Vapers Digest 13th March
Wednesday’s News at a glance
Doctors, experts acknowledge the changing perception of nicotine ~ The Chancellor’s vape tax is wrong in principle and childlike in application ~ It’s Not Ok | Flavour Bans Eschew Good Science ~ House Republicans press FDA to expedite approval process for smoke-free tobacco products ~ “Disgusted”—Consumers, Harm Reductionists React to UK Vape Tax ~ Freight Airline Cargolux Will Stop Carrying Disposable Vapes ~ NNA Comment on Budget Announcement ~ UKVIA Delivers Scathing Budget Comment ~ WHO FCTC Rights Violations ~ CAPHRA Urges Govts To Re-evaluate Involvement In WHO FCTC Amid Concerns Of NGO Activism And Exclusionary Practices ~ CANADA’S ZONNIC PANIC | John Oyston explains Canada’s Zonnic pouch controversy ~ The Australian War on Vapes: An Absurd Rejection of a Healthier Alternative ~ Australia’s restrictive vaping and tobacco policies are fuelling a lucrative and dangerous black market
Doctors, experts acknowledge the changing perception of nicotine
Medical professionals and public health experts are acknowledging a shift in the perception of nicotine, as smokers transition from cigarettes to innovative smokeless products like vapes, heated tobacco, and nicotine pouches.
Participants in a panel discussion at the recent Global Forum on Nicotine agreed that nicotine has been increasingly recognized for its broader applications, including potential therapeutic uses, and should not be continuously demonized as the cause of tobacco-related diseases.
The Chancellor’s vape tax is wrong in principle and childlike in application
New Nicotine Alliance UK
It is difficult to know where to start describing the fundamental flaws behind the new vape tax proposal announced in last week’s budget.
UNDERMINES THE GOVERNMENT’S SWAP TO STOP CAMPAIGN
There is a complete lack of joined-up thinking in the government spending tax receipts on encouraging smokers to quit by handing out one million free vapes, only to then disincentivise those who take up the offer by applying heavy duties to the liquids they need to actually use them.
House Republicans press FDA to expedite approval process for smoke-free tobacco products
Cami Mondeaux, Washington Examiner
Freight Airline Cargolux Will Stop Carrying Disposable Vapes
Jim McDonald, Vaping 360
European cargo airline Cargolux announced last week its fleet of Boeing 747s will no longer carry disposable vapes. The company said it made the decision for “ethical reasons.” Cargolux’s Italian subsidiary Cargolux Italia will also stop carrying the popular vape devices.
The action could affect distribution of disposables in several European countries. Cargolux said in a press release the decision was made “in response to growing concern about the adverse effects of these products on both public health and the environment.”
Three From Dave Cross, Planet Of The Vapes
The Australian War on Vapes: An Absurd Rejection of a Healthier Alternative
Paul Gregoire, Sydney Criminal Lawyers
Two NSW police officers recently approached a 13-year-old boy vaping outside a Coles supermarket in the NSW town of Deniliquin, and, as he stood right beside his mother and another youth, one officer ordered him to hand over his “vapes” or they were “going to have to use force”.
The officer said it was an offence to be in possession of the device. The officer was wrong, as this is not a crime. The boy’s mother told the officer he didn’t have to hand it over, as it was “his dad’s”. And the two officers then wrestled the boy to the ground and seized his device.
Australia’s restrictive vaping and tobacco policies are fuelling
a lucrative and dangerous black market
, , The Conversation
Australia currently has the most restrictive tobacco and vaping policies in the developed world. Australian smokers are taxed at one of the highest rates among comparable nations, with taxes set to further increase at rate of 5% per year. Meanwhile, Australia is the only country to have a prescription model for accessing vaping products.
These policies have begun to attract international attention. The UK government, for example, recently announced increased taxes on tobacco and vaping products, while the Labour opposition has vowed to emulate Australia’s prescription model if it wins this year’s election.
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