In the News April 7th

Thursdays News at a glance:

Bluffer’s guide to FDA regulation of tobacco and nicotine products – Misreported Vaping Studies and How You Can Help – Challenging the American consensus on e-cigarettes – Public Health England Consensus On E-Cigarettes Is Opposite Of America – Six bad arguments against criticism of misleading pro-THR claims – A vaping advocate makes the case for e-cigarettes – Letter to Alaska Legislature on e-cigarettes – Orange County Health Department Considering E-Cig Ban in Restaurants and Bars – Testing myself, addictiveness and mental state – Nicotine Science and Policy Daily Digest – Thursday, 7 April 2015

Bluffer’s guide to FDA regulation

Of tobacco and nicotine products – Clive Bates – The Counterfactual

If you aren’t American, or even if you are, the regulation of tobacco, nicotine, and vape products in the United States can seem bewildering but somehow important. And big decisions could be coming out any time now. So if you want to be on it, here’s my bluffer’s guide to the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and its approach to tobacco and nicotine products…

Misreported Vaping Studies

And How You Can Help – Jim McDonald

Vaping has an image problem. Much of the public sees our products as risky to use, designed to addict kids to nicotine, and a general threat to public health. Sure, we know how far that perception is from reality, but until we earn wide support from non-vapers, we’re spinning our wheels. We’re not going to win the political war until we start winning the public relations battles.

A vaping advocate makes the case for e-cigarettes

Julia Belluz – Vox

The debate over the health impact of e-cigarettes keeps getting more contentious.

On the one side, there are public health officials who want people to proceed with caution because much of the medical evidence is still uncertain. E-cigarettes, after all, have only been around for a decade, which means there are many unknowns about their long-term health consequences.

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Challenging the American consensus on e-cigarettes:

The English raise the ante – EurekAlert

To e-puff or not to e-puff: that is the question. Public Health England (PHE), a governmental body the equivalent of our Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), recently released an evidence review claiming that e-cigarettes are 95 percent less harmful to health than combustible cigarettes….

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Vapour Trails TV

Keith and Dave return, looking at VapeJam, good news from the MHRA for vendors, the AVatar FX50 and the Phoenix Ceramic Coil Tank from C.O.V – and much, much more.

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Testing myself, addictiveness and mental state

Juhani Orelma

First off, I’ll start with being candid. Well, more so than normal I guess. I have no disdain for smoking and even less for smokers. I don’t really have a negative attitude towards cigarettes, despite strongly being an advocate of the alternatives (not just vaping).

I still smoke on occasion, maybe once a month or two, because I still like the distinct experience it offers.

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Public Health England Consensus On E-Cigarettes

Is Opposite Of America – Science 2.0

Public Health England (PHE), the UK governmental body the equivalent to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), says that its review of the evidence has found that e-cigarettes are 95 percent less harmful to health than combustible cigarettes and they should be recommended for smoking cessation and harm reduction.

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Six bad arguments against criticism

Of misleading pro-THR claims – Carl V. Phillips – Anti-THR Lies

The title is a reference to this post by Lee Johnson, in which he did something that I often do (though seldom in list form): He pointed out a handful of arguments that are often made in vaping advocacy but that should be avoided because they are misleading or out-and-out factual errors. He dared suggest that even if you believe in a particular conclusion, not every claim that ostensibly supports your position is right.

Letter to Alaska Legislature on e-cigarettes

Joel Nitzkin – R Street

I am a public-health physician who has been involved in tobacco control since the 1970s. I have been a local health director, a state health director and president of two national public-health organizations. Since Congress’ 2007 introduction of the Food and Drug Administration tobacco law, I have devoted a substantial amount of my time to issues surrounding tobacco harm reduction and e-cigarettes and related vapor products (e-cigs).

Orange County Health Department

Considering E-Cig Ban in Restaurants and Bars – Blake Hodge

A newly-proposed rule from the Orange County Board of Health would prohibit e-cigarette use in the enclosed areas of restaurants and bars in Orange County. The ban would include municipalities and unincorporated areas of the county.

The board developed the proposed rule after reviewing evidence on the risks of secondhand e-cigarette aerosol exposure in January.