Vapers Digest 7th March

Friday’s News at a glance:

Dr Farsalinos ~ Councils Target Illicit Vapes and Vapers ~ Parliament Matters ~ Another Thai Crackdown Promised ~ CAPHRA expresses worries over corruption allegations against WHO ~ Expert reaction to a cohort study looking at the association between vaping and rates of smoking cessation and tobacco abstinence ~ Guest post: Determining Whether a Vape is Compliant with the UK Vape Ban ~ It’s About Market Share, Not Public Health ~ Crackdown on Vapes Driving Up Teen Cigarette Use, Study Shows ~ Vaping Panic is Costing Lives – Why Aren’t We Talking About Smoking? ~ What might prevent people from quitting smoking? ~ Bulgaria May Scale Down Proposed Vape Ban ~ Kenya Gets Graphic With Nicotine Pouch Warnings ~ Media Watch: The Telegraph Claims Nicotine Pouches “Could Be More Dangerous Than Vaping” ~ Tobacco-free nicotine pouches reduce smoking impacts on oral health ~ Vaping not scientifically linked to severe respiratory issues, University of Catania evidence review finds ~ Israel moves to ban flavoured vapes ~ Kenya Gets Graphic With Nicotine Pouch Warnings ~ Ron Marshall goes off ~ Trump’s FDA Pick Faces Big Test on Tobacco Policy ~ Over-regulation Creates More Problems Than It Solves: California ~ Tobacco and Vapor Product Use Still Down Among Vermont Youth ~ Pray for Us Zynners

Four from Dave Cross, Planet of the Vapes

Dr Farsalinos

Dr Konstantinos Farsalinos is a research fellow at the Onassis Cardiac Surgery Centre in Athens, Greece, and at the Department of Pharmacy, University of Patras, Greece. He has been involved in vape related research from when the disruptive technology took hold. Dr Farsalinos has called the unpublished study behind the Mirror article “irresponsible and unacceptable”.

Councils Target Illicit Vapes and Vapers

Westmorland and Furness Trading Standards has conducted a targeted operation of surprise visits to stores to conduct test purchases of vape products in Barrow and Ulverston. Two of the retailers visited were found to be willing to break the law. The news comes as Darlington council considers revising the current smoking ban to include a proposal to ban vaping as part of its outdoor seating rules.

Parliament Matters

Damning evidence from the House of Commons this week as MPs prove there is no limit to the stupidity of their ideas. Labour’s Jo Platt seems to think that vape stores should be unfairly singled out with an accusation of tax evasion. Plus, the Conservative’s Richard Holden appears to believe that a 2ml tank is too big and should be reduced in capacity – something Ashley Dalton hints may well happen.

Another Thai Crackdown Promised

If there’s one thing Thai police and politicians love, then it’s a good old crackdown on vaping. Having enacted multiple bans on the importation and sale of vapes, the Kingdom has now been promised its second crackdown of 2025. While the threats of new action are underway, The Siamese website carries a story about “smart city scientists” showing that vaping reduces smoking.

CAPHRA expresses worries over corruption allegations against WHO

Jan Escosio, Inquirer.Net

The Coalition of Asia Pacific Tobacco Harm Reduction Advocates (CAPHRA) expressed concern over corruption allegations against the World Health Organization (WHO), citing the United States’ withdrawal of support.

CAPHRA said it had “deep concerns” about recent events involving the WHO. The group raised questions about the effectiveness of the organization’s global public health policies, pointing to accusations of corruption and mismanagement in the Asia-Pacific region.

Expert reaction to a cohort study looking at the association

between vaping and rates of smoking cessation and tobacco abstinence

Dr Jamie Hartmann-Boyce, Prof Peter Hajek, Science Media Centre

A cohort study published in JAMA Network Open looks at the association between vaping and smoking cessation rates.

Guest post: Determining Whether a Vape is Compliant with the UK Vape Ban

Independent British Vape Trade Association (IBVTA)

It is now less than three months before the single use vapes ban comes into force. From 1 June 2025, it will be illegal for businesses to sell or supply, offer to sell or supply, or have in their possession for sale or supply all single-use or ‘disposable’ vapes. This applies to:

sales online and in shops

all vapes whether or not they contain nicotine

It is important for all businesses along the vape supply chain to ensure they are prepared for the June 1st deadline, and to be clear about the details of how to stay compliant. What follows is a guest post, an extract from the book “The Single Use Vape Ban Explained” by David Alexander, available now on Amazon.

It’s About Market Share, Not Public Health

Lisa Ciarlone, DC Journal

There is a battle raging in the tobacco and vape space, and it’s not Public Health vs. Big Tobacco — it’s consumer-driven innovation being systematically crushed through misinformation campaigns and regulatory maneuvers led by tobacco companies.

As cigarette sales decline, Big Tobacco is leveraging regulatory capture, aggressive lobbying and geopolitical tensions to maintain market dominance — at the expense of the U.S. independent vape industry.

Crackdown on Vapes Driving Up Teen Cigarette Use, Study Shows

Jessica R. Towhey, DC Journal

Efforts to curb young adult vaping by banning flavored products are successful, but new research shows those legislative bans are also leading to a rise in smoking traditional cigarettes.

The study from researchers at the University of Missouri and the Yale School of Public Health also found that a more nuanced approach in Maryland.

Vaping Panic is Costing Lives – Why Aren’t We Talking About Smoking?

James Dunworth, Ashtray Blog, E-Cigarette Direct

I’d like you to think back over the last year.

When was the last time you saw a story about the harms of smoking, the last advert warning about the dangers of cigarettes?

I’ve seen stories of parents encouraging children to switch from vaping to smoking, stories which haven’t been contradicted by stop-smoking professionals, but I have seen almost nothing on the harms of smoking.

What might prevent people from quitting smoking?

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

Barriers, brick walls, prohibition, misinformation, moral panic, fearmongering, clickbait, misperceptions, disinformation, fake news, burdensome regulations, lack of empathy, stigmatization, disdain, disrespect… Need I go on?

Think of people who smoke or might smoke in the future as the flowers we want to grow in the garden of individual and public health. We can try all we want to force a smoke-free world.

Click to visit Danish Vapers Association

Two from Ali Anderson, Clearing The Air

Vaping not scientifically linked to severe respiratory issues, University of Catania evidence review finds

No significant link found between exclusive vape use and severe respiratory issues among people who have never smoked

Associations with mild respiratory symptoms “tenuous and variable”

Lack of studies looking only at vapers who have never smoked

Researchers urge healthcare providers to encourage smokers to switch to less harmful vaping

Vaping is not scientifically linked with severe respiratory issues among people who have never smoked, a new evidence review has found.

Israel moves to ban flavoured vapes

Israel is set to ban the production, marketing and sale of non-tobacco flavoured vapes.

The legislation passed its first legal hurdle at a preliminary hearing in the Israeli Knesset (a unicameral parliament, where there is just one chamber).

The proposed private members’ bill will now progress to Committee stage where it will be studied in detail and prepared for its first reading.

Kenya Gets Graphic With Nicotine Pouch Warnings

Joseph Hart, The Daily Pouch

The Kenyan Ministry of Health has announced new regulations requiring vapes and nicotine pouch products to display graphic health warnings. While this practice is common for cigarettes, it’s surprising to see it applied to reduced-risk products like pouches and vapes.

What’s going on?

Media Watch: The Telegraph Claims Nicotine Pouches “Could Be More Dangerous Than Vaping”

Richard Crosby, The Daily Pouch

The Telegraph’s coverage of smoking harm-reduction products has always been something of a mixed bag. For every reasoned article advocating a sensible approach to vaping, there are several more pushing misleading scientific claims or some columnist talking about giving up disposables as if he’d shaken off a heroin addiction.

Tobacco-free nicotine pouches reduce smoking impacts on oral health

Professor Dr. Mihaela Rãescu, Daily FT

Completely switching to tobacco-free nicotine pouches significantly boosts oral health of cigarette smokers, and more attention must be paid to the link between oral hygiene and smoking, avers Professor Dr. Mihaela Rãescu, from the Titu Maiorescu University in Romania.

Speaking to the Daily FT, Prof. Dr. Rãescu opined that health professionals must be made aware of the existing nicotine alternatives and be empowered to present them to adult smokers as a step to completely transition out of smoking and improve overall health. However, she says it is important to note the willingness of the patients to switch from smoking, as she finds if a patient is accepting of their weakened state of health as a smoker it becomes more difficult to drive change.

Ron Marshall goes off

Max Savage Levenson, Big Sky Chat House

On Monday morning, then-state Representative Ron Marshall posted a surprising message on X. “I will be resigning from my position as representative for Montana House District 87, effective at 12 noon today,” he wrote. “The corruption is more than I can stand. Lobbyists run this country. [The] people have no voice.”

Marshall, a third-term Republican lawmaker, made his decision following moves by the Legislature to regulate—and, arguably, handicap—the vape industry, in which he is directly invested: Marshall owns two vape shops in Montana.

Trump FDA Pick Faces Big Test on Tobacco Policy

Julio Fuentes, The Floridian

President Donald Trump’s nominee to head the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), Martin Makary, is an incredibly credentialed Harvard graduate, John Hopkins University surgeon, and bestselling author. Perhaps of greater note, he has also been unafraid to challenge healthcare establishment views on a variety of topics ranging from pricing to federal agency policy. He may be uniquely suited to reform the FDA, and there’s no better target for reform than one of its subagencies, the Center for Tobacco Products (CTP).

Over-Regulation Creates More Problems Than It Solves: California

Jeffrey Smith , RStreet

According to the California Department of Public Health, the smoking rate among adults decreased from approximately 16.3 percentage points in 2001 to about 6.0 percentage points in 2022, representing a decline of nearly 10 percentage points. This reduction can be attributed to comprehensive tobacco control policies, including high tobacco taxes, extensive public education campaigns, and robust smoke-free laws that have created environments less conducive to smoking.

Tobacco and Vapor Product Use Still Down Among Vermont Youth

Lindsey Stroud, Independent Women’s Forum

Youth tobacco and vapor product use continues to decline in the Green Mountain State, according to data from the 2023 Youth Risk Behavior Survey, conducted by the Vermont Department of Health in conjunction with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Among high school students in 2023, only 6% reported currently using combustible cigarettes, defined as any use in the 30 days prior to the survey. Additionally, 3.2% reported current smokeless tobacco use (including chewing tobacco, dip, dissolvable tobacco products, snuff, and/or snus), and only 3.9% reported current cigar use.

Pray For Us Zynners

Jordan McGillis, Reason

New York politicians are again targeting the finance sector—this time with a proposed ban on flavored nicotine pouches.

The proposal, sponsored by state Sen. Brad Hoylman-Sigal (D–Manhattan), follows a one-two punch from Democratic Gov. Kathy Hochul to bar private equity from real estate investments and to outlaw “buy now, pay later” options on internet purchases.

Nicotine pouches (including ZYN, Sesh, and Excel) deliver a buzz that keeps minds sharp and margins strong. Those in the know attest to the unparalleled edge that nicotine pouches provide. They help you lock in when you need it most: generating slide decks for client meetings, running models for your managing director, or pretending to understand what your quant just pulled from the terminal.

On this Day…2022

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

Neil Humber -RIP – You Will Be Missed

Jonny – Ecigclick

It’s with a heavy heart we bring sad news. After a short illness, our good friend and editor at Ecigclick, Neil Humber, sadly passed away this week with his son, Harry, by his side.

Neil joined the Ecigclick team 6 years ago and I personally (as well as other members of the team) had been lucky enough to get to know him and call him a good friend over those years.

He was ever-present at Ecigclick and a great advocate for the vape community. Not a week would pass where his commentary on the world of vaping wouldn’t bring a smile to my face, he certainly had a gift when it came to words.

Tobacco Harm Reduction

Dr John’s Blog

“Harm reduction” is an established policy in public health. For various reasons, some people sometimes find themselves doing things that are bad for their health. In an ideal world, no one would be a drug addict, prostitution would not exist and no one would smoke. All that public health would have to do is to make sure people were informed of the health risks of their behaviour, refer them to a program, and the problem would be solved.

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