Vapers Digest 23rd September

Monday’s News at a glance:

EU Commission did not disclose lobbying meetings with ENSP – New Zealand HALVES smoking rates – The Dark Side of the Street – THR policies could save 280,000 lives in Czechia – Rising Demand for Heated Tobacco – The Latest (Tragic) Developments From Australasia – Supreme Court to Review FDA Errors – The Role of Education and Awareness in Reducing Tobacco Harm in Africa – Youth Tobacco and Vaping Use Has Declined in Wisconsin

EU Commission did not disclose…

Lobbying meetings with ENSP to the EU Ombudsman investigation into conflicts of interest

Alastair Cohen

The European Commission did not disclose meetings it had with the European Network on Smoking Prevention (ENSP) to the European Ombudsman. The Ombudsman is currently investigating the Commission for mishandling conflicts of interest when it awarded ENSP a lucrative contract to help it revise EU rules on vaping.

Documents obtained by Clearing the Air show that ENSP had a closed-door meeting with DG SANTE – the part of the EU Commission that handles tobacco control – less than three months after ENSP was awarded the contract. According to the Ombudsman’s website, neither the fact that such a meeting occurred, nor the minutes of it, were disclosed to the Ombudsman

New Zealand HALVES smoking rates

Ali Anderson

New Zealand has halved its smoking rates in just five years by supporting adult smokers to switch to vaping, a new report reveals. Smoking rates in New Zealand are set to dip below five per cent, putting it on the brink of being declared officially ‘smoke free.’

Global health campaign group Smoke Free Sweden says the country presents a compelling case study for the ‘Swedish Model’ of smoking cessation, where safer nicotine alternatives are made readily available to smokers.

Quitting Strong: New Zealand’s Smoking Cessation Success Story

The Dark Side of the Street

Mark Oates

Last week (18th of September), the New Statesman posted an interview with Health Minister Wes Streeting. The 41-year-old MP for Ilford North used the opportunity to fight back against his Nanny State reputation, stating, “I don’t want to be the fun police.”

However, the evidence is hard to overlook. Moreover, if Labour continues to reject a surefire way to reduce the pressure on the NHS, it’s hard to accept their justifications for increasingly authoritarian measures on health.

Skip did such an awesome job live tweeting #GoodCOP this year, as well as panels at @GFNicotine
She’s got a busy week with @NewApproachesTC & @thegtnf this week.
Thank you Skip for doing this and looking forward to insights from all the conferences this week! https://t.co/AY7Fa4M4cE

— Lindsey Stroud (@lmstroud89) September 23, 2024

THR policies could save 280,000 lives …

In Czechia – Smoke Free Sweden

Improved Tobacco Harm Reduction measures, including better access to nicotine alternatives such as e-cigarettes, could save up to 280,000 lives in Czechia, according to a major new report published today.

The new study by leading international public health experts, titled Tobacco harm reduction and better treatment of lung cancer could save 280 000 lives in Czechia by 2060, highlights how the deadly toll of tobacco could be massively reduced by incorporating THR into public health policymaking.

Rising Demand for Heated Tobacco

As Traditional Cigarette Sales Decline

In recent years, Hungary has seen a significant shift in tobacco consumption trends, with heated tobacco products rapidly gaining popularity while traditional cigarette use continues to decline. This trend is reshaping the tobacco market, as more consumers are switching to alternatives, driven by various factors.

As of 2024, the gap between heated tobacco and traditional cigarettes is steadily closing, writes 24.hu. Data from the Regulatory Activities Surveillance Authority (SZTFH) shows that heated tobacco sales have skyrocketed, breaking records month by month.

The Latest (Tragic) Developments …

From Australasia – Diane Caruana

The infamous new vape laws set for Australia will take effect on October 1st, with changes to local vape regulations having been set incrementally throughout the year. Disposable vapes, both nicotine and non-nicotine containing, have been banned since January 2024, and cannot be purchased or imported, even with a prescription. While as of March 2024, imports of all vaping products, including reusable devices, are prohibited unless one has obtained an import license. The personal importation scheme will end, and travelers can only bring limited vapes for medical purposes.

Youth Tobacco and Vaping Use…

Has Declined in Wisconsin – Lindsey Stroud

The Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction (WDPI), in collaboration with the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, has released the results of the 2023 Youth Risk Behavior Survey (YRBS). This biennial survey assesses health-risk behaviors among Wisconsin high school students, ranging from nutrition and mental health to substance use. The latest findings reveal a significant decline in the use of traditional tobacco products and a noteworthy decrease in vaping since its peak in 2019.

Crucial Decision

Supreme Court to Review FDA Errors | RegWatch

The U.S. vaping industry faces a pivotal moment as the Supreme Court prepares to review a Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals decision.
This ruling overturned FDA Marketing Denial Orders, including those affecting Triton Vapes LLC, seeking authorization to sell flavored nicotine vaping products.

A favorable ruling could not only overturn these denials but also potentially unravel the FDA’s authority over vape sales entirely.

Beyond the Pack –

The Role of Education and Awareness in Reducing Tobacco Harm in Africa

Michael Gwarisa

While smoking rates are declining in other parts of the world, data shows that the African region and other Low-Income Countries are seeing a rise in new smokers, particularly among the young population.

According to a paper by the Global State of Tobacco Harm Reduction (GSTHR), smoking prevalence is relatively low across Africa by global comparisons. However, by 2025, the World Health Organization (WHO) projects the total number of tobacco users in Africa will have increased to 62 million, of whom 51 million will be smoking combustible tobacco.

On this Day…2023

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

Should Disposable Vapes Be Banned?

James Dunworth

Calls for a ban on disposable vapes are growing, and it’s easy to see why. Most of us have seen a disposable device carelessly thrown onto the side of a road – not to mention the headlines telling us about the millions being binned every week.

Disposables have also been blamed by many for an increase in youth vaping.

They’re not good for users either. Despite their obvious convenience, they are expensive and lack the flexibility of refillable devices which can be used with thousands of different flavours.

Ireland disposable vape ban proposal

Sparks fury and fears of black market boom – Ferghal Blaney

Vaping business owners have hit back at Health Minister Stephen Donnelly for threatening to ban disposable vapes from our streets.

They claim it would only drive the traffic for the e-cigarettes underground and lead to a worse black market with unregulated devices flooding our streets.

Mr Donnelly has said he is in favour of a ban on the devices being sold here, following similar moves in the UK and France. But Director of Hale Vaping, Joe Dunne, has told the Irish Mirror it would be counterproductive and he has called for stricter enforcement of incoming laws instead.

Vapers Digest 23rd September

Monday’s News at a glance: