Vapers Digest 20th March

Monday’s News at a glance:

CALL TO ACTION: The World Health Organization is planning a global assault on vaping- Shoddy Research Reinforces Anti-Vaping Narrative – Fears mount over Norway plans – A contextualised e-cigarette testing strategy – Dr Caroline Johnson Speaks – Parliament – I vape in secret in order to escape the judgement – Studies Show That the Nicotine Pouch is a Viable Tobacco Harm Reduction Tool – Nicotine Science and Policy Daily Digest

CALL TO ACTION:

The World Health Organization is planning a global assault on vaping

New Nicotine Alliance

Today, we are calling on our supporters, consumers of reduced risk nicotine products, and others who understand the benefits of harm reduction to act on significant threats planned by the World Health Organization (WHO) later this year.

We have listed the threats in more detail in this file along with accompanying quotations from WHO documents which will be the basis for discussion at a global conference to be held in November. We have also produced a playlist of animations explaining the threats.

Although that seems a long way off, we must ACT NOW to get our voices heard. Plans for the meeting are already in progress and by the time the agenda is published in September it will be too late.

Shoddy Research Reinforces Narrative

Jacob Sullum

In 2019, The Journal of the American Heart Association published a study suggesting that nicotine vaping doubles the risk of a heart attack. The authors claimed e-cigarette use is “independently” associated with a heightened risk of myocardial infarction, which is “similar” to the risk among cigarette smokers.

Three years later, the World Journal of Oncology published a study that claimed vapers face about the same cancer risk as smokers. The authors said “prospective studies should be planned to mitigate the risk.”

Both studies were later retracted, largely because they shared the same glaring weakness:

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Fears mount over Norway plans

For NZ-style tobacco, flavour bans – Snusforumet

The Norwegian government is considering a lifetime tobacco ban inspired by a policy recently implemented in New Zealand. A ban on flavoured tobacco is also on the table, much to the dismay of public health experts.

“If flavoured snus is banned, we risk seeing a rise in smoking prevalence again. And we don’t want that,” Karl Erik Lund of the Norwegian Institute of Public Health told the Verdens Gang (VG) newspaper.

Lund voiced his concern following statements from Centre Party health policy spokesperson Hans Inge Myrvold indicating a ban on flavoured snus was one of several tobacco control measures currently under consideration by the government.

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Contextualised e-cigarette testing strategy

Shows flavourings do not impact lung toxicity in vitro

E Bishop, N East, F Miazzi, S Fiebelkorn, D Breheny, M Gaca, D Thorne

Vaping has the potential to reduce the individual health risks associated with smoking and e-cigarette flavours have been reported to help smokers’ transition from cigarettes. In this manuscript, we provide evidence to support the reduced risk potential of e-cigarette aerosols and flavours by assessing commercially available e-liquids (Vuse ePod – Manufactured by British American Tobacco) in a 2D in vitro screening approach. We also analysed selected flavours using a more physiologically relevant 3D (MucilAir) whole aerosol exposure model, measuring toxicity and functional endpoints such as Trans Epithelial Electrical Resistance, Cilia Beat Frequency and Active Area.

Two from Dave Cross, Planet of the Vapes:

Dr Caroline Johnson Speaks

Dr Caroline Johnson has been interviewed by BBC Radio 5 Live’s Rachel Burden, continuing the Breakfast show’s interest in vaping. Again, listeners heard partial facts about teen use and anecdotes over evidence. Dr Johnson is currently pushing a Bill through parliament aimed at banning all forms of disposable vape products.

Opening, Burden said: “We’ve been talking about this for about a year now. We’ve spoken to schools who are saying it’s a problem, we’ve spoken to vape shops who say the regulations don’t work, we’ve spoken to Trading Standards who keep highlighting this is like a Wack-a-Mole and it’s almost impossible for them to keep on top of. We’ve approached political parties to say, ‘there’s a really big issue here’, and got very little back from them.”

Parliament

In the latest article covering questions and answers from the House of Commons, we ask our dear readers to throw a dart at cards with the words “disposables”, “Trading Standards”, and “For goodness sake, will nobody think of the children”. We will be hearing from a vexed Stewart McDonald, a curious Ranil Jayawardena, and a barely sentient Lord Moylan.

Stewart McDonald is the Scottish National Party for Glasgow South. He asked the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if she will make an assessment of the potential impact of the forthcoming extended producer responsibility for packaging scheme on the amount of disposable vape packaging used, recycled and going to landfill in each of the next five years.

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I vape in secret…

In order to escape the judgement – but I’m not ashamed of it

35-year-old, recruitment consultant, *Gabby has vaped for three years now. While she once vaped alongside other friends on nights out, recently though, due to the increase of judgment around vaping and most of her friends quitting, she has found herself doing it in secret. Here, she shares her experience with Body + Soul.

I have heard all of the concerns, all of the risks associated with vaping, I have heard them from friends, family, colleagues and even random strangers who have literally come up to me on the street to give me mini-lectures on why my decision to vape is reckless.

Studies Show That the Nicotine Pouch…

Is a Viable Tobacco Harm Reduction Tool — Here’s What You Need to Know

Alternatives to combustible cigarettes are becoming increasingly available to circumvent the dangers related to tobacco smoking. In fact, our post ‘New Tech and New Aromas Make Vaping an Even More Attractive Way to Quit Smoking’ shows how various manufacturers offer a wide array of e-cigarettes that are equipped with different aromatic substances and tastes. This is in order to motivate smokers to switch to vaping devices and move away from tobacco cigarettes.

Notably, a recent report published in JMIR Formative Research explains that oral nicotine pouches play a significant role in smoking reduction. Below, this article will provide a more in-depth discussion of how this is possible.

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On this Day…2022

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

Can vapers trust Big Tobacco?

An Interview with Derek Yach – James Dunworth

In the tobacco control world, it’s hard to find a more controversial figure than Derek Yach.

After starting his career fighting both South African tobacco companies over smoking and a white apartheid government for the health of black South Africans, Derek Yach went on to become one of the main architects of the WHO tobacco treaty. He later received flack for joining PepsiCo at a time in the belief that health could often be better served by working with problem companies instead of against them. While continuing, obviously, to sell Pepsi, the company ditched trans fats, cut some unhealthy lines and invested in new, healthier products.

The most controversial move for this anti-tobacco warrior was accepting a position to set up and run the Foundation for a Smoke Free World (FSFW) – a foundation funded by Philip Morris International, the maker of Marlboro cigarettes.

Blackpool MPs new call to tackle smoking

To improve residents’ health – Tim Gavell

Blackpool North and Cleveleys MP Paul Maynard and Blackpool South MP Scott Benton said that smoking is one of the biggest factors behind the town’s problems when it comes to health issues.

They said coronavirus had thrown Blackpool’s health inequality into sharp relief and it must be tackled as part of the Government’s levelling up agenda.

In a joint statement they said that, whether someone is born in Blackpool, Bristol or Bradford, should have no bearing on how long they live. Their education, their background and their upbringing should not impact their health outcomes. But it does.

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