Vapers Digest 4th November

Friday’s News at a glance:

Chaos, waste and failure: what is wrong with FDA tobacco regulation – Think Tank Publishes Alternative Strategy – Does Nicotine Help You Lose Weight? – CA Voters May Pass Nicotine Flavor Ban – Vaping Advocates Sign Manila Declaration – Two Years Of Kiwi Regs – Not Nice Mice Research – Sarah Game MLC introduces groundbreaking Bill – Vape Experts Release White Paper On WHO ‘guidance’ – Oral Nicotine Products – an underused option – American vs. European Vape Shops – Nicotine is not a cause of disease – Replacing tobacco with e-cigarettes – Heated tobacco flavours ban now official – Candidates who Ignored Vaping Constituents – School vaping policies – Cleveland Clinic Pushes Dangerous Anti-Vaping Propaganda – Women in THR: Coffee Chat with Michelle Minton – Unpacking PMI’s Promise of a Smoke-Free Future

Chaos, waste and failure:

What is wrong with FDA tobacco regulation, and how could it improve?

Clive Bates, The Counterfactual

This is my response to the operational review of the performance of the FDA’s Center for Tobacco Products by the Reagan-Udall foundation. The heart of the problem is the lack of a coherent regulatory strategy, grounded in real-world understanding

The Reagan-Udall foundation is conducting an “operational review” of the FDA’s handling of its tobacco and nicotine brief. The review was commissioned by Robert Califf, the FDA’s Commissioner. I have submitted comments through the stakeholder portal. Please consider making your own submission – it’s easy.

My contribution is available below, in a formatted PDF version and via the stakeholder portal.

Think Tank Publishes Alternative Strategy

Tobacco Reporter

Ahead of the Nov. 3 parliamentary debate on the independent review of smoke-free 2030 policies, the Institute for Economic Affairs (IEA) has published an alternative strategy to reduce the smoking rate in England, titled The Alternative Smoke-Free 2030 Plan.

This approach stands in contrast with the recent Khan Review, which recommended banning the sale of cigarettes over time. Report author Christopher Snowdon argues that as long as demand exists—only 53 percent of British smokers say they want to quit—prohibitionist policies will result in endemic black market activity, crime and secondary poverty without eradicating smoking.

Does Nicotine Help You Lose Weight?

Paul Bergen – Ashtray Blog

In the New World, tobacco was both thought of as a panacea for all that could ail you and as a spiritual conduit. Using it cured you, kept you safe, and gave you visions. And it also helped with what was more common in those days: a less reliable food supply.

In other words, more people were more hungry more of the time.

Tobacco, and the nicotine it contained, was an effective appetite suppressant and a food substitute. When you smoked, it both distracted you from thinking about food as well as suppressing the cravings.

Excellent white paper by Nancy E. Loucas of @caphraorg

The Subversion of Public Health: Consumer Perspectiveshttps://t.co/5GIx8C4Hey

— Phil (@phil_w888) November 3, 2022

CA Voters May Pass Nicotine Flavor Ban

Bankrolled by Bloomberg – Alex Norcia

On November 8, California residents will vote on a ballot measure to prohibit the sale of flavored nicotine products.

A “yes” vote for Proposition 31 would ban almost all flavored nicotine products—both vapes and cigarettes, including menthol—with the exception of hookah, loose leaf tobacco (for pipes) and premium cigars. Lawmakers in California already technically passed the ban in 2020, but legal challenges brought it to a two-year halt—and are now leaving it up to voters to decide.

If voters uphold the legislation, SB 793, as many observers suspect, California will join a number of states that have already prohibited the sale of at least some flavored nicotine products, often to deleterious effects.

California’s Anti-Vaping Ballot Question Isn’t About ‘Protecting Children’

Three from Dave Cross, Planet of the Vapes:

Vaping Advocates Sign Manila Declaration

Leading Tobacco Harm Reduction (THR) advocates from around the world have signed and released ‘The Manila Declaration 2022’. The declaration aims to provide information and evidence that has not been included in any guidance provided by the World Health Organisation (WHO) to signatories and delegates of the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC) on safer nicotine products.

With only one year to go until COP10, the signatories demand the WHO FCTC and its country delegates follow the science and evidence around THR.

Two Years Of Kiwi Regs

Two years on from New Zealand passing landmark vaping legislation, Tobacco Harm Reduction (THR) advocates say it remains fit-for-purpose, but enforcement of any wayward retailers remains lacking, according to Nancy Loucas, co-founder of Aotearoa Vapers Community Advocacy (AVCA).

“New Zealand’s legislation and regulations are by no means perfect, but they continue to serve as a model for other countries keen to combat tobacco. Now is not the time to throw the baby out with the bathwater,” says Ms Loucas.

Not Nice Mice Research

“Vaping e-liquids can disrupt heart’s rhythm” report newspapers covering a new study, but fail to emphasise the fundamental point that it involved poisoning mice. A genuine tobacco harm reduction expert pointed out that the only important message is that “owners of pet mice should not allow their mice to use e-cigarettes”.

“Vaping e-cigarette liquids with certain ingredients can cause cardiac arrhythmias that could increase the risk of heart attacks, a new study has suggested,” reported The Independent.

Sarah Game MLC introduce….

Groundbreaking Bill into South Australian Parliament

The Controlled Substances (Nicotine) Amendment Bill 2022 aims to allow adult smokers in South Australia to purchase regulated nicotine supplies for vaping from licensed retail outlets without a prescription. She explains

Rather than following the flock, Sarah Game is to be congratulated for putting science before ideology. Vaping is Australia’s most popular and most effective quitting aid, yet current regulations have reduced access, created a thriving black market and led to skyrocketing youth smoking rates.

Vape Experts Release White Paper

On WHO ‘guidance’ – CAPHRA

Titled ‘The Subversion of Public Health: Consumer Perspectives’, a white paper presented at the recent Fifth Asia Harm Reduction Forum (AHRF 2022) has now been publicly released.

Compiled by several leading international Tobacco Harm Reduction (THR) experts, it was presented at the 28 October forum in the Philippines by Nancy Loucas, Executive Coordinator of CAPHRA (Coalition of Asia Pacific Tobacco Harm Reduction Advocates).

Women in THR:

Coffee Chat with Michelle Minton | Addiction and Nicotine

Oral Nicotine Products –

An underused option for people wanting to quit smoking?

This post uses the term “oral nicotine products” to refer both to traditional tobacco-based nicotine pouches like Swedish snus and to “modern oral” nicotine pouches that are tobacco-free. It excludes nicotine gum and lozenges.

These products are designed to be placed inside the user’s mouth, between the upper lip and the gum. Nicotine is rapidly absorbed through the oral mucosa and enters the general circulation without being metabolized. After about 20 – 60 minutes, when the effect and flavour have worn off, the user removes the pouch and discards it, often into a special container built into the lid of the package that the pouch was sold in.

American vs. European Vape Shops:

You Won’t Believe These Shocking Differences

The vaping industry is an extremely cutthroat one, and that’s true in every region of the world. In Europe, vape shops have to deal with competition that only gets stiffer as time goes by, and they also have to contend with consumer preferences that can change at the drop of a hat, rendering existing stocks obsolete seemingly overnight.

One thing that European vape shops have in their favour, though, is relatively permissive regulatory framework.

Nicotine is not a cause of disease

Dennis Gutierrez

Health policy experts have stressed that nicotine does not cause sickness and cancer contrary to common public misperception.

“There is no loss of control. It does not impair cognitive function. In fact, it may even enhance it. And nicotine does not produce disease. It is not carcinogenic,” Michael Ogden, a regulatory and industry expert at consulting group Chemular, who moderated the recently held Global Tobacco & Nicotine Forum (GTNF) held in Washington D.C.

Replacing tobacco with e-cigarettes

Reduces the risk of cardiovascular events – Dr Martin Juneau

Smoking is directly responsible for 8 million deaths worldwide each year, mainly from cancer (30% of all cancers are due to tobacco) and cardiovascular and respiratory diseases. There is therefore clearly nothing worse than cigarettes for health, and quitting smoking remains, by far, the best decision a person can make to reduce their risk of premature death.

In recent years, electronic cigarettes have emerged as a valid alternative to tobacco cigarettes to reduce the harmful effects of smoking on health. This approach is based on a relatively simple concept: while tobacco addiction is due to nicotine, it is rather the tobacco combustion products present in cigarette smoke that are responsible for smoking-related health problems.

Heated tobacco flavours ban now official

And will apply throughout the EU

Flavours in heated tobacco products will be banned throughout the EU after a Delegated Directive was published in the Official Journal today.

The publication of Commission Delegated Directive (EU) 2022/2100 follows the end of the scrutiny period on 29th October, during which neither the Council of the European Union nor the European Parliament raised any objection to the ban.

GFN Interviews | OUTSIDE IN

Unpacking PMI’s Promise of a Smoke-Free Future

Candidates who Ignored Constituents

Lose Ground in Key Races – ATR

Over a three-week span in October, the We Vape We Vote tour traveled across the country rallying with voters at local vape shops. At two locations, personal testimony from constituents about how vaping saved their life was rejected by candidate offices. Today, each of those races have been moved by POLITICO’s Election Forecast from “Toss Up” to “Lean Republican”.

With 20 million adult vaper users in the United States, the We Vape We Vote tour sought to mobilize voters who vape. Survey data shows that 2 in 3 respondents reported being likely to vote for a candidate aligned with them on vaping policy.

School vaping policies

And the dangers of vaping misinformation

Vaping regulations include heavy penalties, under NSW law being classified as “restricted substances” pursuant to the Poisons and Therapeutic Goods Act 1966. Despite being illegal to buy, possess or import nicotine vapes without a prescription from a medical practitioner, young Australians are smoking electronic cigarettes.

To combat underage vaping, Australian schools are implementing measures to prevent students from engaging with vapes, and punish those caught with an e-cigarette.

Cleveland Clinic Pushes Dangerous

Anti-Vaping Propaganda

The Cleveland Clinic, one of the world’s foremost academic medical centers, has jumped on the anti-vaping bandwagon, perpetuating unfiltered nonsense about the health effects of nicotine.

For many years, the science communication landscape looked something like this: reputable universities and public health institutions did sound research and educated consumers about the risks they faced; devious activist groups fabricated health scares that gullible and dishonest reporters uncritically amplified; ACSH and other science-minded organizations refuted the nonsense emanating from the headlines.

On this Day…2021

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

New Nicotine Alliance

A number of newspapers have reported on Friday’s announcement by the Secretary of State for Health, Sajid Javid, that medicinal licensing of e-cigarettes may be more of a possibility after guidance was changed by the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA). The story appeared on the front page of no fewer than four national dailies.

While this is a ground-breaking policy proposal, and rightly described as world-leading by Mr Javid, there is much more to it than the media headlines suggest. Social media has been abuzz with a diverse range of opinions on what this entails so here is an explainer.