Category Archives: Vaping

Nicotine vaping is reportedly gaining ground with latest statistics indicating that over 100 million people are using vaping products worldwide.

This development has given hope to ardent advocates of tobacco harm reduction.

In her contribution to theGFN.TV Commentary on the 16th of June 2022,Executive Coordinator for the Coalition of Asia Pacific Harm Reduction Advocates (CAPHRA), Nancy Loucas, while attributing the rise in numbers of people going for vaping, said the emergence of the Covid-19 pandemic has contributed to the success of their campaign.

It does feel that we are here for good and a lot of it, from me, has to do with things that are happening in the Pacific Region. Pre-Covid, I never would have imagined that we would be sitting here with the Philippines pending, Malaysia going legal on the 3rdof August and possibly with Thailand, actually having regulations. That was the furthest thing from my mind, said Loucas, who was also thethird keynote speaker at the Global Forum on Nicotine 2022 (GFN22).

I do believe its here for good. The advocates are passionate about what they are doing. One of the benefits of Covid is that because we could not get together physically (you know advocacy can take a very long time), the internet has allowed us to get together virtually more often than we would have in person to collaborate and engage with each other. I think that is one of the blessings of Covid and I think that is also helping to make sure that tobacco harm reduction is successful, she added.

This years forum was held under thetheme Here for good!

Loucas accused The World Health Organization (WHO) and its experts of mishandling Covid management.

Its a sad reality. I think the WHO and its experts have lost a lot of their shine by the way they have handled the Covid-19 pandemic, said Loucas.

She, however, disclosed that the mishandling of the Covid-19 pandemic by the global health body is helping them to make inroads in their campaign for adoption and promotion of vaping.

Its helping us in a very strange kind of way and is producing an opportunity. And absolutely, we will take it! Like I said, Covid has brought people together and governments were relying on the advice of these experts to deal with this pandemic which has been completely mishandled, she said.

Another panellist, Karl Fagerstrom a Swedish clinical psychologist observed that majority of the people do not have the social capital to voice out their views and opinions on the matter.

Fagerstrom added that there is no scientific or political capital to win the battle; hence, they have given up the fight.

Even the Tobacco Free Foundation money, which very few have access to, has a very close relationship with the tobacco industry in that they actually give their money from the very beginning in order to influence certain things.

So, in essence, why it is so difficult for many to stand up? Its simply because there is no social capital for it, there is no scientific capital to win, there is no political influence to win. Its almost always a loss unless you are in a group and there is support, he said.

He suspected that majority of the officials at WHO believe that nicotine is a drug and that nicotine is not essential for life; hence, the world does not need it.

Fagerstrom warned that this approach would make harm reduction more difficult and take longer for countries to get rid of nicotine.

They have a very idealistic view of what life is here on earth. Paradise has not occurred here; at least, not the way I see it. And tobacco, alcohol and caffeine have been the most common targets.

What we see in countries, and particularly in the United States with the legalization of marijuana and cannabis, is the use of drugs goes up and the habit of smoking goes down. Its as if there is a transfer from one substance to another.

So, you probably can get rid of one drug and control it if you introduce another one. But is that really what we want? And if would have to choose between smoking between 15 to 20 cigarettes a day and having one or two joints of marijuana a day, there may not be a big difference in harm, he explained.

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Vaping gaining ground around the world with over 100m embracing it - Nyasa Times

For years, experts have warned about the dangers of smoking. Scientists know much less about vaping.

Now, researchers at the The Ohio State University College of Medicine are testing the impacts of the vaping by using teenage mice.

We study mice that are three weeks old, so equivalent to 12 to 15 years old, said Dr. Loren Wold, PHD, The Ohio State University.

The researchers expose the mice to an E-Cigarette mixture that includes nicotine in a lab enclosure that automatically releases a puff of vape once a minute.

So we do this for several hours per day, five days per week, and we expose the whole animal, said Dr. Wold.

The mice were exposed for two to three months, which is the equivalent of about 15 years in humans.

When we exposed adolescent males, we had significant cardiovascular effects, said Dr. Wold.

Researchers said that the heart function was not impacted at all in the female mice.

One theory is that the female mice had much higher levels of an enzyme called CYP 2A5.

The theory is that this enzyme being much higher was able to break the nicotine down much faster, said Dr. Wold.

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A similar enzyme is also present in women. Next, scientists want to learn if that offers women protection from vape-related heart problems.

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Your Health: Testing the impacts of vaping - YourErie

As the numbers start to rise, the medical community is warning of the harmful effects of vaping, particularly on younger users.

It really does toxic things to our lungs, said Dr. Donna Milavetz, Executive Medical Director for Regence BlueCross BlueShield of Utah. This is just the beginning of our scientific journey how detrimental this can be.

Since 2020 there has been a decrease in vaping, but long-term health impacts for those who do vape particularly youth are still unknown.

It really is quite dangerous, and almost as addicting as heroin and cocaine, said Milavetz.

Last year in Utah, 10 percent of high school students said they were currently using e-cigarettes or vapes. Nationwide, 11 percent of high school students said they vape, down from 20 percent two years earlier.

When it tastes like cotton candy, how can kids not want it? said Milavetz.

When it comes to the dangers of vaping and kids, Milavetz said, Accessibility and nicotine in the developing brain are particularly dangerous.

Nicotine can cause a short-term rise in blood pressure, impacting kids impulse control and decision-making capabilities, plus the risk of other chemicals and heavy metals found in vaping solutions is cause for concern.

When you heat them up and when you vaporize them, they can be pretty toxic to the lungs, said Milavetz.

Research also links vaping to irreversible lung damage and disease.

Milavetz said, I think its a really important conversation to have with your child.

She also encourages parents to be good role models. If youre smoking right now, quit. Set a quit date and quit. If youre vaping, set a quit date and quit.

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Vaping is toxic to your lungs: Medical Community warns of the dangers - FOX 13 News Utah

VAPING Brits would face jail time up to 10 years in some holiday hotspots around the world.

VapepodretailerVapeClub has recently revealed where holidaymakers need to be careful next time they travel abroad.

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Lots of destinations are enforcing fines for people caught vaping.

This includes Singapore, with fines up to 1,200.

Brits on holiday in Spain may find themselves caught out too - beaches in Barcelona and the Costa del Sol could be fined 2,000 (1,719) due to a smoking ban.

But some countries have much stricter punishments, with potential jail time along with fines.

Dan Marchant, director ofVapeClub, said:"Even as the popularity ofvapingincreases around the world, the laws surrounding it are constantly changing, so travellers really need up-to-date advice before going anywhere.

"It's imperative that any vaper looks into the countrysvapinglaws before they go ahead and book their holiday to avoid running in to a difficult situation.

"If you have booked trip to a country wherevapingis banned, it is best not to risk a fine or worse being chucked in a cell."

Here are some of the holiday hotspots you could face prison time if caught vaping.

Thailand has some of the strictest laws for anyone caught vaping.

Tourists face being jailed for up to 10 years if caught using e-cigarettes, or face fines of 30,000 baht (700).

Surprisingly, Australia has strict rules on vapes with nicotine, which must have a doctor's prescription.

Anyone without one could be fined up to AUD$222,00 (125,00) while some states enforce up to two years in jail.

Thousands of football fans heading to Qatar for the World Cup could leave their vapes at home too.

Anyone caught smoking this can be thrown in jail for up to three months, or be fined 10,000 riyals (2,200).

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Brit holiday warning vaping in these countries could land you in jail... - The Sun

The new guidelines ban the use, distribution and advertising of these products on school grounds and surrounding areas.

The new guidelines ban the use, distribution and advertising of these products on school grounds and surrounding areas, and the Ministry is urging all relevant educational units to collaborate with students parents, guardians, educators and students in order to identify and report any e-cigarette sales and distribution sites.

Spokesperson for the Ministry of Health Ly Sovann, said that e-cigarettes are toxic and highly addictive. The Ministry of Health has banned the import and use of such products such as hookah pipes and e-cigarettes in Cambodia, he said. Sadly, the relative benefits of the products as safer alternatives to cigarettes and smoking cessation tools are being completely disregarded.

Meanwhile, in December 2020 Cambodias health ministry asked tobacco companies to change the existing health warnings to new ones determined by the ministry, which did not happen. In July 2021, the ministry reiterated that this standard must be enforced.

The Cambodia Movement for Health (CMH) explained that the Ministry of Health had stated that the warnings should be changed every two years. In line with this, tobacco companies were meant to change the health warning labels in December 2020, which did not happen.

To this effect, last year the CMH reiterated that all cigarette packs must carry the new text and pictures as determined by the ministry, as of August 2021. If the picture isnt changed, the effectiveness of the health warning will be reduced because people have become accustomed to the same picture. So, the Ministry of Health decided that the health warning must be changed every two years, said the CMH.

Read Further: Khmer Times

South-East Asian Pregnant Women Tend to Use Smokeless Tobacco

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Cambodia's Ministry of Education Issues Vape Restrictions - Vaping Post

As a new approach to smoking cessation, vaping/tobacco harm reduction is being contradicted by long-established methods such as abstinence.

As part of the RCT, patients who were unwilling to quit smoking were offered free vaping products by primary care clinicians. The research team then interviewed both the clinicians and patients in order to gauge how tobacco harm reduction can be incorporated in their routine practice.

The researchers wrote that four themes emerged from the interviews: (1)Concepts of safety/risk, with clinicians concerned about recommending a product with unknown long-term risks and patients preferring the known risks of cigarettes, (2)Clinicians felt they were going out on a limb by offering these as though they were prescribing them, whereas patients did not share this view, (3)Equating quitting with success, as both patients and clinicians conceptualised e-cigarettes as quitting aids, and (4)Unchanged views, as clinicians reported that training did not change their existing views about e-cigarettes.

The research team added that these themes were united by the concept of how The old and familiar meets the new and unknown, where as a new approach to smoking cessation, vaping/tobacco harm reduction was contradicted by long-established methods such as abstinence.

The study concluded that a number of factors are stopping e-cigarettes from being considered as smoking cessation tools. A qualitative analysis found barriers obstructing clinicians and patients from easily accepting e-cigarettes for harm reduction, rather than as aids to support smoking cessation: clinicians had difficulty reconciling harm reduction with their existing ethical models of practice, even following targeted training, and patients saw e-cigarettes as quitting aids.

Britain May Officially License Vapes as Smoking Cessation Medical Products

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UK Study: Patient and Clinician Perceptions on Vapes For Smoking Cessation - Vaping Post

The Food and Drug Administration is expected to announce that Juul electronic cigarette products can no longer be sold in the United States as soon as Wednesday.

The decision to pull Juul products comes after a two-year review of the company's application to keep its tobacco- and menthol-flavored products in the U.S. market, the Wall Street Journal reported. The company has been charged with conducting years of predatory marketing tactics that enticed children and teenagers and selling flavored nicotine products in fruity flavors that appealed to youth.

LAW ENFORCEMENT MONITORING RADICAL ABORTION RIGHTS GROUP AHEAD OF SUPREME COURT RULING

The FDAs campaign to police Juul e-cigarette products has been years in the making. The agency targeted the company for its role in perpetuating a new wave of teenage nicotine use, driven by appealing flavors. The FDA previously charged the company with advertising itself as a safer alternative to smoking combustible tobacco products such as cigarettes and cigars, a designation the company was not approved to use.

Juul conceded to the FDA in 2019 when it pulled all fruit and dessert flavors from the market, though it was permitted to keep marketing menthol- and tobacco-flavored nicotine pods used in the vaping device.

Juul did not return a request for comment.

The FDAs move to pull Juul from the market clears the way for its biggest competitor, Reynolds American, to dominate the e-cigarette market. The FDA declared last fall that four of its Vuse e-cigarettes that use tobacco flavoring could remain on the market after the company successfully demonstrated to the agency that the product offered smokers a less harmful means of satisfying nicotine cravings. Juul products account for 40% of the e-cigarette market, while Reynolds has about 28%.

The decision signals the hard line the Biden administration is taking on the teenage vaping epidemic. Some 2.55 million middle and high school students use tobacco products, including flavored electronic cigarettes, according to the 2021 National Youth Tobacco Survey.

Bidens FDA also unveiled a regulatory plan in April for banning the sale of menthol cigarettes and cigars, marking a major step forward for the administration, which proposed the ban in April 2021. Still, the process is lengthy and is not expected to be finalized until 2023, with the ban set to take effect a year thereafter.

CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER

The agencys plan to restrict e-cigarette sales will rankle users as well as tobacco companies and libertarian groups. The Cato Institute, for instance, argued in 2019 amid a Trump-era crackdown on Big Tobacco that efforts to limit teenage vaping will adversely affect adult smokers looking for a means to quit.

The American Vapor Manufacturers Association, a trade organization for the vaping industry, slammed the agency's decision, arguing that American adults will transition to combustible cigarettes when their vaping products are no longer available.

"FDA's apparent intention to outlaw Juul is the latest sorry example of the agency's campaign of regulatory arson against the nicotine vaping products that millions of Americans rely on as an alternative to cigarettes," AVMA President Amanda Wheeler said. "This shameful decision is hard proof that no matter how deeply resourced or how meticulous the research in the market application, FDA is hellbent to arbitrarily crush the most widely used vaping products preferred by adult Americans."

The Biden administration picked up where the former Trump administration left off in its efforts to regulate tobacco products. The FDA shook up the industry on Tuesday when it announced that it intends to restrict the concentration of nicotine in tobacco products, reducing it to nonaddictive or minimally addictive levels. The move was lauded by anti-tobacco activist groups, such as the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids. The group said on Tuesday that the agencys move is a truly game-changing proposal that would accelerate declines in smoking and save millions of lives from cancer and other tobacco-related diseases.

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FDA to kick Juul vaping products off the market - Washington Examiner

The West Australian government is threatening to destroy the retail vape industry in Western Australia with massive fines for selling vaping products and nicotine-free liquids.

But they are ensuring that only the black market and tobacco companies will ultimately benefit.

Many adults use vaping to help them quit smoking cigarettes. Credit:James Brickwood

Vape stores were informed of the crackdown by letter last month and were told they could face up to $80,000 in penalties.

The current legislation in WA, the Tobacco Product Control Act 2006, bans the sale of devices that look like cigarettes.

This has always been the case, but if it does begin these enforcement activities by cracking down on vaping-related goods, including individual components of vaping devices, batteries, and nicotine-free liquids, this would shut down vape stores across the state, leaving only the black market in operation.

The crackdown comes in response to a rise in youth vaping. A new initiative was recently announced to educate young people on nicotine addiction and chemicals in vaping products.

Young people should be given accurate information to help them make informed choices. However,this campaign, based on the NSW Health Do you know what youre vaping? campaign, is alarmist, exaggerates risks and is riddled with misinformation.

There is no doubt that youth vaping is on the rise. However, this rise is being driven almost exclusively by black-market sales.

The knee-jerk reaction by the Health Department to target legal shops will have no effect on youth vaping.

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WAs misguided vaping move will be a public health disaster - Sydney Morning Herald

BEAMSVILLE, Ontario, June 16, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Nicotine vaping has been widely accepted as significantly less harmful than smoking. Studies find that smokers who switch to vaping experience short term general health improvements. Therefore, public health has a vested interest in promoting vaping as a harm reduction option for quitting smoking.

An estimated 45,000 deaths are attributable to smoking each year. These deaths represent about 18% of all deaths in Canada. Over 100 Canadians die each day from smoking, which is more than the sum of deaths due to car accidents, accidental injury, self-harm and assault. According to Health Canada, Smoking-attributable mortality resulted in nearly 600,000 potential years of life lost in 2012, primarily due to malignant neoplasms, cardiovascular diseases, and respiratory diseases.

Although smoking may be less visible and appear to have been mostly eradicated, this is not the case. Canada still has an estimated 4.5 million smokers and smoking remains the leading cause of premature death and illness. Tobacco control must remain a priority. For these reasons public health gains should be the primary objective for aggressive tobacco control, but there are also financial incentives to eradicating smoking. In addition to the obvious direct health care costs, smoking has many lesser-known indirect costs to society.

The total costs of tobacco use were $16.2 billion, with indirect costs accounting for over half of total costs (58.5 per cent) and direct costs accounting for the remainder (41.5 per cent). Health care costs were the largest component of direct costs attributable to smoking, coming in at roughly $6.5 billion in 2012. This included the costs associated with prescription drugs ($1.7 billion), physician care ($1.0 billion), and hospital care ($3.8 billion). The federal, provincial, and territorial governments also spent $122.0 million on tobacco control and law enforcement.

The indirect costs related to smoking, which reflect production losses (i.e., foregone earnings) as a result of smoking-attributable morbidity and premature mortality were also estimated. These production losses amounted to $9.5 billion overall, of which almost $2.5 billion were due to premature mortality and $7.0 billion were due to short- and long-term disability, Health Canada.

As vaping adoption increases, direct and indirect costs decrease over time. A studyhas found that a fairly permissive regulatory environment achieves net health gain and cost savings. And, in a letter sent to the British Medical Journal, public health leaders wrote, The Government rightly wants to make smoking obsolete. If this were achieved, it is estimated that UK jobs would increase by 500,000 as smokers spent their money on other goods and services. The net benefit to public finances would be around 600 million for England alone.

Over time, the loss of tobacco tax revenue is recouped by the savings in health careand the various indirect costs. When determining the excise tax rate on vape products legislators should consider the health benefits of transitioning smokers, as well as the corresponding savings in health care. Canada has already passed vaping regulation to achieve its youth prevention goals. Instead of using damaging heavy-handed taxation, the government should ensure that current regulations are enforced, said Darryl Tempest, Government Relations Counsel to the CVA Board.

Contact:Darryl TempestGovernment Relations Counsel to the CVA Boarddtempest@thecva.org647-274-1867

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The Canadian Vaping Association: Promoting vaping could extend life expectancy and save taxpayers billions - GlobeNewswire

Disposable vape manufacturer, Geek Bar, has launched a new supply chain charter to help safeguard against non-compliant and fake products bearing the brands identity entering the UK market.

The charter is the latest initiative by the company to address the challenge of illicit disposable vape products, which has led to raids by Trading Standards on retail outlets selling them. It is also designed to address sales of the companys products to minors.

In the UK, regulations state that disposable vapes should contain no more than 20mg/ml of nicotine nor have above 2ml liquid capacity. Geek Bar Pros, manufactured for non-TPD markets where regulations are different and allow higher nicotine concentrations, have been amongst the non-compliant products finding their way into the UK market.

The companys new charter covers every aspect of the supply chain, from product sourcing to sale of devices to the customer.

In the charter the company commits itself and its supply chain partners to:

Allen Yang, chief executive at Geek Bar, said: Our Charter, which has been carefully thought through, is designed to set the bar very high when it comes to disposable vape standards in the supply chain. These standards have been under scrutiny in recent months as the category has attracted significant interest and demand.

We have been working tirelessly over the last six months to review our business operations to ensure that no stone has been left unturned and ensure that adult smokers continue to enjoy the highest quality and safest vaping experience when using our products.

He added: We will not tolerate malpractice amongst distributors and retailers who want to supply and sell our products but do not do it legitimately. Through the development of the charter we are upping the ante even more to ensure rogue traders do not succeed in our marketplace.

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Geek Bar develops vape supply chain charter | Features and Analysis - Convenience Store