Vapers Digest 14th August
Monday’s News at a glance:
Expert Reaction to ASH Results – ASH debunking some of the vaping myths – From WHO’s Misguided Claims to Evidence – Why does Health Canada think Zyn is a sin? – ‘Mzansi Make the Switch’ – Hungary’s Proposed Decree on Nicotine – An effectiive tobacco control strategy – Vape Club Warns About World Cup Vaping
Expert Reaction to ASH Results
Dave Cross, Planet of the Vapes
Following the ASH annual survey on vaping in Great Britain, experts in tobacco harm reduction have responded to the findings. Dr Leonie Brose, Professor Peter Hajek, Professor Caitlin Notley, Dr Sharon Cox and Dr Sarah Jackson have all provided their take on the data revealed by the charity.
Dr Leonie Brose, Reader in Addiction Education and Nicotine Research, King’s College London (KCL), said: “Having been conducted annually for many years, the ASH surveys provide detailed evidence over time and are a hugely valuable resource for tobacco control efforts.
ASH debunking some of the vaping myths
Alberto Hernandez, WVA
A few months ago, the vaping community launched a campaign to debunk some of the most common myths surrounding vaping, such as the idea that vaping is no better than smoking or that nicotine causes cancer. Loads of great materials were created for vapers to combat misinformation and advocacy groups from all around the world used them to debunk the main myths on vaping. You can take a look at those materials here, feel free to use them and fight misinformation within your reach.
Now, Action on Smoking and Health (ASH), a public health charity set up by the Royal College of Physicians to end the harm caused by tobacco, published a great brief in which they debunk some of the myths around vaping too.
WHO’s Misguided Claims to Evidence:
A Closer Look at Vaping’s Role in Reducing Smoking Rates
Jay W. Belle Isle
The recent publication of the World Health Organization’s “Report on the global tobacco epidemic, 2023” once again discounts the powerful impact of harm reduction and vaping, reaffirming WHO’s adversarial stance against it.
Michael Landl, Director of the World Vapers’ Alliance, responded:
“While filled with biased anti-vaping scaremongering and unfounded claims, the report’s overall direction is perplexing. Instead of prioritizing the crucial goal of reducing smoking rates, the WHO is directing its focus on vaping, which happens to be the most potent smoking cessation tool available.”
“Politicians have for years waged war on youth vaping, but in so doing, they’ve ignored the real health benefits of e-cigarettes for adults who want to quit smoking.” @StacyOnTheRight bang on the money. https://t.co/QPTSSgVY3D
— Martin C (@NannyFreeState) August 13, 2023
Why Health Canada think Zyn is a sin?
David Menzies
When it comes to the world of tobacco and nicotine, it is downright bizarre which products Health Canada is fine with and which products it bans. Cigarettes, cigars, chewing tobacco – these products are all readily available for over-the-counter sale. But alas, those who are fans of Zyn must cross the border if they want to get their nicotine fix.
Zyn is a tobacco-free nicotine pouch and comes in a variety of flavours. The product is placed between the cheek and the gum. Other brands include the likes of On! and Velo. These products have a growing fan base, but Canadians cannot freely purchase Zyn in Canada.
‘Mzansi Make the Switch’
Social experiment on quitting cigarette smoking: Kurt Yeo
Vaping Saved My Life, a consumer advocacy group, conducted a pilot social experiment that saw participants attempt to give up traditional smoking for 90 days and replace it with vaping.
The results of the ‘Mzansi Make the Switch’ social experiment illustrate that vaping may play an important role in supporting smokers’ desire to quit smoking, avoid relapse or reduce their smoking.
Additionally, participants also reported feeling significant enhancements in their health, this demonstrates that vaping should be further explored as a potentially feasible method for harm reduction in South Africa. VSML co-founder Kurt Yeo shares more on the experiment
Hungary’s Proposed Decree on Nicotine
World Vapers’ Alliance
Hungarian Government’s draft Decree which aims to amend the current regulation of nicotine pouches and vaping. The proposed regulations, if enacted, would introduce restrictions that may hinder access to safer alternatives for smokers and harm reduction options.
Michael Landl, Director of the World Vapers’ Alliance, comments: “While it’s important to ensure the safety and proper labelling of nicotine products, it’s equally crucial to avoid excessive regulation that could impede the availability of harm reduction products for smokers looking to transition away from combustible cigarettes.”
An effectiive tobacco control strategy
Richard Kwasi Mensah
According to medical experts, smoking is destructive to body organs and public health. People who smoke end up developing lung cancer, colon cancer, brain tumour, etc. Every year, there are seven million tobacco-related deaths worldwide of which 80% are among tobacco users in low- and middle- income countries (LMICs) while around 1.2 million are the result of non-smokers being exposed to second-hand smoke.
Ghana, with a population of approximately 33 million, recorded about 4,000 smoking-related deaths in 2022. Of which sixty-six percent of this number died prematurely under age 70 from direct smoking; 18 percent represents the number of people that lost their lives to second-hand smoking.
Vape Club Warns About World Cup Vaping
Dave Cross, Planet of the Vapes
Leading ecig company Vape Club is warning football fans planning on attending the final matches in the Women’s World Cup that they can run the risk of severe penalties for vaping in Sydney. Australia’s backwards approach to tobacco harm reduction means the possibility of spending six months in prison or having to pay a fine of up to $2,200 (around £1,125).
Following England’s win on Saturday, football fans heading to the Women’s World Cup matches this week are being warned not to vape while in Australia or New Zealand, where vaping is illegal and violators could face imprisonment or heavy fines.
On this Day…2022
A look back at how things have moved on or otherwise…
FDA’s Tiresome Tobacco Whack-A-Mole
Lindsey Stroud
Aug. 2 was the deadline to submit comments on new product standards proposed by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to end the sale of flavored cigars and menthol cigarettes.
The Taxpayers Protection Alliance (TPA) Consumer Center did a deep analysis on the issue of protecting public health. But, as evidenced by previous prohibitionist policies, TPA was cautious in describing how the new rulemaking could improve public health while not creating additional problems. TPA determined that there is no need for the FDA to move forward with these policies. In fact, the FDA is delaying adult access to less harmful tobacco products while creating a whack-a-mole regulatory regime that will severely harm consumers.
Vaping and Nicotine Consumer Groups
Around the World – Jim McDonald
There are more than 50 vaping and nicotine consumer rights groups around the world now, with more forming all the time. For many of the world’s vapers and non-combustible nicotine users, it has never been easier to find an established consumer group that is fighting to protect their right to use low-risk smoking alternatives.
But almost three times as many countries don’t have a consumer organization. Among the countries without a group that represents vapers are Australia, Japan, Israel, Russia, Turkey, Pakistan, and Poland. Only one Arabic-speaking country—Tunisia—has a consumer vaping group. Some of those countries ban nicotine sales, but not all of them.
Visit Nicotine Science & Policy for more News from around the World
