Vapers Digest 5th February

Monday’s News at a glance:

FOI Shows Disposables Ban Folly – Rishi Sunak’s warned disposable ban could lead to ‘turf wars’ – FCTC COP-10 – a survival guide for delegates – COP10 Scorecard – #COP10 is here! – The Importance of Differentiating Between High Risk and Low Risk Nicotine Products – Are People Who Smoke Sick? Or Just Unaware of Better Options?

FOI Shows Disposables Ban Folly

Dave Cross, Planet of the Vapes

Leading online retailer Vape Club made 389 Freedom of Information requests to council Trading Standards departments around the UK last year asking about the seizure of illegal vapes. Similarly, the BBC recently revealed the result of its Freedom of Information request to discover how many illegal vapes were confiscated at UK borders. The results from both evidence how inane a comprehensive ban on disposable single-use products will be.

While it has been evidenced by Action on Smoking and Health and Cancer Research UK that there has been a growth in teen use of disposable vapes, the boom in this sector of the vape market was fuelled largely by smokers adopting a product that was easy to use, a convenient size and had a low price point per unit.

Disposable ban could lead to ‘turf wars’

Jo Macfarlane, Ethan Ennals – Daily Mail

The Government’s plan to ban disposable vapes has been branded ‘a big mistake’ by doctors who warn the move could drive up smoking rates and even lead to a rise in gang violence.

The package of proposals, unveiled by Prime Minister Rishi Sunak last week, came after reports the number of children vaping has tripled in three years.

But experts warn that users may end up smoking cigarettes instead – potentially reversing years of campaigning which have led to the UK’s historically low smoking rate.

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FCTC COP-10 – a survival guide

Clive Bates, The Counterfactual

What do delegates to the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control COP-10 meeting need to do their job well. This provides commentary on the agenda and papers and range of background resources.

The 10th meeting of the conference of the Parties to the Framework Convention will be held from the 5th to the 10th of February in Panama [details].

The question for many delegates will be: how do I get through this week? There may be moments of inspiration, but these will punctuated with long periods of tedious speeches and deliberations from which all but a few will be excluded.

Here are some ideas and resources to keep the blood flowing and the brain alive.

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COP10 Scorecard

Derek Yach – THR.net

The 10th Conference of the Parties (COP10) meeting for the World Health Organization’s Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (WHO FCTC) will be held in Panama in February 2024 A key objective of the meeting is to assess progress made by Parties in meeting their obligations spelled out in the FCTC’s original text and subsequent guidelines.

In advance of the meeting, WHO published a Global Progress Report1 We draw heavily upon that report to assess progress
across 8 domains: trends in tobacco use and impact, development of commitments, pledges and resolutions, implementation of resolutions, support for technology innovation, new and planned investments in R&D priorities and capacity in LMICs,
alignment of FCTC goals with UN sustainable development goals, partnering for scaled impact, and financing tobacco control.

#COP10 is here!

COPWatch

Here is COPWATCH’s guide for COP10 week. Check back as the week goes on, we are planning to publish regular COP Live updates. Those will be announced via our Twitter/X account: @FCTCcopwatch 

#COP10 is on from Monday 5 February to Saturday 10 February The official event takes place in the Panama Convention Center. There are also unofficial events taking place, notably the Good COP event. Here we give you information about the official and unofficial events.

Anyone can get involved in #COP10 on social media – the official hashtag is #COP10FCTC

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The Importance of Differentiating…

Between High Risk and Low Risk Nicotine Products

Diane Caruana – Vaping Post

In light of the much discussed 10th Conference of the Parties (COP10) event starting next Monday, public health experts are advocating for differentiated regulations for cigarettes and novel nicotine products such as vapes, nicotine pouches and snus. They emphasize that smoke-free alternatives are significantly less harmful and could contribute to addressing global smoking issues.

Studies conducted worldwide have consistently shown that these products, carry significantly lower risks than traditional cigarettes. Experts in the field stress that the harm from cigarettes is primarily due to the inhalation of smoke, not nicotine. Hence, switching to smoke-free alternatives can significantly reduce harm.

Are People Who Smoke Sick?

Or Just Unaware of Better Options? – Dr. John Oyston

When the dangers of cigarette smoking were recognized in the 1950s and ‘60s, physicians assumed that tobacco would be treated like any other environmental toxin and gradually removed from the marketplace, as was done with substances such as lead or asbestos. It is no longer possible to buy lead pipes, leaded petrol, asbestos brake linings or asbestos insulation. However, cigarettes remain available at the local convenience store in every country.

Despite decades of work on tobacco control, the World Health Organization reports that tobacco use causes over 8 million annual deaths. The number of tobacco users, most of whom smoke cigarettes, is only declining very slowly, from 1.36 billion in 2000 to 1.25 billion in 2022.

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On this Day…2023

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

‘A missed opportunity’

EU cancer summit snubs Swedes’ lung cancer success – Snusforumet

Sweden boasts the EU’s lowest lung cancer rates, thanks largely to the prevalence of Swedish snus. Yet a high-level EU cancer conference hosted in Stockholm as part of the Swedish EU presidency failed to highlight Sweden’s success in combating the disease.

“A missed opportunity,” says Patrik Strömer, head of the Association of Swedish Snus Manufacturers.

The primary theme of the EU cancer conference, entitled “Equity, excellence, and innovation – modern cancer care for all”, was to highlight inequalities in cancer care and prevention across the EU.

Child poisoning from vaping.

Is it time to panic yet? – Dr Colin Mendelsohn

THE ABC RECENTLY REPORTED an alarming rise in child poisoning from vapes [here]. Fortunately, a closer look reveals that this was just another scaremongering campaign to vilify vaping.

In 2022, the NSW Poisons Information Centre (PIC) received 213 calls about ‘exposure’ to e-cigarette fluid by children under the age of four. The NSW PIC handles about half the nation’s >200,000 ‘poisoning’ calls per year.

Of course, anti-vaping advocates were quick to jump on the bandwagon and magnify the risk. However a closer look reveals a very different story.

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Visit Nicotine Science & Policy for more News from around the World

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