Vapers Digest 11th December
Monday’s News at a glance:
New Zealand’s tobacco endgame U-turn – a reversal or an advance? – #COP10 Catch Up – The Real Reason Why FCTC COP10 Was Postponed? – CAPHRA Repeats Call For Transparency – Mexico’s Supreme Court declares ban on vaping unconstitutional – Free vapes handed out under ‘Swap to Stop’ scheme – Texas Will Ban Vape Packages with Images of Fruit, Juice and More – The Times Takes a Surprisingly Even-Handed Approach – European Parliament Panel discussion on Harm reduction – ‘Significant’ decrease in year 10s vaping
New Zealand’s tobacco endgame U-turn –
A reversal or an advance? – Clive Bates, The Counterfactual
New Zealand’s incoming coalition government says it will reverse tobacco ‘endgame’ legislation. That will allow New Zealand to pursue better policies based on consent rather than coercion. It is an advance, not a reversal.
There has been much agonising about the reversal of New Zealand’s three ‘endgame’ tobacco policy measures by its new right-of-centre governing coalition – one commentator even describing the reversal as “deliberate… systematic genocide“.
In short, I think these were poor policy choices with multiple likely unintended consequences. The coalition has cleared the way to developing a better policy environment that would build on New Zealand’s success so far.
Short-term dollars at what cost? Repealing New Zealand’s Smokefree Aotearoa 2025 plan
#COP10 Catch Up
COPWatch
Copwatch had been reporting since April that there was a problem with the contract to put on COP10, this is from our article of 7 November:
“The upshot is that, with less than 2 weeks to go, the WHO has booked a convention centre in which to hold COP10 but has no-one to organise it. Delegates may be arriving in Panama City all dressed up but with nowhere to go.” Even bigger big trouble in little Panama
So, it came as no surprise to us when on 9 November it was announced that COP10 would be postponed. The Secretariat’s press release stated that the postponement was at the request of Panama and “due to the current security situation in Panama”.
Real Reason Why COP10 Was Postponed?
Diane Caruana – Vaping Post
Last month the World Health Organization (WHO) announced that the tenth session of the Conference of the Parties (COP10) to the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (WHO FCTC) and the third session of the Meeting of the Parties (MOP3) to the Protocol to Eliminate Illicit Trade in Tobacco Products, were going to be delayed until 2024.
The abrupt decision, which was announced only a week before the events were meant to be held, was reportedly prompted by a communication from Panama, the designated host country, citing an ongoing precarious security situation. The sessions are allegedly to be rescheduled to February 2024, with precise dates yet to be set.
A statement from our CEO, Cliff Douglas, (@cdoug) about the proposed disposable vapes ban in France: https://t.co/zCdw7lLTO2 pic.twitter.com/NkhakgDF1M
— Smoke-Free World (@SmokeFreeFdn) December 11, 2023
CAPHRA Repeats Call For Transparency
Dave Cross, Planet of the Vapes
The Coalition of Asia Pacific Tobacco Harm Reduction Advocates (CAPHRA) is expressing deep concern over the lack of response and willingness to engage with civil society and consumer advocacy groups by the World Health Organisation (WHO) and the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC).
“CAPHRA, an alliance of Tobacco Harm Reduction Advocates in the Asia Pacific region, is calling for governments to demand transparency and openness from WHO FCTC officials,” said Nancy Loucas, a public health policy expert and passionate advocate for tobacco harm reduction and executive coordinator of CAPHRA.
Mexico’s Supreme Court
Declares ban on vaping unconstitutional – WVA
The Mexican Supreme Court of Justice has ruled that the presidential decree banning the sale of electronic cigarettes is unconstitutional. The court’s Second Chamber ruled by three votes in favour that the decree is contrary to the right to freedom of commerce.
Alberto Gómez Hernández, policy manager of the World Vapers’ Alliance, commented:
“We welcome the decision of the National Supreme Court of Justice. The decree violates the right to freedom of trade of the companies, but also the right to health and the free development of the personality of Mexican adults. Mexicans should be free to decide how they consume nicotine.”
Free vapes handed out
Under ‘Swap to Stop’ scheme – The Sun
THE government announced a world-first scheme earlier this year to help smokers kick the habit, which would see them trade their tobacco for vapes.
It was revealed that the programme would be rolled out in London, Birmingham and Manchester.
But a hospital in Hull has started handing out free devices to persuade visitors and staff to give up smoking.
Meanwhile, a local health authority in Bristol has successfully bid to also start doing cigarette-vape trades.
On Jan. 1, Texas Will Ban Vape Packages
With Images of Fruit, Juice and More – Jim McDonald
Beginning Jan. 1, 2024, a new Texas law will make it illegal to sell vaping products in packaging that includes cartoons or images of fruit or other food or drinks.
The law, called the Protecting Children from Electronic Cigarette Advertising Act, was supposedly created to prevent “marketing to minors,” but will instantly make thousands of vape products illegal that are popular with adults. The law will prohibit packages with, for example, an apple or strawberry image meant to illustrate the product’s flavor.
The Times Takes a Surprisingly …
Even-Handed Approach To Nicotine Pouches – Joseph Hart
Usually, when you see a major newspaper that has a feature on a harm-reduction product like nicotine pouches or vaping, you need to brace yourself for a rehashing of lazy, cheap, and long-debunked talking points.
While The Times feature, We both tried ‘snus’. Is it the new vaping?, isn’t perfect, it has some of the curiosity, even-handedness, and research you’d like to see in a newspaper article.
I didn’t get the sense that the journalists involved came with a set of assumptions they had to prove. So, overall, it felt pretty refreshing. Although, there were a few parts that I felt could have been a lot better.
European Parliament Panel discussion
On Harm reduction – the road to a smoke free Europe
In a recent panel discussion hosted on the 5th of December by MEP Johan Nissinen in the European Parliament, experts and advocates convened to explore the role of harm reduction within tobacco policies. The conversation, under the banner of beating cancer, brought together voices like Clive Bates from ETHRA, Philippe Poirson from French Sovape Association, Tom Gleeson from New Nicotine Alliance, and Julio Ruades Esteban from the Spanish Association of Personal Vaporizer Users (Anesvap). The focus was not only on legislative aspects but also on the lived experiences of ex-smokers who have successfully embraced harm reduction.
‘Significant’ decrease in year 10s vaping
1News Reporters
The survey conducted by Action on Smoking and Health (ASH), shows the number of year 10s picking up the habit has dropped by almost 2% from 18.2% in 2022 to 16.4% this year.
It also revealed youth daily vaping rates have plateaued at 10%, with the number who have tried vaping dropping from 40.1% last year to 37.5% in 2023.
ASH has called the results “encouraging” but said New Zealand still needs to do better. “Aotearoa was very slow to regulate vaping, and we saw a rapid rise in youth use in the years up until 2021, but then we finally had some legislation put in place,” director Ben Youdan said.
On this Day…2022
A look back at how things have moved on or otherwise…
E-Cigarette Summit 2022: Round Up
James Dunworth
Nine years ago I walked through the streets of London towards the impressive Royal Society building to attend the inaugural E-Cigarette Summit. I went to a conference where the debate was split, where optimism based on basic science was confounded by a dearth of studies, and where it looked like the UK faced an imminent ban on vaping devices.
How things have changed. After ten years in which vaping has been banned or severely restricted in much of the world, the UK has become the beacon of hope for tobacco harm reduction in the form of vaping. Much of that is due to the E-Cigarette Summit, which brings leading researchers, policymakers and more to share the latest research and views.
Rethinking nicotine:
Illusions, delusions and some conclusions – Clive Bates
Presentation to the UK E-cigarette Summit on 9 December 2022. Looks at how our approach to nicotine must evolve from a “tobacco harm reduction” to treating nicotine like a socially acceptable recreational stimulant with minimal harm.
Free Vapes for Pregnant Smokers
Kiran Sidhu
In a bid to address health inequality and family poverty, a council in the United Kingdom will soon be handing out free vapes to pregnant people who smoke.
Lambeth Council, a local authority in South London, already runs pregnancy smoking cessation services, which include behavioral support, counseling and access to nicotine replacement therapy (NRT) like patches. But it announced in October that it will now also provide e-cigarettes as a way to help pregnant people and those who care for children. The program will begin in a few weeks.
Visit Nicotine Science & Policy for more News from around the World
