Vapers Digest 25th April

Friday’s News at a glance:

Government responds to Industry Petition ~ Dr Jackson Discusses Research ~ IBVTA responds to new research from UCL ~ WVA EU Tax Plan ~ Latest CDC Data Confirms E-Cigarette Use Correlates with Declines in Smoking ~ CAPHRA Criticises Philippine Government’s Inconsistent Vaping Policies, Calls for Evidence-Based Approach ~ Stricter controls better than total ban on vape products, says expert ~ Taxing Harm Reduction: The EU Seems Set on Undermining Its Own Public Health Goals ~ New Zealand Researcher Claims that Using E-Cigarettes Coats the Lungs With Oil ~ What’s new in things to do? ~ Nicotine – Opportunities ~ What We Can Learn from New Zealand’s Pragmatic Approach to Vaping Policy ~ Terengganu enforces ban on e-cigarettes, vapes starting Aug 1 ~ Peer ‘stocking up’ on disposable vapes before summer ban ~ A Cup of Tea With My Anti-Vaping Neighbor ~ Spain risks undoing smoking success with vape ban, report warns ~ Court overturns vaping ban on Barcelona beaches ~ Greece to ban vape flavours except tobacco and menthol ~ Australia’s dangerous vape blackmarket is a warning to Europe, experts say ~ Trading Vapes for Pills: Are We Really Helping Young People Quit, or Just Handing Over Their Health to Big Pharma? ~ Letitia James’ morally confused attack on the vaping industry ~ Tag: AVM ~ Tennessee Vape Registry and Tax Bill Sent to Governor ~ Maine considers shifting disposal costs of e-cigarettes to producers ~ Millions of vapes seized in illegal trade crackdown ~ Vape Bans, Taxes & Truth: A Vape Shop Point of View (Deutsch) | Ep. 82 ~ VIETNAM’S VAPE BAN EXPOSED

Four from Dave Cross, Planet of the Vapes

Government responds to Industry Petition

Sharp minded POTV News subscribers will remember being asked to sign a petition to help the industry fight a possible ban on eliquid flavours. The Tobacco and Vapes Bill passed its last reading and has progressed to the Upper House, but vapers are still able to sign the petition and help stop some of the worst aspects. The Government has responded to the petition with an interim statement.

Dr Jackson Discusses Research

Dr Sarah Jackson has discussed the findings of the research study released this week that shows the government’s attack on disposables has deterred smokers switching to vaping. Taking to social media, the academic explains how the trend has changed in anticipation of policy change.

IBVTA responds to new research from UCL

The Independent British Vape Trade Association (IBVTA) has responded to the news that the rapid rise of vaping, that began when disposable e-cigarettes became popular in 2021, appears to have stalled in Great Britain, according to a new study by University College London researchers.

WVA EU Tax Plan

Breaking news from Bild Zeitung is that the European Union Commission has released a new tobacco tax plan. This plan has been described as “a direct attack on public health, the poor, and common sense”, according to the World Vapers’ Alliance.

Latest CDC Data Confirms E-Cigarette Use Correlates with Declines in Smoking

Jeffrey Barry, Real Clear Health

The latest Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), delivers great news for tobacco control advocates: adult smoking prevalence has reached its lowest level in 60 years. Despite this major public health victory, the CDC—along with Bloomberg-backed organizations—continues to raise alarms over increasing adult e-cigarette use, even though many adults turn to these products as a tool to quit smoking.

CAPHRA Criticises Philippine Government’s Inconsistent Vaping Policies, Calls for Evidence-Based Approach

Coalition of Asia Pacific Tobacco Harm Reduction Advocates (CAPHRA)

The Coalition of Asia Pacific Tobacco Harm Reduction Advocates (CAPHRA) today criticised the Philippine government for its contradictory stance on vaping, highlighting inconsistencies between public crackdowns on illicit vape products, growing fiscal dependence on vape taxes, and questionable environmental practices surrounding the disposal of confiscated devices.

Taxing Harm Reduction: The EU Seems Set on Undermining Its Own Public Health Goals

Diane Caruana, Vaping Post

Last month Vaping Post shared a leaked internal document from the European Commission, obtained by Snusjournalen, which unveiled a controversial proposal to raise taxes on nicotine pouches and other nicotine products by 30% across the EU. Led by the Directorate-General for Taxation and Customs Union (DG TAXUD), the proposal has sparked concern over potential far-reaching economic, political, and criminal fallout throughout the region, and is drawing fierce criticism from consumer advocates and harm reduction groups.

New Zealand Researcher Claims that Using E-Cigarettes Coats the Lungs With Oil

Dr. Michael Siegel, The Rest of the Story

An electronic cigarette researcher from Auckland University’s Bio Engineering Institute is telling the public that when people use e-cigarettes, their lungs become coated with oil, leading to inflammation that eventually causes lung disease.

According to an article in RNZ, the professor is quoted as stating:

“Every time you vape, some of that will stay inside your lungs, so the e-liquids that are in vapes are sort of quite an oily substance. There’ll be a lining of this oil that will stay inside your lungs and actually one of the things that is designed to get rid of that is the process of inflammation. It’s when you have this inflammation occurring many times a day over many years, which is what leads to disease and tissue breakdown.”

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

What’s new in things to do?

You can quickly find updates since the last edition by looking for “*NEW*.

Some of these events might not support the use of reduced-risk products. Some have covered nicotine in the past but may not cover that topic every year.

Nicotine – Opportunities

You can quickly find updates since the last edition by looking for “*NEW*.

Reminder: I cannot know which journal submission requests are from reputable entities.

What We Can Learn from New Zealand’s Pragmatic Approach to Vaping Policy

Joe Murillo, Policy & Progress in Tobacco Harm Reduction

As we continue to discuss pathways toward a smoke-free America, it’s worth examining the outcomes of real-world policy experiments happening right now. A recent study by researchers at the University of Queensland published in the journal Addiction provides compelling evidence for what many of us have long argued: a risk-proportionate regulatory framework that provides adults who smoke access to smokefree alternatives, coupled with accurate science-based information about those products versus cigarettes, can lead to faster declines in smoking rates.

Terengganu enforces ban on e-cigarettes, vapes starting Aug 1

The Star

PETALING JAYA: Terengganu is set to enforce the ban on the sale of e-cigarettes and vapes at business premises in the state on Aug 1, says state executive councillor for local government, housing and health, Datuk Wan Sukairi Wan Abdullah.

Wan Sukairi said the state exco had agreed to enforce the ban in a meeting on Apr 23.

Peer ‘stocking up’ on disposable vapes before summer ban

The Standard

A lawmaker has said she is “stocking up” on disposable vapes ahead of a ban this summer. Baroness Fox of Buckley told peers she is “in dread” of June 1, and described a potential crackdown on sweet vape flavours as an “attack”. Debating the Tobacco and Vapes Bill, the non-affiliated peer said: “Let me tell you a story. “I was the proud winner of ‘smoker of the year’ award, by the way, quit smoking 18 months ago after 40 years of chain smoking.

A Cup of Tea With My Anti-Vaping Neighbor

Kiran Sidhu, Filter

Sarah lives next door to me in a romantic-looking cottage in rural Wales. Most days we have a cup of tea together in my kitchen. Although we’re good friends, we’re worlds apart.

Sarah reads the Daily Mail. I do my best to avoid it. She’s in her late 60s, while I just turned 50. She hates my home city, London, which I love. Despite these contrasts, we choose to spend time together. Our friendship is a Venn diagram, with spheres overlapping in unexpected places.

Four From Clearing The Air

Two From Tim Hong

Spain risks undoing smoking success with vape ban, report warns

Spain is set to undo its recent drop in smoking rates by heavily restricting safer alternatives, a new report has warned.

Last year, Ministry of Health statistics revealed an impressive 22 per cent decline in Spain’s daily smoking rates, which dropped from 33.1 per cent of the adult population in 2022 to 25.8 per cent in 2024.

Court overturns vaping ban on Barcelona beaches

A vaping ban on Barcelona’s beaches has been overturned after a successful appeal from anti-smoking campaigners.

The Former Smokers Association appealed against the local legislation that has been in force since July 2022. Being caught vaping or smoking on the seafront of the Spanish capital has carried a heavy €2,000 fine.

Two From Ali Anderson

Greece to ban vape flavours except tobacco and menthol

The Greek government has drafted a new bill that will ban all flavoured vapes except tobacco and menthol.

The legislation, announced by Minister of Health Adonis Georgiadis, is set to be presented to Parliament next month.

Australia’s dangerous vape blackmarket is a warning to Europe, experts say

Australia’s out-of-control vape blackmarket is a warning European countries must heed, harm reduction experts have said.

Since October, vapes can only legally be bought in Australia from a chemist following a consultation with a pharmacist. Disposable and flavoured vapes (except mint, menthol and tobacco) are also banned, taxes have risen, and nicotine strength is limited.

Trading Vapes for Pills: Are We Really Helping Young People Quit, or Just Handing Over Their Health to Big Pharma?

09algor ,Australia, Let’s Improve Vaping Education (A.L.I.V.E.)

A new study out of the US is making waves, particularly in Australia, where policymakers are eager to latch onto anything that might resemble a “solution” to youth vaping. Framed as a breakthrough by some in public health and already gaining traction in the media, the study was published in the respected Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) and backed by funding from the National Institutes of Health.

Letitia James’ morally confused attack on the vaping industry

Charlie Kirk, Washington Times

One of the patterns emerging in our politics is the moral confusion infecting the left. For example, they think exposing a 13-year-old to a dancing drag queen is perfectly fine, yet by the time they are 18, the youth is shielded from conservative speakers on campuses and given special days off if they hear an idea they consider offensive. The left protects the adult from adversity while throwing the teenager to the transgender wolves.

Tag: AVM

Tobacco Reporter

Senator Richard J. Durbin of Illinois, the No. 2 Senate Democrat for two decades and a leading liberal voice on Capitol Hill, announced today (April 23) that he would not seek re-election next year, closing out a 44-year congressional career focused on immigration, the federal justice system, and anti-smoking initiatives. According to the New York Times, the decision was widely expected and will immediately touch off a crowded competition for a rare Senate vacancy in his solidly blue state.

Tennessee Vape Registry and Tax Bill Sent to Governor

Jim McDonald, Vaping 360

The Tennessee State Legislature has passed a bill that will establish a PMTA registry law in the state, and will also impose taxes on vaping products for the first time in Tennessee. The bill, SB 763, passed the State House with amendments to the original Senate bill on April 16, and the State Senate accepted the changes a day later.

The bill was sent to Governor Bill Lee on April 22 to be signed into law or vetoed. The bill had overwhelming support in both houses, so a veto could easily be overridden, but Lee is expected to sign it.

Maine considers shifting disposal costs of e-cigarettes to producers

Lori Valigra, Bangor Daily News

Lawmakers plan to tackle a widespread hazardous waste problem in Maine on Wednesday in a proposed bill that would require electronic-cigarette makers to establish a plan to get rid of used products at their own expense.

E-cigarettes, also known as vapes, are difficult to dispose of in Maine, where they pose fire hazards at waste treatment sites and pollute public areas. Most stores that sell vapes will not take back used ones, which contain flammable lithium-ion batteries, unrecyclable plastic and microprocessor chips with toxic metals including lead and mercury, according to Maine’s environment department.

Millions of vapes seized in illegal trade crackdown

Alix Hattenstone, BBC News England

More than six million illegal vaping products have been seized by Trading Standards officers across England in the past three years, new analysis by the BBC has found. We joined one of the teams responsible for tracking down the illicit goods as they prepare for a ban on the sale of single-use disposable vapes.

Vape Bans, Taxes & Truth: A Vape Shop Point of View (Deutsch) | Ep. 82

Vape TV / World Vapers’ Alliance

Germany has been at the heart of Europe’s harm reduction debate, but rising taxes and looming flavour bans are threatening its progress. In this episode, host Michael Landl speaks with Christian Tänzer, a vape shop owner from Cologne and a frontline witness to how these policies impact real people. The conversation dives into the consequences of Germany’s regulatory direction, the pressure on small businesses, and how these changes undermine efforts to help smokers quit.

VIETNAM’S VAPE BAN EXPOSED

Global Forum on Nicotine

In this episode Will Godfrey highlights the interconnected links between Vietnam’s recent vape ban and the influence of Bloomberg-funded entities, and how the well-funded opposition to tobacco harm reduction influences vape restrictions across the globe.

On this Day…2022

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

Pretty Brutal | State of U.S. Vaping 2022

RegWatch

According to industry analyst Michelle Minton, the future for nicotine vaping in the United States looks “pretty brutal,” following the FDA’s marketing denial orders, the vape mail ban, and the loss of synthetic nicotine as an ingredient in nicotine vapes.

Effect of flavored E-cigarette bans in the US:

What does the evidence show? – Michael Siegel, Amanda Katchmar

Abstract: The United States federal government, along with many state and local governments, have passed restrictions on electronic cigarette (“e-cigarette”) sales with the stated purpose of preventing youth use of these products. The justification for these restrictions includes the argument that youth e-cigarette use will re-normalize youth smoking, leading to increased rates of cigarette smoking by teenagers.

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