Daily Archives: September 29, 2021

The letter asks the WHO to end its war on vaping and other alternatives to smoking, which have been identified by science as effective smoking cessation tools. Discussing the letter, Michael Landl, the director of the World Vapers Alliance (WVA), one of the organisations behind the letter, explained that millions of lives could be saved if the WHO would change its stance.

The WHO has an opportunity to beat smoking for good but instead they choose to turn their guns on vaping and other tools that can reduce the harm of tobacco. The WHO routinely ignores the wealth of scientific evidence pointing to the benefits of these products and the first-hand experience of millions of citizens who have quit smoking for good. Restricting or banning access to vaping, nicotine pouches, snus, and other products will do nothing but cost lives. Millions of lives could be saved if the WHO was really serious about beating smoking.

The WHOs global COP 9 conference, taking place this November, is known to be blindly against vaping and is tragically known to have a great influence on anti-smoking and vaping policies worldwide. Sadly, the COP9s Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC) protocol is know to have lost sight of its core objective of reducing smoking, and has become increasingly focused on fighting access to less harmful alternatives that are actually helping millions of smokers worldwide quit smoking.

200 million lives worldwide could be saved, but as it stands it looks like COP9 will be another anti-science and anti-consumer WHO charade. It is time to actually deliver on the FCTC commitment to tobacco harm reduction by endorsing harm reduction products, said Landl.

Meanwhile in Asia, in the lead up to the 13th Asia Pacific Conference on Tobacco or Health (APACT) which took place virtually from Bangkok earlier this month, the 11 members of organizations of the Coalition of Asia Pacific Tobacco Harm Reduction Advocates (CAPHRA), signed a declaration promoting THR.

September marks the start of the secret season which sadly sees supposed tobacco control experts playing up to their puppet masters and denying Asia Pacifics 600 million smokers access to safer nicotine products, said CAPHRA Executive Coordinator Nancy Loucas.

APACT presented a line up of speakers renowned for their irrational stance on THR. APACT has wheeled out a totally predictable programme and line up of speakers who share an irrational and untenable position against safer nicotine products such as vaping. Also, in common is that many, if not most, are longtime Bloomberg grant recipients or indirect beneficiaries. Preaching to themselves in their echo chamber, they continue to ignore all the science and the harm they are causing consumers, explained Loucas.

While a few days later, the WHOs South East Asia Regional Office (SEARO) also held its online regional conference, from 6 to 10 September, with the Western Pacific for their Regional Office (WPRO) following from 25 to 29 October.

Discussing these major events, the Asia Pacific Declaration expressed its concern with regards to the influence they will exert on the regions policy makers. We are extremely concerned that decisions are being made in various conferences and regional meetings that are not considering the body of scientific evidence that proves the benefits of safer nicotine products.

WVA Urges Policymakers to Differentiate Between Vaping and Smoking

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Consumer Groups Urge WHO to Save Lives By Endorsing THR Consumer Groups Urge WHO to Save Lives By Endorsing THR - Vaping Post

DEAR ABBY: I took exception to your response to Former Friend in Oregon (July 1), who vaped marijuana while visiting a friend in the presence of the friends 12-year-old future stepdaughter. The friend made a mistake, for which she apologized profusely. She had flown cross-country to visit her pregnant best friend, no small thing. Flying can cause both anxiety and nausea, and the woman said she uses vaping to relieve both of those issues. Further, it was legal in that state.

Pregnancy can cause hormones to be out of whack, and the pregnant friend might have been more emotional and reactive than usual. Former Friend stated she did not have experience with children. If her judgment was poor, she apologized for it and didnt try to minimize it. I truly believe she should be forgiven and that one mistake should not end the entire friendship.

This incident could have been a teaching tool for the child, referencing bad judgment, forgiveness, value of friendship, etc. Friendships are vitally important. I could not have navigated what life has thrown at me without the support of close friends. A friend who travels far to visit her bestie should not be discarded over one error in judgment, especially when she so willingly apologized. FORGIVING IN NORTH CAROLINA

DEAR FORGIVING: That letter drew a huge response from readers, many of whom expressed similar feelings to yours. They pointed out that marijuana is becoming increasingly legal and normal in our society, and it is a topic that should be openly discussed with the 12-year-old. They also felt the girl probably knows more about drugs than the two women do. (She asked her future stepmom, Was she smoking weed?) Consensus was universal that Former Friend may have committed a faux pas, but NOT an unforgivable one, and I should not have been so hard-nosed.

DEAR ABBY: I was married in a double wedding with my twin brother. Fast-forward: My husband and I will celebrate our 25th anniversary in three months. My brother and his wife divorced 10 years ago. Our three adult children want us to have a big anniversary celebration, as do my husband and I. My brother says that since it would have been his anniversary too, Im being selfish and insensitive to his feelings. Our mother agrees! Both said if we have a party, they will not attend.

I think they are the ones being selfish. My husband and I have had our share of hardships, but we worked and talked through them. I feel we deserve this celebration not only for us, but also our kids and friends. Your thoughts? SILVER ANNIVERSARY IN ARIZONA

DEAR SILVER: You are neither selfish nor insensitive. Celebrate your 25th anniversary (congratulations, by the way) in any fashion or at any time you and your family choose. It is regrettable that your self-centered twin brother and overly indulgent mother adopted the attitude they have and attempted to make the occasion all about him, but the choice was theirs. Graciously accept their refusal to attend, have the party and enjoy every minute of it.

Dear Abby is written by Abigail Van Buren, also known as Jeanne Phillips, and was founded by her mother, Pauline Phillips. Contact Dear Abby at http://www.DearAbby.com or P.O. Box 69440, Los Angeles, CA 90069.

For an excellent guide to becoming a better conversationalist and a more sociable person, order How to Be Popular. Send your name and mailing address, plus check or money order for $8 (U.S. funds), to: Dear Abby, Popularity Booklet, P.O. Box 447, Mount Morris, IL 61054-0447. (Shipping and handling are included in the price.)

Continued here:

Dear Abby: Further thoughts on person vaping weed near a 12-year-old - Chicago Sun-Times

NEW YORK, Sept. 28, 2021 /PRNewswire/ --Though smoking cigarettes has become increasingly less popular since the 2000s, many adults still smoke tobacco products and/or cannabis. Meanwhile, vaping has become a popular alternative, especially among young adults.

According to a survey conducted by ValuePenguin, over 50% of consumers who smoke or vape lied to their health insurer about it. Some even admit to driving under the influence of cannabis.

Key findings:

View full report: https://www.valuepenguin.com/smoking-vaping-survey

About ValuePenguin.com:ValuePenguin.com, part of LendingTree (NASDAQ: TREE), is a personal finance website that conducts in-depth research and provides objective analysis to help guide consumers to the best financial decisions. ValuePenguin focuses on value, assessing whether the return of a particular decision is worth the cost or risk of that option, and how this stacks up with the other possible choices they may have. For more information, please visit http://www.valuepenguin.com, like our Facebook page, or follow us on Twitter @ValuePenguin.

Media Contact:Nadia Gonzalez[emailprotected]

SOURCE ValuePenguin.com

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More than 50% of Americans Who Smoke or Vape Have Lied to Their Health Insurer About It According to a ValuePenguin.com Survey - PRNewswire

There are one million and one substances you can vape. Why cannabis?

Thats the question I get asked everywhere I go.

Well, maybe because I just love the smell of weed in a vape cart.

Lol, dont mind me. Of course, I chose to have weed in my cartridges because I know of the many health benefits that come with it. Unlike other vape substances (no hard feelings nicotineRs), cannabis does a lot of good for the human body.

And now Im going to share some of those good with you.

Are you becoming too fat for your own liking? Are your friends already calling you obese? Do you hate that your clothes are starting to lose their fit on you?

Visit Weedsly, get some weed vape cartridges, and slim down, my friend.

Its no myth what they say about weed making people slim down. Even science has a lot of proof to back it up. Here, the Mens Journal reports cases of weed helping people lose weight.

So what are you waiting for? Get high on some weed vape and slim down right now.

Talk about the biggest irony of the century. Who would believe that inhaling weed can actually be the best solution for strengthening the human lungs?

Generally, people believe weed consumption is bad for their health, especially the lungs. But several studies have thrown such claims into the thrash.

Smoking is whats bad for your health. Not the weed itself. When you vape weed instead, your lungs enjoy a lot of health benefits.

As reported in a study published on Medical News Today, one of the studys co-authors, Stefan Kertesz, claimed: Occasional marijuana use was associated with increases in lung air flow rates and increases in lung capacity .

Cancer is one medical condition that has plagued our planet for far too long. Yet, science hasnt been able to completely cut this disease out from our society.

Luckily, medicinal herbs like marijuana have been found to help.

In a written statement by the US National Cancer Institute, it was claimed that marijuana had been found to shrink cancer cells.

Although their research has been limited to rodents and rats so far, its still worthy of mention. And until we await future confirmations, weed advocates can be excited about this new discovery.

If it can cure cancerous cells in rodents, then theres hope it can work in humans, too. So, fingers crossed.

Just ask any regular weed user, and they will tell you why they keep going back to their joint because of how it raises their mental levels. In a nutshell, it makes them observe things in ways they would not have ordinarily.

Science has linked this to the fact that cannabis produces psychotomimetic symptoms, which helps the brain connect unrelated concepts, boosting creativity.

Are you struggling in the gym? Or maybe struggling to even hit the gym at all? If so, then you seriously need some weed drags in your life.

One of the basic attributes of weed consumption is increasing overall alertness and focus two extremely important elements of any athletic activity.

Even retired NFL offensive lineman Eben Britton once claimed, Cannabis is the perfect medicine for athletes.

If you still doubt weeds ability to boost your athletic performances, then I think you need to give it a try today.

If given the time, I can give you a million health-related reasons alcohol is bad for your health. But you know whats not bad for your health and still gives you a similar sensation to what alcohol does?

Cannabis.

In a study conducted to determine the safety of drugs and alcohol, the following substances were tested: alcohol, cocaine, heroin, tobacco, cannabis, ecstasy, and crystal meth.

Guess which substance was found to be the safest? Cannabis.

In fact, the study revealed cannabis is 114 times safer and health-friendlier than alcohol.

Finally, weed can help you get out of any deadly drug-den youve found yourself.

Perhaps youve been struggling to give up the usage of deadly substances like tobacco, meth, cocaine, alcohol, heroin, oxycodone, etc., then you should know that weed can help you break free.

So far, many research studies have reported huge successes while using weed to treat patients with heroin and alcohol withdrawal symptoms.

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7 surprising health benefits of vaping cannabis Film Daily - Film Daily

PETALING JAYA: The expected eventual introduction of regulations to legalise nicotine vaping, offers significant potential upside for British American Tobacco (Malaysia) Bhds (BAT) stock, according to UOB Kay Hian Research.

The research unit noted that the existing illegal nicotine vaping market is estimated to have a value of RM300mil in tax revenue for the government.

To put that into perspective, BAT paid RM1.38bil in tax (RM1.3bil of excise duties and RM80mil in corporate tax) to the government in 2020.

Assuming BAT has a similar market share to the illegal vaping market as it does with conventional cigarettes (around 50%), this implies a potential of 11% in additional sticks or stick equivalent vaping sales for BAT, said UOB Kay Hian Research.

Based on data from the Malaysian Vape Chamber of Commerce, the potential upside could be significantly higher given that it estimates that the vaping market is almost as sizeable as the legal conventional cigarette market.Also, BAT is ready to introduce its own line of nicotine vapour products once it is legalised.

UOB Kay Hian Research pointed out that BATs vapour products are under its Vuse brand, which is the leading vaping brand across key markets.

It averages 45% market share in the vaping category across the United States, United Kingdom, Canada, France and Germany.

According to the research unit, BATs management expects regulations to legalise nicotine vaping to be introduced sometime in 2022.

Nicotine vaping is prevalent in Malaysia (estimated a million smokers), says UOB Kay Hian Research.

During its inaugural sustainability strategy briefing, BAT had said its mission is to reduce the health impact of its business and to champion environmental, social and governance (ESG) excellence.

Its corporate strategy is five-pronged namely, combustible value growth, step-change in new categories, a simpler and smarter company, sustainability, and accelerating tomorrows leaders.

The group has budgeted RM20mil for its ESG programmes and efforts, and expects to raise it by 20% heading into 2022.

This represents 6.5% and 8% of the 2021 and 2022 earnings respectively.

While it is hard to quantify intangible ESG benefits, the budget appears reasonable and sustainable, said the research firm.

BAT also revealed that its FTSE4GOOD rating as of June 2021 is 3.7 out of a possible 5 stars.

This ranks BAT in the top 25% of companies. With that said, BAT is not in the FTSE4GOOD Index as it is a tobacco company, said the research unit.

UOB Kay Hian Research maintained its buy call and target price of RM17.20 on the stock, which the research unit pointed out has limited downside given that it is recovering off a multi-year low in terms of volume demand and offers an appealing dividend yield of 7.3% to 7.2% for 2021 to 2023.

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BAT to benefit if nicotine vaping is regulated - The Star Online

NEW YORK, Sept. 28, 2021 /PRNewswire/ --Though smoking cigarettes has become increasingly less popular since the 2000s, many adults still smoke tobacco products and/or cannabis. Meanwhile, vaping has become a popular alternative, especially among young adults.

According to a survey conducted by ValuePenguin, over 50% of consumers who smoke or vape lied to their health insurer about it. Some even admit to driving under the influence of cannabis.

Key findings:

View full report: https://www.valuepenguin.com/smoking-vaping-survey

About ValuePenguin.com:ValuePenguin.com, part of LendingTree (NASDAQ: TREE), is a personal finance website that conducts in-depth research and provides objective analysis to help guide consumers to the best financial decisions. ValuePenguin focuses on value, assessing whether the return of a particular decision is worth the cost or risk of that option, and how this stacks up with the other possible choices they may have. For more information, please visit http://www.valuepenguin.com, like our Facebook page, or follow us on Twitter @ValuePenguin.

Media Contact:Nadia GonzalezNadia@LendingTreeNews.com

SOURCE ValuePenguin.com

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LendingTree : More than 50% of Americans Who Smoke or Vape Have Lied to Their Health Insurer About It According to a ValuePenguin.com Survey -...

TALLAHASSEE (CBSMiami/NSF)

A series of new laws will hit the books Friday after being passed during the legislative session that ended in April. Many new laws took effect July 1, the start of the state fiscal year.

Topping the list is a bill (HB 1080) that creates a state regulatory framework for the sale of electronic cigarettes. Among other things, the bill will raise the states legal age to vape and smoke tobacco to 21, a threshold already established in federal law.

House bill sponsor Jackie Toledo, R-Tampa, said before the measure was approved that it was necessary to stop youth vaping.

But it drew opposition from prominent health groups, in part because it will prevent local regulations on such things as the marketing and sale of vaping products and tobacco.

Groups including the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network, the American Heart Association and the American Lung Association unsuccessfully implored Gov. Ron DeSantis to veto the measure.

By blocking the power of elected officials at the local level to protect kids and failing to take any meaningful action at the state level we risk another generation addicted to deadly tobacco products and the illness and premature death that come as a result, the groups said.

Among the other new laws taking effect Friday:

The rest is here:

These new laws will hit the books on Friday in Florida - Wink News

Electronic cigarettes, which deliver nicotine without tobacco or combustion, are the most important harm-reducing alternative to smoking ever developed one that could prevent millions of premature deaths in the United States alone. Yet bureaucrats and politicians seem determined to negate that historic opportunity through regulations and taxes that threaten to cripple the industry.

When a court-set deadline for premarket approval of vaping products came and went on Sept. 9, the Food and Drug Administration had received millions of applications but had not approved any. As a result, the agency says, every vaping device and nicotine liquid sold in the U.S. is marketed unlawfully and subject to enforcement action at the FDAs discretion.

Seven years after the FDA officially declared its intention to regulate electronic nicotine delivery systems as tobacco products, the industry remains in legal limbo, existing only because of the agencys enforcement discretion and limited resources. Despite the FDAs promises of regulatory flexibility, it is perpetuating a situation in which manufacturers dont know whether they will still be in business next week, next month or next year.

The FDA has rejected millions of applications for nicotine liquids in flavors other than tobacco, which are the products that former smokers overwhelmingly prefer. Because those flavors also appeal to teenagers, the agency says, they will be approved only if manufacturers present robust, reliable and product-specific evidence that their benefits in helping smokers quit outweigh the risk that they will encourage underage vaping.

No one really knows what that means, although the FDA says the evidence of benefits to adult smokers for such products would likely be in the form of a randomized controlled trial or longitudinal cohort study. Such research is beyond the means of all but the largest companies, and even they may have trouble persuading the FDA that approval of their products is appropriate for the protection of the public health, taking into account the risks and benefits to the population as a whole.

Under that highly subjective standard, which is mandated by the Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act of 2009, it is not enough for a manufacturer to show its products are far less hazardous than conventional cigarettes. Nor is it enough to show that nontobacco flavors are enormously popular among former smokers because the FDA might still conclude, however implausibly, that the risk of underage consumption outweighs the welfare of smokers interested in making the potentially lifesaving switch to vaping.

Survey data indicates that the vast majority of teenagers who vape regularly are current or former smokers, which means the FDAs fear that e-cigarettes are causing an epidemic of adolescent nicotine addiction is overblown. So is the fear that vaping is a gateway to smoking among teenagers who otherwise never would have tried nicotine; if anything, recent trends suggest, the availability of e-cigarettes has accelerated the downward trend in adolescent smoking.

The folly of the obsession with preventing underage vaping was apparent in San Francisco, where a ban on flavored e-cigarettes seemed to have boosted smoking by teenagers and young adults. That cautionary example has not deterred other jurisdictions from considering the same counterproductive policy.

In case heavy-handed federal and local regulations are not enough to stop smokers from quitting, House Democrats have proposed excise taxes that would double or triple the price of e-liquids. This tax will not only kill my business, a Georgia vape shop owner told my Reason colleague Christian Britschgi, it will kill Americans.

Last month in the American Journal of Public Health, 15 prominent tobacco researchers warned that policies intended to reduce adolescent vaping may also reduce adult smokers use of e-cigarettes in quit attempts. They emphasized that the potential lifesaving benefits of e-cigarettes for adult smokers deserve attention equal to the risks to youths.

Although the FDA acknowledges the harm-reducing potential of e-cigarettes, in practice, it is giving that benefit short shrift. Other policymakers, meanwhile, are proceeding as if the lives of smokers count for nothing.

Jacob Sullum is a senior editor at Reason magazine. Follow him on Twitter: @JacobSullum.

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Politicians, bureaucrats determined to cripple lifesaving alternative to smoking - The Whittier Daily News