Vapers Digest 15th November

Friday’s News at a glance:

IBVTA’s Bill Response – Health Bodies Ignore Bill’s Problems – CAPHRA Demands COP11 Seats – Euromonitor Identifies African Trends -Celebrate or burn? – Don’t put an extra duty on vape products – Swedes first in world to become smoke free – Tory MP: Disposable vapes ban will lead to children ‘smoking behind bike sheds’ – France vs. Harm Reduction – Bringing the flamethrower of reform to FDA’s Center for Tobacco Products – Trump Will Nominate RFK Jr. to Run HHS, Oversee FDA – The Global State of THR 2024: – South Africa’s tough new vapes bill – Australia has one million vapers – Thinking ’bout THR News & Views – PackBreakers Ep. 5: Dual Wielder – Calling out fake news part 6: – Mexico Set to Put Vape Ban in Constitution

Four from Dave Cross, Planet of the Vapes:

IBVTA’s Bill Response

The Independent British Vape Trade Association (IBVTA), one of the two trade associations for the UK vaping industry, says there are measures to be welcomed within the Tobacco and Vapes Bill. However, it says it is reiterating the need to balance restricting access of vaping to young people with ensuring adults who smoke can access the most popular and effective tool for quitting.

The Bill was introduced in Parliament last week (5th November) and follows separate legislation that will ban single use vapes from June next year. A further announcement that liquid used in refillable vapes and prefilled pods will be subject to a duty of £2.20 per 10ml came in the Autumn Budget last week.

Health Bodies Ignore Bill’s Problems

Action on Smoking and Health (ASH) heralded that it, other leading members of the Smokefree Action Coalition, and local councillors have praised the Government for returning the historic Tobacco and Vapes Bill to Parliament. What none of them mention are the probable downsides as parts of the Bill will make vaping less attractive to smokers and vapers.

The Bill, which completed Committee Stage in the last Parliament, will introduce the phased-out sale of tobacco for the next generation and grant the government further powers to regulate vapes.

CAPHRA Demands COP11 Seats

The Coalition of Asia Pacific Harm Reduction Advocates (CAPHRA) is calling on the World Health Organisation (WHO) to open the upcoming Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC) Conference of the Parties (COP11) to consumer advocacy groups, in line with human rights principles and evidence-based policymaking.

“The WHO FCTC process must adopt a human rights approach that considers the implications across the entire lifecycle of tobacco products, from growing to consumption,” said Nancy Loucas, Executive Coordinator of CAPHRA. “This requires meaningful engagement of all stakeholders, including consumers, to strengthen policy formulation and implementation.”

Euromonitor Identifies African Trends

Data and analytics from Euromonitor International show that the tobacco industry in the Middle East and Africa is growing in both cigarettes and alternative tobacco products, with Egypt, Saudi Arabia and South Africa offering the largest opportunities for growth. Relatively low purchasing power, import challenges and illicit trade in the Middle East and Africa are limiting the growth of heated tobacco, which plays a key role in other regions’ growth. Heated tobacco In the Middle East and Africa, only holds 36% by volume, but once some of the challenges are resolved the category offers significant growth potential.

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The Tobacco and Vapes Bill –

Celebrate or burn? – Mark Dickinson

On November 5th, the new UK Government announced its plan to introduce a Tobacco and Vapes Bill. So, should we celebrate with fireworks, or chuck it on the bonfire?

The bill has a number of elements – some are to be welcomed; others will be ineffectual or inadvertently harm adult smokers and vapers… The key points of the Bill:

Don’t put an extra duty on vape products

Petition Created by Claire Ford

We think that putting duty on vaping products of £2.20 per 10ml will lead to people smoking again. This is adding potentially £22 per 100ml liquid on top of the price. We think this is extremely excessive. We think it’s an unfair duty on a product that contains no tobacco.

Smoking cessation products like patches and gum are subject to 5% VAT. Vaping is a popular smoking cessation product and is already subject to 20% VAT. We believe that making vaping more expensive, in part to reduce access to young people using them, is just putting a plaster on the problem. We think the issue is with rogue sellers and anyone selling to minors, not prices.

Tory MP: Disposable vapes ban…

Will lead to children ‘smoking behind bike sheds’

Children will go back to “smoking behind the bike sheds” as a result of the Government’s ban on disposable vapes, a Conservative former minister has said.

Sir Christopher Chope claimed that 29% of current vapers would be driven back into smoking, but this was disputed by environment minister Mary Creagh.

Ms Creagh told the Commons that most people who use single-use vapes will either “stop smoking, switch to reusable vapes or non-vape products” following the ban.

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Swedes 1st in world to become smoke free

Smoke Free Sweden

SENSATIONAL government figures released today show that Swedes have made history by becoming officially ‘smoke free’.

Swedes have hit this remarkable milestone 16 years ahead of the European Union target – while most of their fellow member states are set to miss it by some distance.

Official health data released by Sweden’s public health agency show that just 4.5% of the nation’s Swedish-born adults smoke – significantly below the globally recognised benchmark of 5% for smoke free status.

Sweden becomes first country to be officially declared “smoke free”

Smoking in Sweden at record low levels – “Not due to prohibition”

France vs. Harm Reduction:

The Misguided Ban on Nicotine Pouches

The French government’s decision to ban nicotine pouches seems to be driven by concerns over the rising popularity of these products among young people. The government argues that nicotine pouches could serve as a gateway to nicotine dependence or even smoking, although there is little evidence to support this claim.

However, banning nicotine pouches is a misguided move, as it disregards the broader benefits of harm reduction—offering smokers a safer alternative to cigarettes. Instead of restricting access to a product that helps reduce smoking-related harm, France should focus on regulating nicotine pouches according to their risk and promoting education.

Bringing the flamethrower of reform to…

FDA’s Center for Tobacco Products

Clive Bates, The Counterfactual

News has reached England of the appointment by President-elect Trump of Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy to the “Department of Government Efficiency” (DOGE). We understand this will be a non-governmental entity that will advise the Office of Management and Budget (OMB -the efficiency engine of the White House) on reforms and efficiencies to be made in the federal government. Is there potential for some good to come from this? Regarding the FDA’s regulation of tobacco products by its Center for Tobacco Products, the answer is a resounding “yes”.

Trump Will Nominate RFK Jr.

To Run HHS, Oversee FDA – Jim McDonald

“For too long, Americans have been crushed by the industrial food complex and drug companies who have engaged in deception, misinformation, and disinformation when it comes to Public Health,” Trump posted. “The Safety and Health of all Americans is the most important role of any Administration, and HHS will play a big role in helping ensure that everybody will be protected from harmful chemicals, pollutants, pesticides, pharmaceutical products, and food additives that have contributed to the overwhelming Health Crisis in this Country.”

Denver council should look before leaping

To ban flavored tobacco

The Denver City Council is once again considering a ban on flavored tobacco and nicotine products. If supporters get their way, a bill to codify this proposal could be introduced before the end of the year. One only needs to look at the impacts of a similar ban in Golden to know this would be a mistake.

While we share the goal of youth prevention, a ban on flavored products will result in the same predictable consequences as it has in other cities and states that have implemented similar policies.

Thinking ’bout THR News & Views

Kim “Skip” Murray

I promised to speak more about my last trip, during which I attended the FDLI and NTSC events. I eagerly waited for today to tell you about my latest grand adventure.

While most people will look forward to holidays, birthdays, and anniversaries, the days I look forward to the most are Random Acts of Kindness Day in February, Pay It Forward Day in April, and World Kindness Day, celebrated today. (Do you see a theme here?) Today is the perfect day to share some stories about my trip.

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The Global State of THR 2024:

A Situation Report – Knowledge-Action-Change

The Global State of Tobacco Harm Reduction 2024: A Situation Report is a multi-component publication, grouped into two parts, A Global Perspective and Regional and national insights. The extent to which SNP are replacing and substituting for combustible and risky oral tobacco products is the unifying theme.

A Global Perspective uses the latest evidence and new data projections to report on the current global THR situation and its potential to rapidly reduce the burden of disease and mortality associated with risky tobacco use. Measuring changes in SNP uptake, policy and regulation, it considers how these factors interrelate to support or undermine progress.

Two from Ali Anderson, Clearing the Air:

South Africa’s tough new vapes bill

Could lead to more smokers, health committee warns

South Africa’s strict new vapes bill could push more people to smoking, a health committee has warned. The South African government has drafted a new Tobacco Bill that aims to put vaping on a par with smoking in how it is regulated.

Vapes would be classed as tobacco products, meaning their use would be banned in all public places. Advertisement of vapes would be prohibited, and the Health Minister would also be given powers to restrict their packaging and labelling.

Australia has one million vapers –

But made just 3,500 legal vape sales last month

Vapes were sold by pharmacies just 3,500 times during the first month of the government’s new vape ban – despite Australia having around one million vapers.

With more than 5,800 pharmacies across the country, the data – shown to the Senate last week – suggests thousands of them would not have dispensed a single vape.

Australia became the first country to ban the sale of non-therapeutic vapes in July, with adults only able to purchase them from pharmacies without a prescription from October.

PackBreakers Ep. 5: Dual Wielder

VSML South Africa

Join Jason Williams and Kurt as they discuss Jasons journey from smoking & Vaping to Vaping as well as the world of disposable vapes.

Calling out fake news part 6:

Prohibitionists getting owned by community notes

More disinformation from Canada about popcorn lung We need to be clear before we start: there has never been a single recorded case of bronchiolitis obliterans – more commonly known as “popcorn lung” – attributed to vaping. Never. Not a single one in almost fifteen years of vapes being on the open market across the world.

And yet, here we are having to refute yet another claim that vaping causes popcorn lung by a supposedly respectable public health NGO: this time Alberta Lung in Canada, who told their followers that the condition “can still be caused by vaping today”.

Mexico Set to Put Vape Ban in Constitution

Kiran Sidhu

Mexico is set to make a vape ban part of its constitution by the end of 2024. “It is essential that this reform is passed,” said President Claudia Sheinbaum in October, just weeks after she took office. “The approval process is underway.”

Victory for her left-leaning Morena party in the June election included a supermajority in the lower house of Congress, giving her government substantial leeway to do as it chooses.

Policy Friction

Special Interest NGO’s Behind Push to Ban Flavours | RegWatch

A coalition of anti-smoking special interest groups has brazenly crossed from advocacy into coercion, demanding a nicotine flavor ban that threatens to crush Canada’s $2 billion vaping industry and potentially push many of the country’s 1.9 million adult vapers back to smoking.

The impact of novel nicotine products

Tim Phillips

Strategic Business Consulting managing director Rupert Wilson, who has 17 years of experience in the tobacco industry from his time with Rothmans International, joins Tamarind Intelligence managing director Tim Phillips to discuss the impact of novel nicotine products on tobacco company share prices and overall business performance.

Tune in to this episode to learn about the key factors driving the market, the challenges and opportunities for traditional tobacco companies, and the evolving landscape of nicotine products.

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On this Day…2023

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

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Visit Nicotine Science & Policy for more News from around the World

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