Vapers Digest 9th June

Wednesday’s News at a glance:

Journalists criticize research on COVID-19 by confusing it with tobacco harm reduction and by making false allegations about conflicts ~ Four things about the Commission’s TPD implementation report ~ CAMH Lower-Risk Nicotine Guidelines: A step forward for vaping as a treatment for tobacco use ~ Honourable Commissioner of Health and Food Safety: Stella Kyriakides ~ Critics: TPD Proposals Would Ban Most Vapes ~ A Solid Foundation ~ Fatal Flaw | How Science & Public Policy Fail Tobacco Harm Reduction ~ What Is The Truth About Nicotine? ~ BAT hikes sales growth outlook amid shift to e-cigarettes ~ Supreme Court Rejects Big Time Vapes Appeal ~ The Detail: Vaping is a powerful tool to curb cigarettes, but is it causing more harm than good?

Journalists criticize research on COVID-19 by confusing it

with tobacco harm reduction and by making false allegations about conflicts

Konstantinos Farsalinos, Qeios

A featured article in the BMJ, authored by journalists from the Investigative Desk, criticize research about COVID-19 and the cholinergic system by confusing it with tobacco harm reduction and non-pharmaceutical nicotine products. Their criticism is not based on an assessment of the studies content but on allegations about conflicts. I present the case that such allegations are false, and I provide documents showing that the journalists have conflicts of interest relevant to their article content that were not disclosed.

Four things about the Commission’s TPD implementation report

Independent European Vape Alliance, IEVA

The European Commission has reported on the application of the Tobacco Products Directive, suggesting that further restrictions on vapers might be proposed. Read the full report here. IEVA is concerned by both the content and tone of the report; and by the potential effect of its conclusions on public health and the vaping public.

CAMH Lower-Risk Nicotine Guidelines:

A step forward for vaping as a treatment for tobacco use

Dr. John’s Blog, Oyston.com

CAMH is a highly respected mental health institution in Toronto. It runs a smoking cessation program at its Nicotine Dependence Clinic. Health Canada’s Substance Use and Addictions Program funded CAMH to develop resources to help guide people who use nicotine, on how to lower their risk:

CAMH published a set of “Lower-Risk Nicotine Use Guidelines” which are available online.

Honourable Commissioner of Health and Food Safety: Stella Kyriakides

Multiple Authors, PDF

Dear Honourable Commissioner Stella Kyriakides:

We are a group of scientists and clinicians that would like to bring an important topic on improving the public health of EU citizens to your attention. As a group of public health leaders and academics with an interest in harm reduction we are writing to you in order to help reduce the health burden from smoking. It is widely recognized that smoking is the cause of serious health diseases both in smokers and people indirectly exposed to smoking emission.

Critics: TPD Proposals Would Ban Most Vapes

Tobacco Reporter

The Independent European Vape Alliance (IEVA) has expressed concern about “the content and the tone” of the European Commission’s recent report on the application of the Tobacco Products Directive (TPD), which suggests that further restrictions on vapers might be proposed.

A Solid Foundation

George Gay, Tobacco Reporter

It is probably reasonable to suggest that in a fully rational world, it would not be difficult to raise investment funding for companies trying to reduce the incidence of tobacco smoking around the world. After all, smoking, we are told, is extremely harmful to the health of smokers and those around them. Therefore, if you reduce the incidence of smoking, you reduce the harm done to smokers while reaping wider societal benefits.

Fatal Flaw | How Science & Public Policy Fail Tobacco Harm Reduction

One from Dave Cross, Planet Of The Vapes

What Is The Truth About Nicotine?

Packaging and bottles display graphic warnings about nicotine, often when there is no nicotine inside. Combined with the worries linked to smoking, the general public (and a worrying number of doctors) hold concerns about the substance. Fortunately, experts are speaking out about nicotine, the real level of harm it poses and how it can actually benefit society.

BAT hikes sales growth outlook amid shift to e-cigarettes

Kim Kyung-Hoon, Reuters

British American Tobacco (BATS.L) raised its annual revenue growth forecast on Tuesday as the cigarette maker’s focus on e-cigarettes and tobacco-heating devices pays off, sending its shares up 2%.

The London-listed company said it expected revenue growth of more than 5% at constant currencies, above its previous range of 3% to 5% for the year to December. It stuck to its growth expectation for adjusted earnings per share in the mid-single digit range.

Supreme Court Rejects Big Time Vapes Appeal

Jim McDonald, Vaping 360

The United States Supreme Court today declined to review a challenge to the FDA’s authority under the Tobacco Control Act. The lawsuit, brought by Mississippi vape shop and e-liquid manufacturer Big Time Vapes and trade organization the United States Vaping Association (USVA), had been rejected by two lower federal courts.

Rejection by the high court means the lower court decision stands. There is no further legal path for the lawsuit.

The Detail: Vaping is a powerful tool to curb cigarettes, but is it causing more harm than good?

Emile Donovan, Newsroom.co.nz, Stuff

Editor’s note: Podcast

Over the past few months a spate of high school principals in New Zealand have spoken out about a hazy, sickly-sweet ‘epidemic’ emerging in their schools: vaping, or e-cigarettes.

Vaping is held up by anti-smoking advocates as a game-changer in helping people addicted to tobacco wean themselves off it.

On this Day…2020

Australia’s ban on importation lifted

Colin Mendelsohn – ATHRA

The Minister announced on 19 June that it would be illegal to import nicotine for vaping from 1 July with an extraordinary penalty of $220,000. A legal pathway for importation with a doctor’s prescription was proposed, but was complex and time-consuming and unworkable.

Holland Bans Flavoured Vaping Products

Diane Caruana

The Dutch government is banning fruit and candy e-cig flavours, allowing only tobacco flavours on the market, in a bid to make vaping products less appealing to teens.

In a letter to Parliament, last week State Secretary Paul Blokhuis of Public Health said that tobacco flavours are being exempted so that smokers may continue to use e-cigarettes as smoking cessation tools. “All kinds of organizations are working very hard to make it harder to start smoking and easier to quit. This is also urgently needed because it remains unacceptable that 20 thousand people die in our country every year from the effects of smoking and about 75 children start smoking every day,” said Blokhuis.

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

Vapers Digest 9th June

Wednesday’s News at a glance: