European Parliament rejected the proposed ban outright; and seen by Clearing the Air.

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Let’s talk e-cigarettes,

November 2024, Ep37

Associate Professor Jamie Hartmann-Boyce and Associate Professor Nicola Lindson discuss the new evidence in e-cigarette research and interview Dr Marathi Vojjala from the Global Institute of Public Health, New York University, USA.
In the November podcast Marathi Vojjala discusses her pilot randomised controlled trial (RCT) that aims to investigate the effects of switching to electronic cigarettes from combustible cigarettes and the potential acceptability of e-cigarettes or as a harm reduction strategy among individuals with chronic diseases who smoke. This study examines examining the potential of behavioural counselling paired with e-cigarettes versus nicotine replacement therapy (e.g. nicotine patches or gum) for achieving harm reduction and decreased combustible cigarette use.

The Autistic Traveler #2

Kim “Skip” Murray

In this of the series I will try to explain how I became involved in advocating for various things and how those things seem to tie easily to the two main things I advocate about: nicotine and/or mental health.

For most of my life, I’ve dedicated myself to one or two specialized focuses (what I used to call obsessions) and could only manage one or two close friendships at a time.

My focus on nicotine started in 2014 and moved me away from my previous focus on genealogy and motorsports. Since then, I’ve helped many people stop smoking and have advocated for tobacco harm reduction (THR). I identified as a “THR Advocate.”

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Lessons from the WHO FCTC

For the WHO Pandemic Treaty – Martin Cullip, Roger Bate

Since its founding, there has been a tension between WHO addressing national needs with direct impact, and the development of international norms and standards. Two of the best examples of each from past eras are the eradication of smallpox and the adoption of the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control. Their attainment led WHO to pursue polio eradication and development of a pandemic treaty. I highlight several macro realities that made the FCTC possible and several weaknesses of the FCTC process that hint at future failure of a pandemic treaty.

National Assembly unanimously bans ecigs

Under the approved resolution, the National Assembly has banned the production, trading, importation, storage, transportation, and use of e-cigarettes, heated tobacco, and other substances that cause addiction or harm to human health.

The resolution also called for increased efforts in public education, particularly targeting youth and teenagers, to raise awareness about the dangers of alcohol, beer, tobacco, e-cigarettes, heated tobacco, and other harmful substances that pose risks to human health.

The WHO’s Missed Opportunity:

A Call for a Pragmatic, Evidence-Driven Approach to Vaping

Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, the WHO Director-General’s recent praise for Vietnam’s ban on vaping and heated tobacco products misses an important point: vaping is a proven harm-reduction tool that could help millions of smokers quit or reduce their tobacco use. In Vietnam, where 40% of men smoke, the need for alternatives to traditional cigarettes is critical. While the WHO focuses on preventing youth from getting addicted to nicotine, it overlooks the overwhelming evidence that vaping is much less harmful than smoking traditional cigarettes. Studies show e-cigarettes contain fewer toxins and do not produce the tar and carcinogens that cause smoking-related diseases.

Ziauddin Islam’s Post

Misguided Policies: Prioritizing Ideology over Evidence

As a concerned advocate for public health, I’m compelled to speak out against the misguided policies perpetuated by the World Health Organization (WHO) and governments like Vietnam.

Their stance on vaping and harm reduction is not only misinformed but also detrimental to the health and well-being of adult smokers.

Who Is Going To Stand Up

For What’s Right?, WVA

As a vaper who was once a smoker for over 10 years, I’ve seen firsthand the incredible difference vaping can make in a person’s life. But lately, the growing wave of restrictions on harm reduction tools, particularly in the European Union, has me deeply concerned. The future of alternatives like vaping, nicotine pouches, and other reduced-risk products is being threatened by increasingly harsh regulations—regulations that could undo years of progress in reducing smoking rates.

In the UK, there’s a push to ban disposable vapes, which have been an essential tool for many smokers who are trying to quit. While their effectiveness in helping people transition away from smoking is well-documented, policymakers are considering banning them in the name of public health

Denver should reject a flavor ban

Guy Bentley

Three years after the last failed attempt to ban flavored tobacco, prohibition is once again on the Denver City Council’s agenda. Even when motivated by the best intentions, the evidence shows these bans often do more harm than good.

Flavored tobacco is allegedly responsible for a litany of harms, including an ”epidemic” of youth use. Advocates claim banning these products will have few to no negative consequences.

The Birth of VSML With Craig Stuart

PackBreakers Episode 6:

Craig, a former smoker and co-founder of VSML, shares his vaping journey and entrepreneurial experience. He discusses the impact of the Tobacco and Vape Bill on the vaping community and advocates for harm reduction strategies, highlighting vaping as a less harmful alternative to smoking.

Interview with Aza from..

Considerate Pouchers Uzbekistan

As ocean trade became the dominant form of transportation in the 16th century, Uzbekistan descended into the chaos of war, conflict, and internecine power struggles. By the 19th century, the Russian Empire expanded to include the territories of present-day Uzbekistan, and by the next century, it had become part of the USSR.

Uzbekistan declared independence in 1991, and Islam Karimov, the country’s first president, ruled until he died in office in 2016. Karimov was an authoritarian ruler who rigged elections, suppressed free speech, assassinated political opponents, and ignored human rights.

Did Trump Change the Game for THR?

Derek Yach

In this compelling discussion, global health expert Derek Yach explores the Trump administration’s impact on health advocacy and the future of tobacco harm reduction. From regulatory shifts to public health priorities, Yach delves into how policy decisions during this era have shaped global efforts to reduce smoking-related harm and promote safer alternatives.

Tackling Tobacco:

Experts push for harm reduction strategies for smokers battling addiction

According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), approximately eight million people die each year as a result of tobacco use, with an additional 1.2 million deaths attributed to exposure to second-hand smoke.

Despite these alarming statistics, many smokers continue to find it challenging to quit, as experts highlight the powerful grip nicotine has on addiction.

To address this challenge and support smokers in quitting, various stakeholders from Africa and globally convened in Nairobi this week for the 4th Harm Reduction Exchange.

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On this Day…2023

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

Stick that in your pipe and smoke it

Christopher Snowdon

No one really knows why Rishi Sunak decided to make tobacco prohibition a cornerstone of his prime ministerial agenda. It polls quite well, although the Conservative Party’s overall poll ratings have got worse since he announced it and the New Zealand government has since decided to repeal a similar policy. Sunak himself is now the least popular member of his own government in the eyes of Conservative members.

There is talk in Westminster that Sunak was personally persuaded by Chris Whitty (the Chief Medical Officer) who has been banging this drum for a while. Whitty then turned up at the Covid inquiry and laid into Sunak, nicknaming his Eat Out to Help Out scheme ‘Eat Out to Help the Virus’. I scratch your back, you knife mine.

Hypocrisy of FDA Commissioner Califf’s

Stance on Vaping – Martin Cullip

Earlier this year, Dr. Robert Califf, commissioner of the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA), emerged as a vocal advocate against misinformation in the public health domain.

A commitment to combating the real problem of health rumors and falsehoods is commendable. But Califf’s recent statements regarding tobacco harm reduction reveal a concerning level of misinformation of his own—and the distinct whiff of hypocrisy.

In January, the FDA announced an initiative designed to address public health misinformation. Explaining the rationale, Califf stated, “I actually believe that misinformation is the leading cause of death right now in the US.”

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