Vapers Digest 12th July

Friday’s News at a glance:

NNA writes to Labour Health Secretary – Labour urged to revive vape bill – Scottish Government Confirms Ban – The Impact of the New Jersey Flavour Ban – Riot Sends Boris To Westminster – Flavour Removal and Smoking Relapse – 1400 Voices Demand Flavour Ban – The Effect of Vape Flavour Bans – Second-hand vaping exposure very low – Restricting flavoured vapes would push people back to smoking – Who Will Survive the ‘Zynpocalypse’? – ZYN Shortage Alerts Bloomberg News – Seizing the opportunity for a smoke-free Europe – In Canada, Vaping Just Got a Lot More Expensive – Approval of Menthol Vapes Should Be Celebrated – Declaring Independence From Smoking – Australia’s new vaping laws cause confusion – Governments Must Hold WHO And FCTC Accountable – Over a billion consumers, over a trillion dollars a year – Ease of NRT access to the masses is key – Creating a pathway to leaving cigarettes behind – Transforming Public Health Messaging

NNA writes to Labour Health Secretary

New Nicotine Alliance UK

On Friday 5 July, Wes Streeting MP was appointed Secretary of State for Health and Social Care.

We have written to Wes Streeting on the new government’s approach to smoking and vaping.

You can read our letter in full by clicking here, or by scrolling below.

Labour urged to revive vape bill

By charities and health experts – Ali Anderson

The new UK Government has been urged to revive the Tobacco and Vapes Bill in an open letter signed by more than 1,000 charities and health experts.

The bill would ensure that anyone born after 1 January 2009 is banned from ever buying cigarettes. However, it also aims to crack down on the sale of vapes – despite them being an effective aid to quit smoking.

Under the proposed law, each year the legal age for cigarette sales – currently 18 – will increase by one year. It will not affect those who are allowed to buy cigarettes now. If it becomes law, the bill will be among the toughest anti-smoking measures in the world.

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Six from Dave Cross, Planet of the Vapes:

Scottish Government Confirms Ban

Catching up with recent news, the Scottish government has confirmed the details of the disposable vape ban due to be implemented in 2025. It published its response to the consultation on details surrounding the introduction of a ban on single-use vaping products, providing “clarity on their views on the definition of a disposable vape, as well as more information about the way that the rules will be enforced.”

The Scottish Government says: “We received 86 responses to this consultation. Of these, 40 responded as individuals and 46 on behalf of an organisation. The United Kingdom is a party to the World Health Organization’s Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC). Of particular relevance to the proposed ban is Article 5.3 of the Framework Convention….”

The Impact of the New Jersey Flavour Ban

Planet of the Vapes’ third and final research paper this week looks at ‘The Impact of New Jersey’s 2020 E-Cigarette Flavour Ban on E-Cigarette, Cigarette, and Cigar Sales in NJ’. The work was conducted by Hrywna, Teotia, Miller Lo, Giovenco, and Delnevo, and published in Nicotine & Tobacco Research.

New Jersey implemented a complete ban on the sale of flavoured vapes and eliquids on April 20, 2020. The team looked at how this prohibition act impacted on sales of vapes, cigarettes and cigars and compared sales prior to and following the law to ban.

Riot Sends Boris To Westminster

Quit smoking missionaries, Riot Labs, have taken aim at the government’s vaping legislation again, this time in a bid to keep it at the top of the in-tray for the new Labour government. Delivering a life-sized Boris Johnson behind protective glass casing to Westminster in election week, Riot Labs wanted to get people talking and get vaping legislation back on the agenda for the new government.

Bemused Londoners took to social media after a flat-bed delivery truck was seen transporting the former PM around London inside a glass case that read: IN CASE OF EMERGENCY BREAK GLASS, with videos of the event racking up hundreds of thousands of views on TikTok.

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Flavour Removal and Smoking Relapse

Planet of the Vapes looks at the second research paper this week that considers how removing flavours from eliquids impacts smoking cessation and smoking relapse in ex-smokers. The paper, ‘Exploring the opinions and potential impact of unflavoured e-liquid on smoking cessation among people who smoke and smoking relapse among people who previously smoked and now use e-cigarettes: findings from a UK-based mixed methods study’, by Khouja, Dyer, Havill, Dockrell, Munafò and Attwood was published in Harm Reduction Journal.

Taking a positive view from the outset, the authors note that vapes “appear to be effective in helping people who smoke to stop smoking”.

1400 Voices Demand Flavour Ban

The anti-smoking charity Action on Smoking and Health (ASH) has sent a letter to Number 10 Downing Street and Wes Streeting calling for the Tobacco and Vapes Bill to be reintroduced in its entirety. ASH’s Chair, Dr Nick Hopkinson tells the new Labour government that this must be done as a priority and that over one thousand other health experts agree with him.

“Today ASH Chair Dr Nick Hopkinson and over 1400 health experts call on 10 Downing Street and Wes Streeting to prioritise the reintroduction of the Tobacco and Vapes Bill & the Roadmap to a smoke-free Britain,” ASH posted on its Twitter/X feed on Tuesday 9 July, shortly before the new Parliament convened.

The Effect of Vape Flavour Bans

With a new government in place, the recent publication of three research papers looking at vape flavours couldn’t be timelier. In this article, Planet of the Vapes looks at the first, The Effect of E-Cigarette Flavor Bans on Tobacco Use by Cotti, Courtemanche, Liang, Maclean, Nesson and Sabia. The study was published by the National Bureau of Economic Research.

The research team writes: “The vast majority of youth e-cigarette users consume flavoured e-cigarettes, raising concerns from public health advocates that flavours may drive youth initiation into and continued use of e-cigarettes.

Second-hand vaping exposure very low..

Compared to second-hand smoking – UCL

Children exposed to vaping indoors absorb less than one seventh the amount of nicotine as children who are exposed to indoor smoking, but more than those exposed to neither, according to a new study led by UCL researchers.

The study, published in JAMA Network Open and funded by Cancer Research UK, looked at blood tests and survey data for 1,777 children aged three to 11 in the United States.

The researchers said that second-hand exposure to harmful substances in e-cigarettes would likely be much lower still, as e-cigarettes deliver similar levels of nicotine to tobacco but contain only a fraction of the toxicants and carcinogens.

Expert Reaction to study finding that second-hand vaping exposure to nicotine is very low

Study shows second-hand vaping exposure very low compared to second-hand smoking

Restricting flavoured vapes

Would push people back to smoking – Ali Anderson

Restricting the choice of flavoured vapes would lead ex-smokers back to the deadly habit, a new study has found.

Countries around the world are increasingly banning the sale of flavoured e-liquids, allowing only tobacco and menthol flavours. The aim is to help reduce the appeal of vapes to children and young people.

However, new research by the University of Bristol suggests the move will have an adverse effect on adults who use vapes as a tool to quit or cut down on smoking.

ZYN Shortage Alerts Bloomberg News

To the Concept of Supply and Demand

Philip Morris International’s late 2022 purchase of ZYN manufacturer Swedish Match has truly been a mixed bag. The Big Tobacco giant bet on the surge of interest in nicotine pouches, and it looked as if they were at least partly pursuing a pathway that would see them add some harm-reduction products to their portfolio.

However, as we covered a few weeks ago, they halted online sales after receiving a Washington, D.C. subpoena over claims that some of their third-party vendors violated the 2022 Flavored Tobacco and Electronic Smoking Device Products Prohibition Act.

Who Will Survive the ‘Zynpocalypse’?

Kevin T. Dugan

Behind the bulletproof glass of the Stone Smoke Shop, a drab walk-in closet of a store in lower Manhattan, is a Willy Wonka stockpile of nicotine. Vapes in every variety — shiny ones, digital ones, in every color, flavored any way you can imagine — along with rolling papers, cigarettes, and assorted paraphernalia. On Tuesday, a Wall Street–type guy rushed in and asked the guy behind the counter, in kind of a panic, if he had any eye drops. But what you can’t get there is one of Philip Morris International’s most popular, fastest growing products: Zyns. Look closely at the brand’s display case and it’s full of $8 nicotine pouches by another name. Each with the same round tins, and brand names written in bold white letters — the Zynposters.

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Seizing the opportunity…

For a smoke-free Europe

As the newly elected European Parliament convenes, there lies a golden opportunity to make significant strides toward the ambitious yet achievable goal of a smoke-free Europe. By aiming for a smoking rate of less than 5% by 2040, the Parliament can transform public health across the continent. However, achieving this goal requires embracing science, listening to consumers, and learning from real-life examples such as Sweden.

Making Europe smoke-free is indeed a monumental task, but it is doable if future regulations are grounded in reality. Unfortunately, we are currently in the middle of a misperception epidemic regarding the harm reduction potential and risks of alternative nicotine products.

In Canada, Vaping …

Just Got a Lot More Expensive – Jim McDonald

As of July 1, all Canadians will pay more for their vapes, and vapers in the country’s two most-populous provinces will pay much more.

The Canadian government increased its federal vape tax by 12 percent, effective July 1. At the same time, the two largest provinces—Ontario and Quebec—joined the national government’s “tax partnership” scheme that allows participating provinces to double the tax rate and keep half the take. (Two Canadian territories—Northwest Territories and Nunavut—also joined the tax partnership on July 1.)

Approval of Menthol Vapes

Should Be Celebrated, Not Criticized

In a historic move, the Food and Drug Administration has approved the marketing of four menthol nicotine vapes. This is the first time that the FDA has authorized a non-tobacco flavored vape, increasing the number of authorized vapes from 23 to 27.

After extensive scientific review, the agency stated that these vapes meet the high standard of being “appropriate for the protection of public health.” This is a huge, positive step for public health, but many advocacy groups have criticized the move. It’s time for everyone to start recognizing that vapes can save lives.

Declaring Independence From Smoking

Should be a Policy Priority

Nearly 250 years ago, the Continental Congress declared America independent from Britain and birthed a new nation. Now, to millions of Americans, life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness are still threatened by the leading cause of preventable death: smoking.

However, thanks to innovative science and research, we now have smoke-free options that offer current smokers a much better alternative to continued smoking.

Australia’s vaping laws cause confusion

Ali Anderson

Chemists and consumers in Australia have been left confused by new laws banning vape sales – with or without nicotine – outside of pharmacies.

The federal government originally moved to make vapes available only by prescription from a GP and dispensed only at pharmacies. The controversial law – one of the toughest in the world – came into effect in October 2021.

Then, last month the ruling Labour party agreed to water down the bill in a bid to gain the support of the Green party in the Senate.

Health Minister’s soft new war on vapes

Slammed by former cop

A former federal police officer who was the architect of Australia’s tobacco strike force has blasted Health Minister Mark Butler for a “major backflip” on police enforcing the government’s softened new vape laws.

Rohan Pike, who created and led the Australian Border Force’s Tobacco Strike Team, said Mr Butler’s shocking revelation that the new laws will only be enforced by state health authorities and not police will make it “very difficult” to stamp out organised crime. Alternative Link

Governments Must Hold …

WHO And FCTC Accountable – CAPHRA

The Coalition of Asia Pacific Tobacco Harm Reduction Advocates (CAPHRA) has released a revision to their groundbreaking report ‘The Subversion of Public Health: Consumer Perspectives’, calling on governments worldwide to hold the World Health Organization (WHO) and the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC) accountable for their exclusion of consumer perspectives in tobacco control policy discussions.

“This exclusion not only undermines public health efforts but also disregards the lived experiences and expertise of millions of former smokers who have successfully transitioned to safer nicotine products (SNPs),” said Nancy Loucas, Executive Coordinator of CAPHRA.

Over a billion consumers…

Over a trillion dollars a year… | #GFNVoices2024

Fiona Patten, David Sweanor and Ethan Nadelmann joins us in the first episode of this years GFN Voices series.

THR and nicotine pouches

Focal points at Swedish “policy week”

Pouchforum and NNPA attended Almedalen Week, held annually on the island of Gotland, Sweden. Almedalen is a unique and influential political event that brings together politicians, businesses, organizations, and the public. Named after Almedalen Park in Visby where it originated, the event traces its roots back to 1968 when then Prime Minister Olof Palme gave a speech from the back of a truck. Since then, it has evolved into one of the most significant forums for political dialogue and civic engagement in Sweden.

Ease of NRT access to the masses

Is key to reducing tobacco use

With the induction of the new Union Health Minister in the third Narendra Modi cabinet, there is a renewed sense of optimism for advancing healthcare, particularly for the economically disadvantaged. However, India’s battle against tobacco use faces a significant hurdle with the recent move to make Nicotine Replacement Therapy (NRT) prescription-only.

Tobacco consumption remains a critical public health issue, especially among the economically weak, leading to devastating health conditions such as cancer, cardiovascular diseases, and lung disease.

Creating a pathway…

To leaving cigarettes behind

Hon Lik is widely acknowledged as the original inventor of the e-cigarette. Here, he talks to Imperial Brands about the genesis of the vaping category, the challenges it faces, and his hopes for the future of tobacco harm reduction.

Tell us how you came to invent the e-cigarette My father smoked a packet of cigarettes a day and was diagnosed with lung cancer later in life. The doctor said smoking was the cause. I had smoked since I was 18 and knew I had to quit but I also found it very hard, even though I used nicotine patches. They helped with the nicotine cravings, but I missed the act of smoking.

So, I decided to apply my engineering and pharmacy background to design a device that delivered nicotine to the human body more like a cigarette.

Transforming Public Health Messaging

To Educate Adult Smokers

According to the CDC, more than 28 million of our friends, family members and neighbors continue to smoke. Although there have been great strides in reducing cigarette use in the U.S., with current numbers just under 12 percent, public health data shows smoking remains the number one cause of preventable death in the U.S. today. Smoke-free alternatives to cigarettes do exist, and adult smokers who don’t quit need to understand their options.

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On this Day…2023

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

Harm reduction is key to health and social equality

Michael Landl, World Vapers’ Alliance

The goal of reducing inequality in public health continues to be an urgent issue. The burden of smoking-related illnesses falls disproportionately on low-income countries and groups worldwide because they have higher percentages of current smokers, less information and lower access to smoking cessation therapies and alternative products. The WHO estimates that smoking causes more than 8 million deaths annually, estimated to rise to 10 million deaths by 2030, with 70% occurring in low and middle-income countries.

New, less harmful smoking alternatives have developed as a potential answer to the problem. Products like nicotine pouches, snus, and vaping provide a unique chance to address health inequities. Openness to harm-reduction products can close the gap and enable people to make reasonable adjustments by offering a convenient and cheaper alternative to smoking. It’s time for decision-makers to acknowledge the revolutionary potential of harm reduction measures finally.