Vapers Digest 22nd January

Wednesday’s News at a glance:

Five Years To Become Smokefree ~ Tobacco and Vapes Bill: Clause 12 ~ What The US President Needs To Do ~ “Setting the record straight” About WHO Misinformation ~ CAPHRA calls for inclusion of consumer voices in WHO FCTC COP11 preparations ~ Why Isn’t the American Lung Association Calling for the Removal of Flavored NRT Nicotine Gum from the Market? ~ In praise of ‘dual users’ ~ Ottawa Needs To Rethink It’s Smoking Fight ~ The Strange Rise of Apps That “Help” People Stop Using Nicotine ~ Public submission from the Considerate Pouchers to the Finnish Government ~ Thinking ’bout THR News & Views ~ Bangladesh bans vapes – and cigarette production increases ~ Eight in 10 vape sellers in Brussels ignore new rules ~ Vape shops in Ireland hit with new licence fee ~ Three former FDA officials: Here’s what Trump and his nominees need to know ~ Justices Unmoved By Fifth Circuit Forum Shopping Concern ~ Latvia Is 9th European Country to Ban Flavored Vapes ~ Keir Starmer’s plan to crackdown on smoking dealt blow as report finds it ‘unworkable’ ~ ‘BACK TO CIGS’ FEAR Millions of vapers could switch back to cigarettes if ministers restrict certain flavours, industry warns ~ US FDA approval of nicotine pouches is a landmark moment for Harm Reduction ~ How Sweden Quit Smoking” – A We Are Innovation Documentary ~ TOBACCO HARM REDUCTION IN MALAWI Pt.2 | Featuring Sahan Lungu

THREE from Dave Cross, Planet of the Vapes

Five Years To Become Smokefree

With just 5 years to go to reach the government’s Smokefree 2030 target, data from a new study by leading ecig company Vape Club has revealed the areas in the UK that are set to officially become ‘smokefree’ in 2025. This is reached as the number of active smokers dips below the government threshold of 5% or lower adult smoking prevalence rate.

Tobacco and Vapes Bill: Clause 12

The second part of this ‘heavy on politics’ week, Planet of the Vapes look at the debate on amendments to Clause 12 of the Tobacco and Vapes Bill, where MPs discussed ‘Vaping and nicotine product vending machines’. The debate took place in a public committee.

What The US President Needs To Do

Tobacco harm reduction expert Clive Bates has written a report explaining what the new 47th President of the United States needs to do to fix the broken tobacco and nicotine market. He states, “a radical overhaul” is required of the vape product authorisation process in order to combat the “giant illicit market”.

“Setting the record straight” About WHO Misinformation

Loremipsumdolor, COPWatch

A new campaign to persuade the world the WHO would never lie “could not be more wrong”. As mentioned in the last post at Copwatch, the World Health Organization launched a new initiative on X (formerly known as Twitter) on January 8th to counter “misinformation”.

To say this is breathtaking for its chutzpah would be an understatement. Described as “Busting myths and setting the record straight about WHO”, it is designed to let the world know that the WHO is very misunderstood by those who believe its plans for a pandemic treaty are sinister. After all, the WHO would never lie, oh no! It is merely an honest broker of information and only a conspiracy theorist could think otherwise.

CAPHRA calls for inclusion of consumer voices in WHO FCTC COP11 preparations

Australia, Let’s Improve Vaping Education (A.L.I.V.E.)

The Coalition of Asia Pacific Tobacco Harm Reduction Advocates (CAPHRA) is urging the Philippine government to include consumer perspectives in its preparations for the upcoming World Health Organisation’s 11th Conference of the Parties (COP11) of the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC).

Why Isn’t the American Lung Association Calling for the Removal of Flavored NRT Nicotine Gum from the Market?

Dr. Michael Siegel, The Rest of the Story

In its statement responding to the FDA’s approval of Zyn nicotine pouches for marketing in the United States, the American Lung Association blasted the FDA and called for the removal of all flavored nicotine products from the market. This includes flavored nicotine gum but not flavored NRT nicotine gum. The ALA argued that flavored nicotine products appeal to youth and could cause addiction, and therefore should be removed from the market. However, the ALA was only referring to products the FDA classifies as “tobacco products,” which does not include NRT nicotine gum.

In praise of ‘dual users’

“Dual users,” people who both smoke cigarettes and vape, are a large but neglected group in Canada. They have not been adequately studied, and they have received very little media attention.

Yet, if dual users give up vaping and go back to smoking, more than one quarter of a million of them would die from tobacco-related diseases. The Canadian Tobacco & Nicotine Survey reported that there were 532,000 dual users in Canada in 2020-2021. Public Health England estimates that vaping is 20 times safer than smoking.

Ottawa Needs To Rethink It’s Smoking Fight

David Clement, Consumer Choice Center

The third week of January, marked as National Non-Smoking Week, arrives every year with great sanctimony but without much action to back it up. Canada, despite this week coming and going every year, continues to have a significant number of smokers. As of 2022, 10.2 per cent of Canadians still partake in the ritual of lighting up. This revelation should provoke not just a week of platitudes but an urgent reevaluation of our strategies.

The Strange Rise of Apps That “Help” People Stop Using Nicotine

Joseph Hart, The Daily Pouch

I’ve written for a bunch of startups over the years. Some of them were interesting, others less so. After a while, you basically knew instinctively which ones were doomed. Essentially, it came down to asking one simple question: what problem do you solve? Despite endless blogs, books, podcasts, and tons of research looking into the issue, I’m still amazed that there are so many founders with horrible ideas. In the startup space, they call it product-market fit; in the real world we call selling something that people actually need.

Public submission from the Considerate Pouchers to the Finnish Government

Considerate Pouchers

The Finnish Government has introduced a draft amendment to the Tobacco Act that includes strict regulations for nicotine pouches. The proposal seeks to ban most flavors, impose stringent limits on nicotine concentrations, mandate plain packaging with health warnings, and introduce new restrictions on their sale and use. The Considerate Pouchers group is actively engaging in the consultation process, offering evidence-based arguments to oppose these measures. Their response highlights the significant role nicotine pouches play in aiding smoking cessation and improving public health. It also addresses the key proposed regulations and suggests alternative policies to better support harm reduction efforts.

Thinking ’bout THR News & Views

Skip Murray, Skip’s Corner – Let’s Talk!

Greetings! This newsletter is already very long, as it has been a long time since the last edition of News & Views. I will skip including my personal message and save it for next time.

THREE from Ali Anderson, Clearing The Air

Bangladesh bans vapes – and cigarette production increases

Bangladesh has implemented a strict ban on all imports of vapes and nicotine pouches. “It is necessary to take urgent measures to ban these products and ensure the public health and safety of future generations,” the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare said. As there are no domestic vape or pouch manufacturers in Bangladesh, the new legislation is in effect an outright ban on the products.

Eight in 10 vape sellers in Brussels ignore new rules

Up to eight in 10 of vape sellers in the Belgium capital of Brussels are violating strict new vape laws, according to a new government report. On January 1, Belgium became the first European Union country to ban the sale of disposable vapes. Colourful and eye-catching designs and slogans on vapes are also banned. Heralding the new legislation, Belgian health minister Frank Vandenbroucke said: “Disposable e-cigarettes are designed to attract young people, to appeal to new users who maybe never smoked. E-cigarettes are partly attracting a new generation of smokers.”

Vape shops in Ireland hit with new licence fee

Ireland is introducing a new licence fee for retailers selling vapes. From February 2, shops wishing to sell vapes will be hit with an annual charge of €800. There will be a further fee of €1,000 if they sell tobacco. Nicotine pouches are excluded from the legislation. The system will mean vaping retailers with a number of premises across the country will face paying thousands of euros every year. Until now, retailers that wanted to sell tobacco had to pay a one-off €50 fee, and there was no licence for selling vapes.

Click to visit Danish Vapers Association

Three former FDA officials: Here’s what Trump and his nominees need to know

Stuart Pape, Wayne Pines, Mitch Zeller, STAT

There has been much speculation about what is in store for the Food and Drug Administration in the incoming administration, as President Trump and his likely nominees for senior health positions — including Robert F. Kennedy Jr. for secretary of Health and Human Services and Marty Makary for FDA commissioner — have expressed strong views about how the FDA regulates our nation’s foods, drugs/devices, and cosmetics. RFK Jr. has called for a major shakeup at FDA.

Justices Unmoved By Fifth Circuit Forum Shopping Concern

Kimberly Strawbridge Robinson, Bloomberg Law

US says e-cigarette makers trying to game the system

Justices looked to text of law, rather than forum shopping concerns

The US Supreme Court was skeptical of government arguments that it should curb where e-cigarette manufacturers can sue in order cut back on forum shopping.

Latvia Is 9th European Country to Ban Flavored Vapes

Jim McDonald, Vaping 360

On Jan. 1, Latvia became the ninth European country to ban flavored vapes. The new law also limits nicotine content in nicotine pouches to 4 mg/g, and prohibits vapes and other nicotine products that resemble candy or toys. Latvia’s Tobacco Products Act was amended a year ago to ban vape flavors other than tobacco and restrict vape product sales to people 20 and older. A ban on mint and menthol flavors took effect in August 2024.

Keir Starmer’s plan to crackdown on smoking dealt blow as report finds it ‘unworkable’

David Williamson, Express

Plans to eradicate smoking in the UK are “unworkable” and will set back progress to save lives, a leading think tank has warned. The Adam Smith Institute claims that “19 million years of life” could be saved by 2030 if people can use safer alternatives to cigarettes. It says this would save the taxpayer £12.6billion every year.

‘BACK TO CIGS’ FEAR Millions of vapers could switch back to cigarettes

if ministers restrict certain flavours, industry warns

Jack Elsom, The Sun

Customer research by VPZ — the UK’s largest retailer of the electronic puffers — said 93.1 per cent of former smokers credited the e-cigs with kicking the habit. Some 55 per cent of all surveyed said they used sweet and fruity flavours to help them give up fags.

US FDA approval of nicotine pouches is a landmark moment for Harm Reduction

Smoke Free Sweden

The United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has taken a major step forward in tobacco harm reduction by authorising the marketing of nicotine pouch products through its Premarket Tobacco Product Application (PMTA) pathway. This decision establishes a global benchmark for evidence-based public health policy. Nicotine pouches, which are smoke-free and significantly less harmful than cigarettes, have been recognised by the FDA for helping smokers transition to other nicotine alternatives.

How Sweden Quit Smoking” – A We Are Innovation Documentary

Somos Innovación

Journey into the heart of Sweden’s transformation into a smoke-free nation through this documentary directed by award-winning filmmaker Tomasz Agencki. The film features the final public appearance of Prof. Curt Enzell, the pioneering inventor of portion snus, alongside an exceptional roster of experts including Dr. Karl Fagerström, creator of the renowned Fagerström Test for Cigarette Dependence, and Dr. Anders Milton, former Chair of the World Medical Association.

TOBACCO HARM REDUCTION IN MALAWI Pt.2 | Featuring Sahan Lungu

Global Forum on Nicotine

In the second part of our series looking at Malawi’s complicated relationship with tobacco production and smoking, Sahan Lungu joins us to explore whether a holistic approach to tobacco production and smoking could help Malawi minimise the harms related to combustible tobacco use.

On this Day…2024

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

WHO/FCTC Needs to Respect Science,

Consumer Rights in COP Meeting – Martin Cullip

The Taxpayers Protection Alliance’s Consumer Center accused the World Health Organization Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (WHO FCTC) of ignoring science and the rights of consumers in its pursuit of restrictive tobacco control measures, as the global body prepares for its 10th Conference of the Parties (COP) this year.

Will Not Stop

Tobacco Control Unlikely to Validate Nicotine Vaping | RegWatch

Despite a steady drumbeat of scientific studies showing nicotine vapes help people switch off smoking, including those with no intention to quit. Many within tobacco control continue to devote resources and press policies to restrict or ban e-cigarettes and other safer nicotine products.
Even good news about the dramatic drop in teen vaping and a massive decline in youth smoking rates seems to have had little impact.

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