Vapers Digest 12th January
Friday’s News at a glance:
Vaping and heart attacks – British Advocates Slam Plans to Tax Vapes – FDA Creates, Decries Illegal E-Cigarette Tsunami – Kick-off meeting of MAGNIFICAT, the new CoEHAR project – European Parliament Endorses Smoking Cessation Tool – Innovations for GFN 2024 – Smoke Free Sweden Digital Campaign – Don’t Ban Our Vapes, Argentina – More from Parliament – MPs to hold a debate on COP10 – WHO Renews THR Attacks – Smokers urged to switch to vaping – New study showing pouches fail to replace cigarettes – Study finds vapes potent in helping smokers quit – Vapes are best tool to help smokers quit – New Zealand well on track to be smokefree next year
Vaping and heart attacks
Christopher Snowdon, Velvet Glove Iron Fist
Junk science veteran Stanton Glantz is excited about a study that purports to show that vaping causes heart attacks (myocardial infarction). The study was published in November last year but appeared in the obscure, low status (and possibly predatory) journal Cureus and, thankfully, the media never picked it up.
The author, Talal Alzahrani, had previously produced a widely criticised study claiming that e-cigarette use is associated with heart attacks which included dual users of vapes and cigarettes and therefore could not isolate the effect of smoking from the putative effect of vaping.
British Advocates Slam Plans to Tax Vapes
Kiran Sidhu
People who vape in the United Kingdom are expected to be hit with a substantial new tax. Tobacco harm reduction advocates see it as a backward step, reducing the incentive to purchase safer products instead of cigarettes, in a country known for years of progressive vape policies.
Vaping is a key part of the national smoking cessation strategy. In April 2023, the UK’s governing Conservative Party pledged to give free vape starter kits to 1 million people who smoke. But later in the year, the government divided opinion with “smoke-free generation” plans including not only a ban on cigarette sales to anyone born after 2008, but a raft of potential vape restrictions, subject to a public consultation.
FDA Creates, Decries Illegal E-Cig Tsunami
Brad Rodu, Tobacco Truth
An article in the LA Times January 2nd bemoaned the “thousands of new flavored products…pouring into the country from China.” It claimed, “Nearly all the new products are disposable e-cigarettes, according to sales data gathered from gas stations, convenience stores and other shops. The products generated $3.2 billion in the first 11 months of this [sic] year.”
The response from Brian King, director of the FDA Center for Tobacco Products, was naïve: “Those committing illegal acts don’t advertise their crimes, and those trying to import illegal tobacco products into the United States are no different. The FDA and our federal partners are using tools, like import alerts, to stop these illegal tobacco products at the border and to deter countless others.” (emphasis added)
Amazing thread! 👇 https://t.co/dDOzCqf5KF
— Jukka Kelovuori (@jkelovuori) January 11, 2024
Prohibitive anti-vaping policies justified by moral panics function as lethal misleading risk communications.
The @CMO_England needs to get a grip on the likely unintended consequences of a simplistic anti-vaping agenda. It is very easy to do far more harm than good. https://t.co/HK1vN1QTJ4
— Clive Bates (@Clive_Bates) January 11, 2024
Kick-off meeting of MAGNIFICAT…
The new CoEHAR project
This study, strongly advocated by Prof. Riccardo Polosa, aims to investigate the consequences of the combined use of conventional cigarettes and electronic cigarettes on human health. “MAGnitude of cigarette substitutioN after Initiation oF e-cigarettes and its Impact on biomArkers of exposure and potenTial harm in dual users” will involve more than 300 dual users, monitoring their health to quantify the impact toxic substances and the resulting harm reduction from transitioning to the use of combustion-free products. Researchers will utilize specific biomarkers, clinical endpoints, and behavioral correlations.
Five from Dave Cross, Planet of the Vapes:
EU Parliament Endorses Cessation Tool
Following the EU’s Subcommittee on Public Health (SANT) endorsement on November 7, the European Parliament has now, in a full assembly, adopted the report recognising the significant role of vaping in aiding smoking cessation, says the World Vapers’ Alliance. This comprehensive adoption by the Parliament marks a pivotal moment in the fight against smoking-related illnesses.
The World Vapers’ Alliance says the report, which is a part of the Parliament’s broader initiative on non-communicable diseases, not only acknowledges vaping as an effective method for smoking cessation but also should set a new direction for health policies within the EU.
Innovations for GFN 2024
The Global Forum on Nicotine (GFN24) is set to build on previous triumphs with further innovations for the 2024 event and is setting itself up to be the best one yet. The Forum Team are inviting you to participate in the GFN Film Festival and the GFN ScienceLab, two exciting projects that will run alongside the tobacco harm reduction conference.
The team says: “GFN24 will take place online and live in Warsaw from 13 – 15 June 2024. The 11th GFN conference will explore the theme of ‘Economics, Health and Tobacco Harm Reduction’ and will feature expert-led discussion on the public health role of safer nicotine products and their economic impact.
Smoke Free Sweden Digital Campaign
Smoke Free Sweden has launched a new digital campaign urging governments and politicians around the world to make a New Year’s resolution and help their country quit smoking in 2024.
The Smoke Free Sweden movement, which launched in 2023 to promote Sweden’s success in being the only country to reduce smoking to the brink of the 5% threshold at which a country is classed as officially smoke free, is encouraging influential politicians to help their respective countries to beat smoking like Sweden.
Don’t Ban Our Vapes, Argentina
The Argentinian vapers’ association Asovape Argentina and the World Vapers’ Alliance have sent an open letter to the new President of Argentina, Javier Milei, calling for the repeal of the ANMAT administrative provision banning the commercialisation of e-cigarettes. The World Vapers’ Alliance supported the call as Argentina is one of the most restrictive countries on vaping in South America.
Provision 3226/2011 of the National Administration of Medicines, Food and Medical Technology (ANMAT) banned on 6 May 2011 the importation, distribution, marketing, advertising and promotion of e-cigarettes.
More from Parliament
Opposition Whip Mary Glindon has already managed to achieve nothing but hot air from the Department for Health and Social Care in our first 2024 article from Parliament. Now it’s Round 2; can Leadsom and the Secretaries at DEFRA and The Exchequer up their game? You know what, we should turn this into a drinking game once Dry January is over.
Andrew Lewer, Northampton South’s Tory, asked the Department for Health and Social Care If an assessment will be made of the potential impact of limiting vape flavours to tobacco-flavoured.
MPs to hold a debate on COP10…
To the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control
On Thursday 18 January in Westminster Hall, MPs will hold a debate on COP10 to the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control.
- Backbench Business Committee
- Andrew Lewer, Mr Virendra Sharma and Martyn Day has put forward this debate.
- Watch the debate live on Parliament TV
A full transcript of the debate which be available three hours after the debate on Commons Hansard.
WHO Renews THR Attacks
In Runup to COP10 – Lindsey Stroud
Postponing its 10th Conference of the Parties (COP10) to the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control hasn’t stopped the World Health Organization (WHO) from doubling down on its efforts to ban safer alternatives to cigarettes.
Originally planned for November, COP10 will now begin on February 5 in Panama City. All the evidence has pointed to the WHO using the event to advance draconian anti-harm reduction proposals, which would have global policy impacts.
KEEP DIGGING
Consumer Concerns Over WHO’s Upcoming COP10 | #GFNTVInterviews
Where’s the parade for all the people who quit smoking thanks to nicotine vapes? This is the question Janine Timmons wants tobacco control bureaucrats to answer when they gather next month in Panama for the World health Organization’s COP10 conference. She’s afraid attendees will continue to dig for the worst possible excuse to ban vaping, when they should be celebrating its success in helping smokers to quit.
Smokers urged to switch to vaping
Norfolk County Council
County councillors are to be asked to endorse proposals that would continue to see vaping promoted as an alternative to smoking, amid concerns that public perception is putting people off vaping as a tool to quit smoking.
Members of Norfolk County Council’s People and Communities Select Committee will meet on 19 January, where they will hear an update on the council’s approach to vaping – including an emphasis on promoting vapes for smokers but discouraging vaping in those that do not smoke.
New Zealand well on track to be smokefree
Colin Mendelsohn
NEW ZEALAND’S DECLINE IN SMOKING in the past four years is extraordinary – equivalent to what took two decades to achieve. New Zealand has recently had some of the most dramatic decreases in smoking in the world, including for Māori and highly deprived groups.
Almost a quarter of a million fewer Kiwis are now smoking daily, and it puts us in a tiny club of countries that have smoking rates under 7 per cent. What we have in common with these successful countries is people switching from smoked tobacco to less harmful alternatives
New study showing pouches fail ….
To replace cigarettes has limited focus – TobaccoIntelligence
A new study looking at the effectiveness of oral nicotine pouches (ONPs) to curb smoking actually says little about their effectiveness.
Researchers at Ohio State University compared plasma nicotine levels and subjective nicotine cravings in 30 smokers after the participants had abstained from nicotine for 12 hours and then either used their preferred cigarette, a 3 mg ONP, or a 6 mg ONP.
Study finds vapes potent…
In helping smokers quit- George Kebaso
It’s a relentless campaign by those advocating for alternative tobacco products following a new study in which they are arguing that vapes are effective in helping smokers to quit their deadly habit.
And now it will be up to the Ministry of Health to decide between allowing these new tobacco products or heed another persistent campaign by anti-tobacco crusaders to ban all types of cigarettes altogether.
Vapes are best tool to help smokers quit
NAIROBI, Kenya, Jan 11 – HARM reduction campaigners are urging health officials to take note of a major new international study of 27,000 smokers which finds that vapes are the most effective tool for helping smokers to quit their deadly habit.
The review by experts from the Cochrane network found that using vapes leads to better chances of quitting smoking than patches, gums, lozenges or other traditional Nicotine Replacement Therapies (NRTs).
On this Day…2023
A look back at how things have moved on or otherwise….
My application for Editor-in-Chief …
Of Tobacco Control – Clive Bates
I saw the advert for the Editor-in-Chief of the journal Tobacco Control. I must apply!
What follows is my application for the position in pre-print form. Following helpful comments and critical reviews, I will finalise and submit by the deadline of 31 January 2023.
Okay, cards on the table: I am not a researcher at all, let alone a respected researcher. Nor do I have experience in journal editing, demonstrable or otherwise. In general, I don’t hold academic publishing in particularly high esteem, and I despair at the quality of much of the published tobacco control research. I think these shortcomings are better seen as strengths, not limitations.
I do, however, have the requisite strong vision that would advance the journal’s reputation, profile and mission to publish engaging and informed content. My application to be Editor-in-Chief is based on the vision set out below.
Teen vaping has eliminated teen smoking:
An accidental success story – Dr John’s Blog
Who would have predicted, in 2012, when about 13% of US High School students smoked, that by 2021 that figure would be down to under 2%?
Who would have predicted, in 2019, when over 27% of High School students were vaping, that by 2021 the percentage would be down to under 12%?
A youth smoking rate of under 2% signals the beginning of the end for the commercial tobacco industry and a huge bonus for public health. The young people who do not smoke in High School are not going to start smoking cigarettes in their 20s or 30s. If only 2% of 18 year-olds smoke now, in 20 years’ time less than 2% of 38 year-olds will smoke. Somehow, we have created the fabled “smoke-free generation! The next generation, the children of non-smokers, will be even less likely to smoke.
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