Vapers Digest 6th June

Friday’s News at a glance:

Retailers Warned to Stay On Right Side Of Law ~ Research Warning: Ban Will Increase Smoking ~ Study Finds Switching to Vapes or Heated Tobacco Products Boosts Aerobic Fitness in Just Weeks ~ Nicotine Pouches: A Credible Lifeline for Irish Vapers? ~ Drive to legalise nicotine pouches gains momentum in Norway ~ Antifreeze Chemical in Vapes? AMA Launches Scare Campaign ~ Vaping boosts fitness in smokers who switch, new University of Catania study reveals ~ Vapes more cost-effective than nicotine patches for quitting smoking, new U.S. study finds ~ Australia’s vape crackdown backfires as smoking rates stay high ~ Vape flavours are a vital and effective tool helping smokers make the life-saving switch, top cardiologist says ~ Sweden challenges French proposed nicotine pouch ban ~ Researchers Expose “Serious Flaws” in Prominent Vaping-Harms Study ~ The Center for Tobacco Products: What It Has Done and What It Should Do Next ~ WHO Cares? Apparently Not the World Health Organization ~ The Triad of Trouble ~ Leading Scientists Urge EU Commission to Base Nicotine Policy on Science, Not Myths ~ Harm reduction is key to saving the lives of Kenyan smokers ~ Reynolds Buys 3 More Charlie’s PACHA Vapes ~ When It Comes to Tobacco Harm Reduction, the AMA Can’t See the Forest for the Trees ~ Will the FDA “Save” Vaping or Bury It? Questions Swirl Around New Leadership ~ When It Comes to Tobacco Harm Reduction, the AMA Can’t See the Forest for the Trees ~ Will the FDA “Save” Vaping or Bury It? Questions Swirl Around New Leadership ~ Let’s talk e-cigarettes, May 2025. Ep 42 ~ US faces vape shortage as China tariffs, seizures hit Geek Bar ~ ETHRA May news roundup ~ Scientific and public health experts support consumer position on tobacco taxation ~ Goodbye, CASAA: U.S. Consumer THR Group Will Shut Down ~ WHY DO VAPE STUDIES OFTEN GET THIS WRONG? | GFN SCIENCE FAQ: PART 5

Two from Dave Cross, Planet of the Vapes

Retailers Warned to Stay On Right Side Of Law

Following the implementation of the disposable vapes ban, applying to England, Wales and Scotland, Scottish retailers have been warned by the Scottish Grocers’ Federation (SGF) to stay on right side of law. With more than 5,000 convenience stores as members, the SGF is issuing advice to ensure they stay on the right side of the law.

Research Warning: Ban Will Increase Smoking

A new survey from Yorkshire Cancer Research is warning that people will switch back to smoking now that disposable vapes have been banned in England, Wales and Scotland. According to the charity’s findings, 18% of those living in the Yorkshire region who currently use disposable vapes stated that they intend to switch to smoking tobacco products when the new ban came into force on Sunday. This is terrible news if similar actions play out across the whole of Great Britain.

Five from Clearing The Air

Three from Ali Anderson

Vaping boosts fitness in smokers who switch, new University of Catania study reveals

Smokers who switch to vapes or heated tobacco products see major fitness gains

Aerobic fitness improves within just four weeks of switching, with significant gains seen after 12 weeks

Those who keep smoking show no fitness improvement

Experts say switching could offer big health benefits for smokers

Vapes more cost-effective than nicotine patches for quitting smoking, new U.S. study finds

Vapes help smokers quit more effectively and affordably than nicotine patches and other traditional nicotine replacement therapies (NRTs).

Using vapes to quit smoking costs just $11,454 (€10,027) for each extra year of healthy life gained – well below what’s usually considered good value in U.S. healthcare.

Vapes remain excluded from Medicaid (health coverage for low income people) and private insurance, despite their success in helping people quit deadly smoking.

Researchers call for policy change to support vapes as a powerful harm reduction and smoking cessation tool.

Australia’s vape crackdown backfires as smoking rates stay high

Australia has some of the world’s strictest vaping laws – but this hasn’t led to lower smoking rates.

That’s the key conclusion of a new expert review titled ‘A short history of e-cigarette policy in Australia,’ published in the peer-reviewed Journal of Smoking Cessation.

The report traces how Australia’s increasingly harsh restrictions – from a patchwork of state-level rules to a full national ban on vape sales outside pharmacies – have not curbed demand. Instead, they’ve driven vaping underground.

Two from Tim Hong

Vape flavours are a vital and effective tool helping smokers make the life-saving switch, top cardiologist says

A leading global health expert is urging governments to rethink their approach to safer nicotine products, warning that outdated policies and misconceptions about flavours are costing millions of lives.

Dr. Konstantinos Farsalinos, a cardiologist and tobacco harm reduction researcher from Greece, says the evidence is now overwhelming: combustion – not nicotine – is the primary killer in smoking-related diseases.

Sweden challenges French proposed nicotine pouch ban

The Swedish government has formally opposed France’s proposed ban on nicotine pouches.

Following a similar legal challenge earlier this year against Spanish legislation to restrict nicotine pouches, Sweden has submitted a ‘Detailed Opinion’ to the European Union (EU) contesting France’s draft decree.

Researchers Expose “Serious Flaws” in Prominent Vaping-Harms Study

Kiran Sidhu, Filter

The continual battles over research relating to tobacco harm reduction intensified in May. Two papers, published on consecutive days, attacked the scientific credibility of a study that claimed the health risks of vaping are similar to many of those of combustible cigarettes.

The Center for Tobacco Products: What It Has Done and What It Should Do Next

Jeffrey S. Smith, RStreet

Since its establishment in 2009 under the Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s Center for Tobacco Products (CTP) has played a pivotal role in regulating tobacco products to protect public health. The CTP has authority over three application pathways that allow manufacturers to market their products legally in the United States:

WHO Cares? Apparently Not the World Health Organization

loremipsumdolor, COPWatch

Criminal accusations? No problem when you’re a member of our club.

If you’ve ever wondered what it actually takes to get suspended from the World Health Organization, rest easy. It’s definitely not alleged fraud, forgery, or being the subject of an active arrest warrant.

The Triad of Trouble

Rights 4 Vapers

Well, what a week that was! Rights4Vapers was in Ottawa last week to welcome our new MPs and celebrate World Vape Day and World No Tobacco Day.

Our friends from tobacco control were also there. Monday kicked off with the Triad of Trouble in Tobacco Control holding a press conference, you may have caught it, or perhaps luckily missed it. No worries, it was same old, same old, with a dash of something new!

Leading Scientists Urge EU Commission to Base Nicotine Policy on Science, Not Myths

Michael Landl, World Vapers’ Alliance

When misinformation comes from the very top, it’s not just frustrating—it’s dangerous. That’s exactly why the recent open letter from European Tobacco Harm Reduction Advocates (ETHRA), signed by 21 renowned experts, is so important. ETHRA’s message to the European Commission is clear: stop spreading myths about vaping, stop ignoring science, and start listening to the millions whose lives depend on access to safer alternatives.

Every 90 minutes, a Kenyan dies from a tobacco-related disease . Every World No Tobacco Day, policymakers pledge to reduce this toll. Yet, year after year, we see little progress made in helping smokers to quit their deadly habit.

When It Comes to Tobacco Harm Reduction, the AMA Can’t See the Forest for the Trees

Jeffrey S. Smith, Rstreet

A recent news article from the American Medical Association (AMA) addresses the declining use of e-cigarettes among middle and high school students in the United States. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) identified e-cigarettes as the most commonly used tobacco product among this demographic for the 11th consecutive year, beating out cigarettes and other tobacco and nicotine products.

Will the FDA “Save” Vaping or Bury It? Questions Swirl Around New Leadership

Diane Caruana, Vaping Post

The recent appointment of Dr. Martin Makary as Commissioner of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has stirred alarm within the tobacco harm reduction (THR) community, following comments that many view as deeply misleading and potentially damaging to public health policy. During a May 22nd Senate Appropriations Subcommittee hearing, Dr. Makary painted an alarmist picture of adolescent vaping, asserting that in some American high schools, “half the kids are addicted.” This claim, repeated on social media, quickly attracted criticism from public health and THR experts, who highlighted that the FDA chief’s statements vastly overstated current teen vaping rates and lack evidence-based grounding.

Let’s talk e-cigarettes, May 2025. Ep 42

University Of Oxford

Jamie Hartmann-Boyce and Nicola Lindson discuss emerging evidence in e-cigarette research and interview Steve Cook from the University of Michigan USA about the importance of correctly interpreting and assessing the available data. Associate Professor Jamie Hartmann-Boyce and Associate Professor Nicola Lindson discuss the new evidence in e-cigarette research and interview Dr Steven Cook from the Department of Epidemiology, School of Public Health University of Michigan and the Centre for Assessment of Tobacco Regulations, University of Michigan.

US faces vape shortage as China tariffs, seizures hit Geek Bar

Emma Rumney, Reuters

Popular vape brands like Geek Bar may get more expensive in the U.S. – if you can find them at all. Shipments of vapes from China to the U.S. ground to a near halt in May from a year ago, official data shows, hit by U.S. President Donald Trump’s tariffs and a crackdown on unauthorised e-cigarettes in the world’s biggest market for smoking alternatives.

Two from European Tobacco Harm Reduction Advocates

Goodbye, CASAA: U.S. Consumer THR Group Will Shut Down

Jim McDonald, Vaping 360

The Consumer Advocates for Smoke Free Alternatives Association (CASAA) will wind down operations and end its work this summer. The group has been advocating for tobacco harm reduction (THR) since 2009.

WHY DO VAPE STUDIES OFTEN GET THIS WRONG? | GFN SCIENCE FAQ: PART 5

Global Forum on Nicotine

Why does vape testing in laboratory conditions often differ so much from real-world use, and what are the factors affecting overheating and the creation of unintended byproducts?? Joining us again to explore the complex physics and chemistry behind vaping is nuclear physicist and vaping advocate Roberto Sussman.

Vapers Digest 6th June

Friday’s News at a glance:

Two from Dave Cross, Planet of the Vapes

Center of Excellence for the acceleration of Harm Reduction

Joseph Hart, The Daily Pouch

SnusForumNet

Cameron English, American Council on Science and Health