Vapers Digest 31st May

Friday’s News at a glance:

Vape tax consultation – Australia’s tobacco fiasco – It was twenty years ago today/Hon Lik showed a brand-new way – Why We Need World Vape Day – An Urgent Call for Action on World No Tobacco Day 2024 – World No Tobacco Day Should Protect Youth – World Vape Day Recognizes the Impact of THR – World No Tobacco Day Warning – Full SFS Report Now Released – Election Kills Vape Bill – Leadsom Quits – Vape Shop of the Future – ASH Scotland Goes Cancel Crazy – Thinking ’bout THR Newsletter – Dutch Health Agency Wants Standardized Devices – Vaping by young adults – Blackmarket fire wars in Australia – CAPHRA Urges End to Disinformation – Japan’s Leading Position in THR World – WHO fails to recognise lifesaving qualities – Pioneering Responsibility – Young Men in Stimulant Use Shocker – Dispelling some misconceptions – Iron Law of Prohibition – WHO’s Hostile Welcome –

Two from Chris Snowdon:

Vape tax consultation – my response

The vape tax consultation closes today, so hurry if you want to respond to this awful idea (which Labour is also keen on). Clive Bates has put his excellent submission online here, but here’s what I sent them…

5. Do you agree that the rates and structure outlined in Chapter 3 will achieve the stated objectives of the duty? Yes and no.

The stated objectives are ‘to reduce the number of non-smokers and young people that vape’ and to shift vapers towards lower nicotine products. Further objectives include raising tax revenue and not making smoking more attractive. It is notable that the government’s stated objectives do not include reducing smoking rates among middle-aged and elderly adults who are at most risk from smoking-related harm, nor improving the health of the nation….

Australia’s tobacco fiasco

As two more tobacconists go up in flames in Melbourne, the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) can no longer deny the illicit tobacco crisis Down Under. This article is worth reading.

Rohan Pike is a former Australian Federal Police (AFP) and Australian Border Force (ABF) officer who helped establish the original tobacco strike team, when the black market was, as he describes it, a “modest problem”.

“The number one driver of the problem is the enormous price of tobacco,” Pike says bluntly.

When the taskforce was established in 2018, more than 400 million cigarette sticks were detected and seized at the border. Last year, it was 1.7 billion.

It was twenty years ago today…

Hon Lik showed a brand-new way – Harry’s blog 123

With apologies to Lennon & McCartney, it was just two decades ago this year that the first commercially viable vapes became available in China thanks to the pioneering work of Hon Lik trying to find a way to stop smoking himself and in light of his father’s death from lung cancer.

Since then, the global consumer population has grown to over 120 million users. It is likely, with the possible exception of North Korea, that at least one SNP is to be found in every country in the world. Unfortunately, the generally hostile regulatory environment in which SNP operate means much of that product will be illegal. That illegality might derive from outright bans, illegal smuggling to avoid import taxes or simply unsafe products. This of course is the result of banning a much in demand product.

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Why We Need World Vape Day

More Than Ever – Kim “Skip” Murray

Globally, we are over 120 million strong. We are the people who used to smoke. We discovered that despite what they told us, we didn’t just have a straight choice between abstinence from nicotine and early death. Instead, we found our own paths to smoking cessation and healthier, longer lives.

We got here from different places and in different ways. Many of us use snus or pouches. Many use heated tobacco products. But most of us—82 million, as of 2021, and counting—use vapes.

An Urgent Call for Action

On World No Tobacco Day 2024 – Derek Yach

The global combustible tobacco epidemic remains a formidable public health challenge, with devastating disparities in smoking rates across nations. As we reflect on the progress made in countries like the United Kingdom, it becomes evident that a one-size-fits-all approach is inadequate and unacceptable.

Instead, we must prioritize countries grappling with alarmingly high smoking rates, particularly those at the early stages of their tobacco control journey. On World No Tobacco Day 2024, we must rally together to address this urgent crisis with renewed vigor and ingenuity.

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Two from Lindsey Stroud:

World No Tobacco Day Should…

Protect Youth and Help the 1.3 Billion Adults Who Smoke

On May 31, the World Health Organization (WHO) will celebrate the 37th anniversary of World No Tobacco Day (WNTD). This year’s theme, “protecting children from tobacco industry interference,” is consistent with the WHO’s ongoing focus on youth. However, this prioritization should not come at the expense of the 1.3 billion adults who smoke.

The WHO is clinging to a youth alarmist narrative to push governments worldwide to restrict adult access to safer alternatives to cigarettes. In February, the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC) met in Panama for its 10th Conference of the Parties (COP10). The FCTC, the first health treaty of its kind, has more than 180 signatories committed to following the WHO’s guidance on reducing the burden of tobacco.

World Vape Day Recognizes…

The Impact of Tobacco Harm Reduction

May 30 is World Vape Day, an annual global campaign created by consumers of tobacco harm reduction products. This day unites millions of adults who have quit smoking using novel alternatives to combustible cigarettes. More importantly, World Vape Day directly counters the World Health Organization’s (WHO) World No Tobacco Day on May 31, challenging the taxpayer-funded organization’s prohibitionist stance towards products that are not only less harmful than traditional cigarettes but also effective in helping adults quit. Even though the WHO has turned World No Tobacco Day into an assault against tobacco harm reduction, the truth is that World Vape Day and World No Tobacco Day should be the same day. Widespread acceptance of vapes and other tobacco harm reduction products could mean a real World No Tobacco Day.

Six from Dave Cross, Planet of the Vapes:

World No Tobacco Day Warning

A warning about a ‘misperception epidemic’ on World No Tobacco Day has been issued by campaigning group the World Vapers’ Alliance. World No Tobacco Day is set to take place today, the 31 May, and the World Vapers’ Alliance is raising the alarm about the rampant misinformation being given out regarding tobacco harm reduction by duplicitous public health bodies.

The World Vapers’ Alliance says: “Recent research by Ipsos for the think tank ‘We Are Innovation’ reveals that 74% of smokers worldwide wrongly believe that vaping is as harmful or more harmful than smoking. This dangerous misconception, fuelled by misinformation, is preventing millions from switching to a scientifically proven, less harmful alternative.”

Full SFS Report Now Released

Smoke Free Sweden says it is excited to share the full version of its report, “No Smoke, Less Harm,” which delves into the impact of non-combustible nicotine alternatives on tobacco control and harm reduction. The full version expands upon compelling findings such as that Sweden, where 23.6% of adults use nicotine daily, has a 41% lower incidence of cancer compared to the European average. Smoke Free Sweden believes the health outcome is directly linked to the widespread adoption of safer, smokeless nicotine products.

Election Kills Vape Bill

“We set out a comprehensive plan”, said the Prime Minister at his lectern on the steps of No.10 Downing Street, while announcing that the country is set to have a general election on July 4th. “We will ensure that the next generation grows up smoke-free.” Within 24 hours, the Tobacco and Vapes Bill was no longer a central part of Rishi Sunak’s plan, it lay in ashes on the floor of a committee room in the House of Commons.

Both the Labour and Conservative Parties have pledged to revisit the Tobacco and Vapes Bill after the election, depending on which party wins an overall majority.

Leadsom Quits

The Rt Hon. Andrea Leadsom MP has written to Prime Minister Rishi Sunak to inform him that she will not stand as a candidate at the forthcoming election. Andrea Leadsom campaigned against vapes alongside Jo Churchill MP, and it was hugely disappointing when she was placed in charge of vapes and the government’s approach to tobacco harm reduction. In her short time in office, she managed to offend the industry and vapers, as well as spreading lies and misinformation in the House.

Regardless of who wins the election, Andrea Leadsom will no longer be Minister for Public Health. She told the Prime Minister: “After careful reflection, I have decided not to stand as a candidate at the forthcoming election.

Vape Shop of the Future

The Tobacco and Vapes Bill has temporarily fallen, but the “Vape Shop of the Future” highlighted its flaws shortly before the general election killed the legislation. The spoof vape shop went viral – as retailers took aim at government’s “dangerous” vape Bill – as someone mistook a Rishi Sunak lookalike for the real thing and ‘egged’ him.

Quit smoking missionaries, Riot Labs, and Northampton vape shop, Right Vape, took aim at the Government’s now defunct vape legislation.

ASH Scotland Goes Cancel Crazy

ASH Scotland has tried to cancel independent vaping industry voices, claiming they represent Big Tobacco and therefore breach a global treaty designed to eliminate influence of health policies. The UK Vaping Industry Association says ASH Scotland’s anti-vaping position is increasingly at odds with their stated aim to stop smoking.

ASH Scotland says it is, “raising grave concerns about the Scottish Parliament’s Health, Social Care and Sport Committee giving Big Tobacco industry influenced organisations an opportunity to impact health policy development through participation in an evidence session.

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Thinking ’bout THR Newsletter

Kim “Skip” Murray

Before we dive in… I want to first inform my readers that there will be one newsletter this week, not two.

Second, this is a reminder that the vaping movement started 20 years ago and, for a long time, was the consumer solution to the smoking problem. Large corporations thought we were a joke in those early days. The OGs of vaping built their own mods and made their own liquids. It was an impressive grassroots effort to save their own lives and then spread to save the lives of family and friends.

Dutch Health Agency

Wants Standardized Vape Devices – Jim McDonald

An agency in the Dutch health ministry is proposing to standardize vapes in both function and appearance, claiming that reducing the products’ attractiveness and ease of use will help eliminate youth use. The plan is laid out in a document published in April by the National Institute for Public Health and the Environment (RIVM).

Titled “Options to reduce e-cigarette appeal by regulating the appearance and functionality,” the document explains that the wide variety of available vape products “enables manufacturers to target various consumer groups, based on their needs, experience and personal preferences,” and allows manufacturers to “keep developing new designs to appeal to new generations of users.”

Is this really a patch to a Smoke Free Spain

Global Forum on Nicotine

Vaping by young adults –

Good news for public health – Colin Mendelsohn

ALARMIST MEDIA REPORTS raise great concerns about the high vaping rate in young adults. However, it is highly likely that vaping is significantly reducing deadly smoking rates in this age group and may be beneficial overall to public health.

The latest fearmongering report today from the Australian Institute of Family Studies is typical of the flawed messaging and is also published here in The Australian.

Blackmarket fire wars in Australia

Following vape crackdown- Ali Anderson

Violent fire wars have erupted in Australia over the black market trade of vapes – with dozens of tobacco shops going up in flames. The country has seen more than 70 firebombings in recent months that are understood to be related to the illegal sale of black market tobacco and vapes.

Victoria, where there is no tobacco retail licensing scheme, is the worst hit while Melbourne has also been rocked by a spate of shop fire-bombings. Police believe the arson attacks are a combination of rival groups attacking each other and syndicates sending a threatening message to tobacco stores that have refused to stock their black market products. Children as young as 14 have allegedly been recruited into the unrelenting tobacco war.

Australia Abandons THR

Global Forum on Nicotine

CAPHRA Urges End to Disinformation

The Coalition of Asia Pacific Tobacco Harm Reduction Advocates (CAPHRA) states that as it celebrates World Vape Day on May 30, 2024, the organization is urging global leaders to recognize the life-saving potential of safer nicotine products and to expose the ongoing disinformation campaign led by the World Health Organization (WHO).

“Despite overwhelming scientific evidence supporting the reduced risk of vaping compared to combustible tobacco products, the WHO continues to ignore the facts and mislead the public,” said Nancy Loucas, executive coordinator of CAPHRA. “These products, including e-cigarettes, snus, and heated tobacco products (HTPs), offer a viable alternative for millions of smokers seeking to reduce their health risks.

Japan’s Leading Position in THR World

Kiran Sidhu

Japan has halved its cigarette sales in a decade, in what tobacco harm reductionists call a “globally unprecedented” shift. What can this be attributed to, in a country where 79 percent of men aged 20-29 once smoked?

A new Global State of Tobacco Harm Reduction (GSTHR) briefing paper reviews this success story. It cites a number of contributing factors to the dramatic fall in cigarette sales, some held in common with other wealthy countries. But it makes clear that what sets Japan apart, in achieving a world-leading 52 percent decline during this period, is the widespread popularity of heated tobacco products (HTP).

May 2024 Andrea Villanti

Associate Professor Jamie Hartmann-Boyce and Associate Professor Nicola Lindson discuss the new evidence in e-cigarette research and interview Associate Professor Andrea Villanti, Department of Health Behavior, Society, and Policy, Rutgers School of Public Health. Andrea Villanti’s research focuses on young adult tobacco use including predictors and patterns of use and interventions to reduce tobacco use in young adults. Dr Villanti describes their randomised controlled trial to test the effect of three exposures to eight nicotine corrective messages on beliefs about nicotine, nicotine replacement therapy, e-cigarettes and reduced nicotine content cigarettes at 3-month follow-up.

WHO fails to recognise

Lifesaving qualities of smoke-free nicotine alternatives – Smoke Free Sweden

31 May 2024, Stockholm, Sweden – Leading global health experts have urged the WHO to use World No Tobacco Day to recognise the life saving potential of smoke-free nicotine alternatives.

The WHO has repeatedly failed to highlight the transformative and lifesaving impact that alternative products, such as e-cigarettes and nicotine pouches, have had on adults looking to quit smoking.

Pioneering Responsibility:

Nordic Nicotine Pouches Alliance Unveils Action Plan for Progressive EU Policy

The NNPA is aiming to break new ground with its call to action —a responsible value chain for nicotine pouches, a comprehensive proposal outlining a vision for future EU legislation, for the first time presented from the main stage at the EVO NXT fair in Malaga and today on World No Tobacco Day 2024 we are for the first time presenting our vision to legislators, the public and everyone outside of the value chain.

Young Men in Stimulant Use Shocker

Joseph Hart

In 1992, before the Premier League was established, footballers were a very different species. For starters, they weren’t millionaires. Instead, they drank in the same pubs as supporters and holidayed in the same places. Supporters could recognize themselves in these players because they were relatable, less media-trained, and, in some cases, a bit fat.

That very year, Micky Quinn turned out for Newcastle United against Grimsby. The moustachioed forward was often jeered for his burly physique. An opposition fan hurled a pie at Quinn. He promptly picked up and ate the improvised projectile. Like I said, relatable.

Dispelling some misconceptions

Around ‘snus’ use in the United Kingdom – Richard Crosby

So it’s my view that there’s been a big mix up about ‘snus’ use in the UK, largely due to incorrect definitions, dodgy information and lazy marketing. Snus, a Swedish tobacco product, is actually illegal to sell in the UK and across the European Union. So, chances are, if you think you’re seeing ‘snus’ for sale in the UK, it’s probably not the real deal.

This major issue seems to be something overlooked majorly in a recent study conducted by Loughborough University and commissioned by the PFA.

Iron Law of Prohibition: Nicotine Edition

In 2016, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) assumed the authority to regulate all nicotine‐​containing products, including electronic nicotine delivery systems, such as e‑cigarettes. E‑cigarette manufacturers were given until September 9, 2020, to submit applications to the FDA for the agency to approve the marketing of their products. The agency received nearly seven million applications by the deadline and is still reviewing many of them. It has rejected more than a million flavored vape applications.

WHO’s Hostile Welcome:

The Day We Were Ejected for Advocating Harm Reduction

This year’s World Vape Day was a significant occasion for us at the World Vapers’ Alliance to spread awareness about harm reduction. I, Alberto Gómez Hernández, along with my colleagues Liza Katsiashvili and Lika Janelidze, visited the World Health Organization (WHO) headquarters in Geneva with a clear mission: to advocate for vapers’ rights and promote vaping as a harm reduction tool.

Our visit was not so much about meeting with WHO officials – who are always reluctant to listen to consumers – but rather about making a visible and impactful statement.

Our most important livestream of the year

Former Alabama congressman says

Support less harmful smoking alternatives; save Black lives

Recently, discussions in Washington’s public health circles have centered around the outright banning of e-cigarettes, measures that are accelerating at alarming rates, particularly for smokers who use e-cigarettes as a less harmful substitute to cigarettes. It is becoming increasingly apparent that Washington’s health policy elite, have fallen woefully short in their efforts to bring genuine fairness, justice, and equity to Black Americans when it comes to the consumption of tobacco and nicotine products.

Imposing age limits for buyers and sellers

Of the devices will be far more effective in curbing use among minors

An advocate of electronic cigarettes is calling on Thai authorities to consider legalising e-cigs and implementing laws that limit the age of buyers and sellers to effectively curb their use among children.

Sarit Sitthiserichon, owner of the “Manoodkwan” (Smoking Man) Facebook page, posted a message on Thursday asking the authorities to reconsider the measures implemented against e-cigs on the occasion of World No Tobacco Day on Friday.

“Thailand has been banning e-cigs for 10 years now, but the usage among children and adolescents has been rising continually,” said Sarit, whose Facebook page advocating e-cigarettes has more than 25,000 followers.

Vaping Advocates Oppose Federal Ban

Advocacy group Rights4Vapers holds a news conference in Ottawa to criticize the federal government’s possible ban on flavoured vapour products. Health Canada proposed a ban in 2021, but it was never put into effect.

Providing remarks are the group’s spokesperson Maria Papaioannoy and lawyer Douglas Elliott.

New Poll Shows Three Quarters of…

Smokers Believe Vaping Misinformation

The global network We Are Innovation has today published the results of a poll showing a staggering three-quarters of smokers wrongly believe vaping is just as harmful as smoking.

Recent research conducted by Ipsos reveals that 74 percent of smokers worldwide believe that vaping is at least as harmful as smoking. This alarming Misperception Epidemic perpetuates a cycle of preventable illness and death, as individuals are deterred from switching to safer alternatives. The potential consequences of this are dire.

Quitting Cigarettes is Primary Motive

Joseph Magero

MOST Kenyans who use vapes or nicotine pouches do so for health-related reasons, primarily to quit smoking deadly cigarettes, according to a major new survey unveiled on World No Tobacco Day.

If these safer alternatives were banned, almost half of users say they would go back to cigarettes and some would even end up smoking more often, the poll reveals.

Almost nine out of 10 believe that the Ministry of Health’s proposed graphic health warnings for vapes and pouches are misleading and will deter smokers from switching to safer alternatives, it concludes.

Bhutan’s Tryst with Health Imperialism

Sudhanshu Patwardhan

Bhutan, a country that measures its riches in terms of “gross national happiness,” may have become an unsuspecting victim of a new form of imperialism: health imperialism. A blind copy-paste of Western tobacco control policies, worsened by local gold-plating, may have landed Bhutan in a mess. A visit to the landlocked nation gave the author a unique insight into how prohibition of tobacco without offering locally relevant and innovative tobacco cessation tools threaten this Shangri-la.

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On this Day…2023

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

Taking Stock | Royal College of Physicians on Vape Debate

Dr. Sanjay Agrawal, Brent Stafford, Regwatch

The debate over nicotine vaping polarizes people “even in tobacco control,” says the chief tobacco control expert at the venerable Royal College of Physicians in the UK.

Representing over 40,00 doctors across 80 countries in the world, the RCP leads the way in public health’s mission to end the epidemic of tobacco addiction. But the RCP sits at the center of controversy over vaping since taking an early stand in support of nicotine vapes as a tool for harm reduction.

Vaping restrictions signal turbulent markets in Quebec

Ian Irvine, C.D. Howe Institute

The Quebec and British health systems have recently taken opposing stances on the role of reduced-harm nicotine products.

Last month, Quebec announced its intention to ban the sale of all flavoured e-cigarette products, to limit the capacity of pods and disposables to 2 millilitres and limit the capacity of e-liquid containers to 30 ml, with the changes likely to take effect this fall or in early 2024.

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