Vapers Digest 30th September

Monday’s News at a glance:

Andy Morrison Obituary – Flavour a ‘Big No’ to Kernow Tories – We Vape Identifies Illegal Sales – UKVIA Comments on ASH Findings – FDA Targets Businesses at Trade Show – I tend to think about nicotine 24/7 – Voices of Harm Reduction Pt 3: Sairah Salim-Sartoni – Ireland is the Canary in the Vaping Coal Mine for UK Vapers – 2025 vaping ban could push Brits back to cigarettes – A smokefree UK? How research, policy and vapes have cut smoking rates – Let’s talk e-cigarettes, August 2024, Ep 35 – Myths about vaping do more harm than good – Teen Vape Fad Sputtering – Illicit tobacco and vape trade fuelling organised crime – Navigating Australia’s new pharmacy-only vaping rules –

Andy Morrison Obituary

New Nicotine Alliance

The NNA is sad to report that Andy Morrison, an early adopter of vaping products and well-respected former trustee, died this week after a long illness.

NNA Chair, Louise Ross, commented on social media that Andy was “a very special friend to me and to people who wanted to switch from smoking to a safer way of using nicotine. His generosity was legendary.”

A lifelong smoker, he found vaping and stopped combustible tobacco use entirely. He joined NNA as a trustee a decade ago and was our Scottish expert. He gave evidence to inquiries about vaping and harm reduction to the Scottish government and spoke at political conferences on the misinformation surrounding reduced risk products.

Andy Morrison

Simon Clark

I was very sorry to read, late last night, that Andy Morrison has died. I had no idea he was ill, so it was a bit of a shock.

Andy, I should explain, is reasonably well known in vaping circles. He quit smoking, switched to vaping, and became a keen advocate of e-cigarettes, always willing to offer help and advice, but without being preachy.

Andy was representing the New Nicotine Alliance and a year later I met him again when he organised the UK premiere of A Billion Lives, the documentary produced by Milwaukee filmmaker Aaron Biebert.

Four from Dave Cross, Planet of the Vapes:

Flavour a ‘Big No’ to Kernow Tories

Officials in the Conservative-majority Cornwall Council have said they plan on writing to Health Secretary Wes Streeting to demand that all vape flavours are banned in order to ‘protect children’. Some councillors have objected to this, stating that it should be a freedom of choice matter for adult smokers.

The councillors met on Tuesday 24th September to debate a motion submitted by Barry Jordan and Peter Perry (both Conservative councillors). The motion demanded the leader of the council (Linda Taylor, Conservative) writes to Wes Streeting and Cornwall’s six MPs (four Labour, two Liberal Democrat) urging them to enact a ban on disposable vapes immediately and to include a ban on eliquid flavours.

We Vape Identifies Illegal Sales

Vape action group We Vape has conducted an information gathering exercise and discovered that illicit vapes are being sold in Sir Keir Starmer’s Holborn & St Pancras constituency, Wes Streeting’s Ilford North constituency, and David Lammy’s Tottenham constituency. The latter being “a hotbed of illegal vapes”, according to We Vape’s Mark Oates.

Mark Oates is reported as saying: “Our investigation uncovered vapes with e-liquid tanks more than six times the capacity of the 2ml limit, with some boasting 7000 puffs. A regulated vape would produce between 600-1000 puffs.

UKVIA Comments on ASH Findings

New data from Action on Smoking and Health UK found more than half of ex-smokers in Great Britain who quit in the past five years – amounting to 2.7 million adults – used a vape in their last quit attempt. This reinforces the stop smoking potential of vaping, says the UK Vaping Industry Association.

Further, the UK Vaping Industry Association says, Action on Smoking and Health’s findings reveal the main motivations for vaping amongst current smokers included to cut down on smoking, protect others from the risk of second-hand smoke or to help them quit.

FDA Targets Businesses at Trade Show

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) says it has taken action against unauthorised e-cigarettes promoted at an industry trade show and is clamping down on online sales of two of the top e-cigarette brands it says are used by teens. The FDA says it has issued six warning letters to manufacturers and retailers “for the sale or distribution of unauthorised e-cigarette products” promoted at the trade show.

The FDA states: “Subsequent to observations made by Centre for Tobacco Products (CTP) staff attending the trade show, FDA conducted investigations and has issued warning letters to six retailers and manufacturers for selling or distributing unauthorised e-cigarette products.

Thank you @itvmeridian for covering the launch of the first Local Vape Action (LVA). LVA brings together local partners to target local issues around #vaping, with a focus on tackling underage sales. For more information, you can read our full statement here:… https://t.co/bxIcs4riHd

— IBVTA (@TheIBVTA) September 27, 2024

I tend to think about nicotine 24/7

Kim “Skip” Murray

Since 2014, I have identified as a Tobacco Harm Reduction (THR) Advocate. That identity primarily represents consumers and sometimes small businesses in the nicotine space. I’ve taken great pride in that identity. It feels right. It feels like I’m doing something useful, helping people, and making a difference.

I’ll get back to talking about this identity in a bit. Your hint about my THR Advocate identity can be found in this quote by Jonathan Haidt.

Voices of Harm Reduction Pt 3:

Sairah Salim-Sartoni

Sairah Salim-Sartoni has 16 years’ experience as a stop smoking advisor in the UK; first for the National Health Service and then for local authority stop smoking clinics. She went on to work for Juul Labs on scientific engagement, and now consults with both the public and private sector on smoking cessation and tobacco harm reduction

‍When did you first encounter vaping as a stop smoking specialist? I think it was 2011 when the first patient showed up at a group session with an e-cig; I remember there was a blue light at the end of it. My first reaction was, “what is this? What is this? What have you brought into my clinic? You know, we deal with licensed medicines, and here you are with this device. God only knows what this is and how it works or if it’s safe to use!”.

Ireland is the Canary in the Vaping…

Coal Mine for UK Vapers

While it seems like a long time ago, the UK was once the darling of vaping regulations. Other countries looked upon Britain with envy as various politicians and health bodies threw their support behind harm reduction. However, recent decisions in Ireland provide a stark lesson in how quickly consumer choice and liberty can slip. UK vapers must pay heed.

What is the vaping situation in Ireland? The situation for Irish vapers is dire. Recently, the Irish cabinet approved legislation that will come into effect near the end of the year, which will ban the sale, manufacture, and import of single-use or disposable vapes and limit vaping flavours to tobacco.

A smokefree UK? How research…

Policy and vapes have cut smoking rates

In line with many other high-income countries, smoking rates in the United Kingdom, once some of the highest in the world, have been falling for decades. The UK was the country where key research demonstrating the link between smoking and lung cancer was first undertaken and published. But, while Government was initially slow to respond to the challenges of smoking, by the 2000s the UK was acknowledged as a global leader in tobacco control. More recently it has also been at the forefront of ambitious plans to achieve ‘smokefree’ status via a range of initiatives including the use of vapes to help people to quit smoking. This Briefing Paper explores the UK’s progress towards becoming smokefree, highlighting both the successes and the challenges.

Let’s talk e-cigarettes, August 2024, Ep 35

In the September podcast Ben Tol describes how he became involved in this research field, about his smoking cessation work and about interventions to help people to quit vaping. Ben discusses some pilot studies of vaping cessation with Amanda Palmer and a study of varenicline for vaping cessation with Lisa Fucito. Ben talks about the importance of creating an evidence base to inform clinical practice guidelines for quitting vaping. At present there are very few studies looking at vaping cessation and Ben stresses the need for more studies in this field.

2025 vaping ban could push Brits ..

Back to cigarettes – Alice Hughes

The UK’s crackdown on single-use vapes is set to shake things up for Britain’s smokers. New laws are coming into play in 2025, aiming to snuff out smoking for good.

A whopping 85% of vapers used to puff on cigarettes, but a recent survey has revealed that over half are worried they’ll be lighting up again due to the vape clampdown.

Since the ban was announced, a quarter of vapers have tried to quit, and many are turning to other nicotine fixes like smokes (36%), pouches (26%), and gum (25%). Yet, a third reckon their nicotine fix will only get bigger.

Myths about vaping more harm than good

Few topics in mental health create as much attention and misunderstanding as the rise of vaping. The mainstream media has painted a grim picture of these devices as a looming crisis, particularly for young folks, often referring to vaping products as “gateway devices”. While undoubtedly born of genuine concern, this narrative fails to acknowledge the reality of the role of vaping in tobacco harm reduction. This can unintentionally risk pushing smokers away from what can be a lifesaving alternative. When one directly examines the scientific literature on vaping, a completely different story emerges from the ones most public commentators speak of.

A warning to Tucker Carlson …

On nicotine and the nanny state

Dear Tucker Carlson, I write to you with a great deal of respect for your courage and boldness in venturing into new business territories, particularly your recent announcement of launching the nicotine pouch brand Alp. Your foray into the tobacco and nicotine industry is admirable, and I wish you the best of success. However, I must warn you of the significant risks associated with this business move—not from the free market, where competition like Philip Morris can be handled—but from the heavy hand of government regulation and litigation.

Teen Vape Fad Sputtering Despite …

Government’s Best Efforts

Amid another year of government-funded insistence that teen recreational vaping is some raging doomsday epidemic (along with suspiciously relentless efforts to shaft the e-cigarette industry with a bizarro fixation on shutting it down bit by bit — see the ban on flavored vapes) comes this New York Times piece, buried recently in the Health section:

“Teenage E-Cigarette Use Drops to a 10-Year Low” The government will undoubtedly try to take credit. Still, this happy news comes despite the government’s freakout campaign — the nonsensical one resembling similar useless efforts of years past, such as DARE and Just Say No to discourage youth experimentation.

Illicit tobacco and vape trade fuelling ….

Organised crime in London, Philip Morris warns

London’s black-market trade in illicit disposable vapes and cigarettes is fuelling serious and organised crime in the city, according to one in three convenience store owners.

An undercover investigation and study by Philip Morris Limited (PML) have revealed the extent of the problem, prompting urgent calls for action from retailers and industry experts.

Quitting Strong:

New Zealand’s Smoking Cessation Success Story

Navigating Australia’s new pharmacy-only

Vaping rules – a guide for vapers – Colin Mendelsohn

FROM TOMORROW, 1 OCTOBER 2024, some vaping devices and low dose e-liquid (up to 20mg/mL nicotine) will be available in Australia without a prescription from brick-and-mortar pharmacies. Sale from online pharmacies is banned. This blog outlines the latest guidelines from the TGA and the Pharmaceutical Society of Australia that take effect tomorrow.

Finding a pharmacy: Most pharmacies will not be stocking vaping products, including major chains such as PriceLine, Terry White Chemmart, Blooms the Chemist, Pharmacy 777, and National Pharmacies.

Eyes On

BAT Discusses FDA’s PMTA Process, Science & the Battle over THR | RegWatch

Ignoring THR is a death sentence…

For millions, global experts tell UN

New York, 26 September 2024 — International health experts today warned that governments of the world are condemning millions to die if they continue to ignore the irrefutable benefits of tobacco harm reduction (THR) policies.

In an open letter to delegates at the United Nations General Assembly, Dr. Delon Human of Smoke Free Sweden, along with other leading THR specialists, calls for THR to be incorporated into standard tobacco control measures worldwide. By doing so, millions of lives could be saved from smoking-related diseases, they say.

DARK SIDE

Tobacco Control’s Penchant for Misinformation | #GFNTVInterviews

Is perfect the enemy of good enough …

When trying to change our health behaviours?

How many times have you set out to change your behaviour and within a few weeks, maybe a few days, or even a few hours you realise you’re back to square one? I would feel confident in saying this is an experience most people are familiar with, especially following the 1st of January. It can be disappointing and demoralising.

After the clock strikes midnight, a wakeup call from a health professional, or a particularly motivational TED talk, idealistic thinking can creep in and we think of course we can stop drinking alcohol entirely/climb a mountain/detox sugar tomorrow (feel free to insert your own goal here).

Free Seminar Tobacco Addiction

& Nicotine Dependency recording

Big Tobacco’s Stealth Influence

On FDA Cigarette Policy

On September 10, the U.S. House of Representatives’ Health Subcommittee convened a hearing with the FDA’s Deputy Commissioner and the Director of the FDA’s Center for Tobacco Products (CTP). The session spotlighted the Biden administration’s tobacco programs, underscoring an alarming disconnect between federal policies and the public’s needs.

CTP Director Brian King revealed that out of 26 million premarket tobacco applications submitted over the past four years, the FDA rejected 99 percent, approving only 34 e-cigarette products and devices.

On this Day…2023

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

Disposable vapes & the race to prohibition

Christopher Snowdon, The Critic

As an enthusiastic and prolific vaper, I have mixed feelings about disposable e-cigarettes. For the last two years I have watched the rapid ascent of Geek Bars, Elf Bars and Lost Marys with a sinking feeling that a tabloid panic was on its way. It arrived this summer. The littering and underage use with which they have become associated has tarnished the entire category and allowed a lot of people who never liked e-cigarettes to crawl out of the woodwork and demand harsh regulation.

On the other hand, disposables seem to do the trick for smokers who don’t want to mess around with a refillable device and learn about atomisers, batteries and wattage. For all the talk about teenage vaping, disposable e-cigarettes are mostly used by adults.

A Vapid Solution:

Why banning disposable e-cigarettes would be a failure of law-enforcement

Reem Ibrahim & Christopher Snowdon

Disposable e-cigarettes (or ‘vapes’) are non-refillable and non-rechargeable electronic nicotine delivery devices. They have become increasingly popular in Britain in the last three years and there has been public concern about their use by teenagers. The sale of e-cigarettes containing nicotine to people aged under 18 has been illegal since 2015 and in April 2023 the government announced a clampdown on underage sales, with an extra £3 million of funding for Trading Standards to create an ‘illicit vapes enforcement squad’.1 It has since been reported that the government intends to ban the sale of disposable vapes altogether.

Advocates of a ban claim that disposable e-cigarettes, which are often in colourful packaging and use fruity flavours, are overwhelmingly targeted at under-18s. Prime Minister Rishi Sunak himself has voiced concerns, saying in May 2023: