Daily Archives: August 2, 2022

OPINION:

Jasjit Ahluwalias op-ed argues for nicotine vaping as harm reduction compared to cigarettes, but it fails to explain why vaping is not the devil, cigarettes are (Nicotine is not the devil, cigarettes are, Web, July 28).

Cigarette smoke contains carcinogenic chemicals, which cause lung cancer, and smoke particles, which lead to chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Nicotine vaping liquids contain neither of those, although they contain small amounts of mixing chemicals and many contain flavorings. Nicotine itself can exacerbate cardiovascular conditions, but it is not the cause of cigarette-induced lung cancer or COPD. Compared to nearly 500,000 deaths per year from cigarettes, vaping has been associated with a tiny number of deaths, almost all from jerry-rigged vaping devices or home-brewed vaping liquids with toxic chemicals added.

Teenagers should not vape nicotine. Published research from my own lab has shown that nicotine itself can change the fine structure of developing adolescent rat brains, but vaping nicotine is far safer for adults than smoking cigarettes.

BOB SMITH

Fairfax, Virginia

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Letter to the editor: Vaping far less deadly than cigarettes - Washington Times

Packages of Juul e-cigarettes are displayed for sale. Mario Tama/Getty Images hide caption

Packages of Juul e-cigarettes are displayed for sale.

More than 2 million high school and middle students reported using e-cigarettes in 2021. A quarter of them say they vape daily. Now, the Food and Drug Administration is trying to do something about it.

Last month, the agency ordered one of the country's largest vaping companies, Juul, to pull its product from the market so it could conduct a sweeping review. But a day later, an appeals court blocked the FDA's plan. The temporary stay suspends the ban on marketing Juul products, but it doesn't rescind it.

So what restrictionsif anyshould be placed on e-cigarettes and vaping products? And what role should federal agencies play in regulating them?

Mitch Zeller, Cliff Douglas, and Dorian Fuhrman join us for the conversation.

Like what you hear? Find more of our programs online.

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How The FDA Is Addressing Vaping And E-Cigarettes : 1A - NPR

By JOHN WHITTAKER

jwhittaker@post-journal.com

Children caught vaping in school may be required to attend a state-created smoking cessation program under legislation introduced recently in the state Assembly.

Assemblyman Keith Brown, D-Northport, has introduced A.10547 to amend the state Public Health Law to require those caught using electronic cigarettes or vapor products in schools to attend an Electronic Cigarette or Vapor Product Prevention, Control or Awareness Program. Attendance in the program would be part of a bigger state effort to create an educational program used in schools throughout the state to discourage electronic cigarette use. Children under the age of 21 who are found using or in possession of an electronic cigarette or vapor product will also have their parents or guardians notified, according to the bill text.

Electronic cigarettes are a relatively recent product and manufacturers had previously geared marketing toward non-smoking youth, with a large assortment of sweet flavors of e-liquid and ad campaigns, Brown wrote in his legislative justification. Additionally, certain youth-targeting e-cigarettes were designed to be small and sleek, and refillable with user-friendly pre-filled pods of liquid-making the device easy to conceal from authority figures. A single pod contains as much nicotine as a pack of cigarettes. The New York State Department of Health has received numerous reports from New York state physicians of severe pulmonary (lung-related) illness among patients ranging from 14 to 71 years of age who were using at least one vape product prior to becoming ill.

Browns legislation comes as the federal government considers a review of Juul, one of the largest manufacturers of electronic cigarettes. The FDA ordered Juul to pull its products from the market on June 23. A day later, a federal appeals court temporarily blocked the government ban at Juuls request. The FDA then decided to put the court fight on hold while the government reopens its review of Juuls products.

If the FDA eventually decides to reimpose its ban, Juul will have 30 days to seek another stay, according to the filing. According to the Associated Press, companies must show that their e-cigarettes benefit public health in order to remain on the market. In practice, that means proving that adult smokers who use them are likely to quit or reduce their smoking, while teens are unlikely to get hooked on them.

The AP has reported that FDA regulators have recently authorized a handful of e-cigarettes from some of Juuls chief rivals, including R.J. Reynolds and NJOY. But industry players and anti-vaping advocates had been eagerly awaiting an FDA decision on Juuls products, which are the best-selling e-cigarettes in the U.S. The FDA originally said Juuls application left regulators with significant questions, including about the chemical makeup of its vaping formulations. Juul said it submitted enough information and data to address all issues raised.

At the same time, the European Commission said its proposal comes in response to a significant increase in the volume of such products sold across the 27-nation bloc. A recent commission study showed a 10% increase in sales of heated tobacco products in more than five member nations, while heated tobacco products exceeded 2.5% of total sales of tobacco products overall across the region, according to the Associated Press. The ban would cover devices using heated tobacco to produce emissions containing nicotine inhaled by users. E-cigarettes may contain nicotine, but not tobacco. With traditional cigarettes, users inhale smoke from burning tobacco.

Results of the FDA review of Juul and the European Commissions proposed ban may play a role in how much traction Browns legislation gets in the state Legislature when next years legislative session begins, because Browns bill takes a harsh stance on the usefulness of electronic cigarettes.

E-cigarette use among youth and young adults is a major public health concern because todays youth use e-cigarettes more than cigarettes, cigars, smokeless tobacco and hookah, Brown wrote in his legislative justification. In fact almost five times as many high school students in New York state use e-cigarettes than smoke cigarettes and New York state smoking rate among youth is at a record low (4.3%), but their e-cigarette use doubled between 2014 and 2016 (from 10.5% to 20.6%). While few high school students say they plan to try smoking cigarette, increased numbers are open to trying. e-cigarettes. More than half of teens believe nondaily e-cigarette use causes little or some harm and of young people who use e-cigarettes, a third falsely believe nondaily e-cigarette use is harmless. E-cigarette use does not prevent from smoking, in fact adolescents and young adults who use e-cigarettes are at increased risk for starting smoking and continuing to smoke and more than half of high school students and young adults who smoke cigarettes also use e-cigarettes. This bill would create an educational tool that would help educate and divert young people already at risk.

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Crackdown proposed on vape use in school | News, Sports, Jobs - Evening Observer

Mumbai, August 2, 2022: On Monday, July 25th, Philippines enacted its Vape Bill into a law. The measure aims to regulate the importation, manufacture, sale, packaging, distribution, use, and communication of vapour and heated tobacco products. The enactment of this legislation makes the Philippines one of very few Asian countries with progressive vaping regulations intended to benefit adult smokers.

With this development, Philippines joins a group of nations like Thailand, Uruguay, Japan, United States and The United Kingdom adopting progressive regulations around tobacco harm reduction backed by scientific evidence. The most important aspect of the law is that it legitimizes vaping as a strategy to help smokers above the age of 18 years to choose less harmful non-combustible alternatives.

Liza Katsiashvili, community manager at World Vapers Alliance, said: While most policymakers are misinformed and fight against vaping, the Philippines followed the right path to embrace vaping as an effective harm reduction innovation to save lives. Other countries should follow this example and endorse smart vaping policies to ensure improved public health for millions of consumers globally.

Such transformative developments across the globe serve as an important lesson for countries such as India to emulate and embrace science-based regulations to address their smoking problems. With 12% of world smokers, India has the second-largest tobacco consuming population in the world. Despite, the increasing numbers, there has been limited progress to provide access to harm reducing alternatives, owing to the ban on such products. The nation continues to adopt more moralistic policies of banning harm reducing alternatives or through outright regulation providing no alternative to adult smokers but to opt for combustible tobacco products resulting in a big health and economic crisis.

As one of the largest emerging economies, India can lead by example by adopting scientifically approved safer alternatives, yet the country banned such alternatives. This approach misses a huge public health opportunity to address the problem of cigarette smoking, considered by many to be the leading preventable cause of death and disease in India.

Extreme policies like bans go against the growing body of science that points to these products being significantly less harmful than cigarette smoking. Many experts and health authorities around the world, such as the UKs Royal College of Physicians and Public Health England, have recognized that smoke-free alternatives to cigarettes represent a revolutionary opportunity to reduce the harm caused by cigarette smoking. As per a report undertaken by Public Health England E-cigarettes: An evidence update, E-cigarettes are 95% less harmful than normal cigarettes.

To avoid missing this critical public health opportunity it is important for Governments across the globe to revisit traditional thinking, challenge moralistic policy and work towards providing access to safer alternatives and realize the true potential of tobacco harm reduction.

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Philippines adopts a progressive tobacco harm reduction policy, pro-consumer vaping bill becomes a law - NewsPatrolling

On July 22, Fox News ran a confused listicle by Angelica Stabile titled How to quit vaping as the e-cigarette fad fires up: 6 smart steps to take. There was nothing especially concerning about the thesis of the story. E-cigarettes primarily serve as quit-smoking tools. If someone no longer needs them for that purpose and wants to stop vaping, more power to them.

The problem is that Stabile didn't frame her story this way. Instead, she downplayed the positive public health impact of e-cigarettes, amplified the teen vaping epidemic myth, and spoke only to experts who reinforced this narrative.

There's no need to refute the article line by line, but there were two particularly ridiculous comments worth scrutinizing, because they lead to some odd places if followed to their logical conclusions.

Vaping on the rise

Early on in the story, Stabile quoted a psychiatrist who told her that vaping is growing in popularity. Vaping is the trendy new hobby that has turned into a concerning habit, she wrote, the obvious implication being that e-cigarettes must pose some serious health risk. But just a paragraph later she provided a helpful clue as to why e-cigarettes have elicited such a favorable response:

The number of people smoking tobacco products has drastically decreased yet vaping is on the rise ...

Stabile used this observation to launch into an analysis of teen vaping, which, as we've reported many times, is declining and never reached anything close to epidemic proportions in the first place. Moreover, most of the teenagers who have taken up vaping were already smokers. The vaping-to-smoking gateway narrative is bad fiction; there is no sound evidence behind it.

The only other plausible explanation for the increase in vaping is that adult smokers are abandoning combustible tobacco in droves, and the data bear out this conclusion. Smokers are twice as likely to quit with the help of an e-cigarette than with other nicotine-replacement products, the UK's National Health Service notes. Smokers who try vaping may even quit when they have no intention to give up cigarettes, research has shown.

If you prefer personal testimonials to statistics, here's a list of roughly 14,000 ex-smokers who, like me, quit cigarettes thanks to vaping. There is also some preliminary evidence to suggest that switching to e-cigarettes encourages other health-promoting behaviors, such as regular exercise.

So, yes, vaping is on the riseand that's clearly a victory for public health. How this is "concerning" escapes me.

Kids should chew nicotine gum?

The strangest part of Stabile's story was the following section:

There are several options for nicotine replacements, including nicotine patches and gum sold at most drugstores. "Any adult who is using e-cigarettes or vaping will probably benefit from nicotine replacement therapy," [Dr. Itai Danovitch, director of psychiatry at Cedars-Sinai Hospital,] said.

For kids, the psychiatrist recommended they should only use nicotine replacement therapies if their addiction has been "well-established."

This prompts an important question. Stabile and her preferred experts warned readers that Vaping is just as addictive as cigarettes 'The long-term addiction is a concern in young people because of the developing brain," Mayo Clinic Nicotine Dependence Center director Dr. Taylor Hays added. But with those comments in mind, how can anybody encourage teenagers to use nicotine-containing gums and patches while discouraging them from vaping?

My point is not that teenagers should be vaping; teenagers should not consume nicotine from any source. But the fallacy underlying Stabile's advice must be called out. If nicotine harms the adolescent brain, it does so whether it comes from patches, gums, or e-cigarettes.

The only other possible justification for the double standard is that vaping products contain more nicotine than gums and patches. This is a misconception, however. Hays recommended that Regular vape users should try 14-milligram nicotine patches and then taper off after several weeks. But that's comparable to many liquids used in e-cigarettes, which generally range from zero to eighteen milligrams, though some are indeed stronger. Patches go up to 21 milligrams.

Putting everything together, here's what we've learned:

Tobacco controllers have painted themselves into an embarrassing corner. Would somebody please tell these people they've lost the argument?

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Fox News Proffers Quit-Vaping Tips and Lots of Pseudoscience - American Council on Science and Health

Wondering how to clean your vape tank and the coils that come with your vape device? Read on to find out.

Every year, thousands of people make the switch from cigarettes to vaping. With the NHS now trialling vape devices instead of nicotine replacement treatments, it is only a matter of time before smoking is no longer the pastime of choice. When compared to the myriad of diseases that smoking brings, vaping is healthy by comparison. Recent reports suggest it is as much as 95% less harmful than smoking.

We are well aware of the health effects of Cigarette Smoking by now, so its no wonder more and more people are turning to vaping, instead. Vaping is much cleaner than cigarette smoking and, in more ways, than one. Those who vape have healthier lungs, cleaner hair, and skin, and do not have nicotine stains on their fingers. However, that vape tank still gets dirty.

No matter what device you have, you will need to learn how to clean it. Here are some of the ways you can clean your vape device to ensure it stays in perfect working order for longer.

We clean our vape tanks for two reasons: we do not want to breathe in mixed vapour and we dont want to inhale from a dirty device. We clean the vape tank differently depending on the device you own. If your e-cigarette is a pod device, then you will not need to spend as much time in cleaning the tank.

To clean your vape tank, remove it from the rest of the device. You should do this whenever you feel the flavours are starting to muddle. Strip the tank from the device and hold it under hot running water for about a minute to remove debris. Remove it from the water and pat it dry with a paper towel. Use a cotton bud to get into the crevices. Leave the tank to fully dry before reattaching it to the vape device.

If hot water is not enough to remove the taste of a particularly strong e-liquid, you can use soap to clean it, instead. Fill a bowl with hot water and two-three drops of dish soap. Mix it together and leave it for a few minutes. You can use a cotton bud to clean the interior and exterior of the tank. Run it under hot water for a full minute to remove any residual soap. You can then pat it dry with the paper towel and use a cotton bud to get into the corners.

Remember: do not use your tank until it is dry. If your tank is beyond repair or cleaning, you should buy a new tank.

We clean the coils of our vape device because they clog up with residual e-liquids. Although the only way to truly get rid of an old liquid is to change the wick too, washing your coils will remove build up and keep your device healthier and safer. Coils are harder to keep clean than your tank and perform the important purpose of heating your liquid.

To clean your coils, soak them overnight in a strong ethanol solution. You could use nail varnish remover for this, an acidic vinegar, or a cheap-but-pure spirit. Many sites recommend cheap vodka but we estimate gin or any clear alcohol will do. The soaking time is two hours minimum. If you do not thoroughly rinse the ethanol from the coil, you will be able to taste it in your vape. Thoroughly rinse the alcohol from the coil for a good minute. Blow through them to make sure the water is not collecting inside.

Set the coils aside to fully dry. They should be bone dry before you replace them.

When it comes to cleaning the outside of your vape pen, or the other parts, you can do this with a soft cloth. The cloth can be damp, if you allow the pen to fully dry before you attempt use. You may also choose to use rubbing alcohol, as this will remove any residual debris from vape juices.

To clean your vape pen, remove all the parts and empty out any excess liquid. Strip it down to individual pieces, then clean the tank and coils as described above. Using a soft cloth dipped in hot soapy water, then wrung out, wipe down each part of the pen. Set all parts aside to dry and do not use the e-cigarette again until the vape device is dry.

Do not forget that you can pick up the most popular e-liquid on the market through our site. Once you have chosen your desired new e-liquid, ordering is fast and simple. In case you need a new one, you can find a replacement pod here.

If you have a pod device, you simply clip them into the space reserved for the tank. The new pod will start to feed liquid into the tank immediately. You can remove the old pod and dispose of it, being careful not to get any liquid on your hands.

To change the e-liquid in a vape device with vape juice, you must first remove the coil head from the tank. You then insert the end of the vape juice bottle into the space left in the tank and start to fill it up. You should wash the coil and insert a new one before you use your vape pen. You should also make sure that you have emptied all the old vape juice out of the tank before you put the new blend in.

We recommend that you clean both the tank and the coils between each new type of vape juice. If you regularly buy the same flavours, you can keep your coils in a plastic pouch or bag until you sue the corresponding flavour again, should you want to avoid soaking the coils.

Continued here:

How to Clean Your Vape Tank and Coils? - London Post

A Dublin professor has expressed his concern for young people as he says that vaping is being promoted on TikTok.

Professor Des Cox, chair of Royal College of Physicians Policy Group on Tobacco is worried about the increasing trend of vaping in young people under the age of 18 and he believes that social media is playing a part in it.

He told RTE Radio One: Theres a big issue with the marketing of disposable vapes and the most common form of advertising for people in a recent study was through TikTok. Manufacturers' tactics are that theyre trying to get young people hooked on these devices. Thats whats concerning.

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Even though Professor Cox said that vaping isnt as harmful as cigarettes, he still sees it as a big concern.

When you see the studies on people switching over to e-cigarettes, about 40 to 50% of them continue to smoke, thats what we call dual-users, he added.

There were significant effects from chronic vaping to the heart and lungs. Overtime, we will be seeing this. It wont present overnight. Theres unique chemicals in them, theyre a different kettle of fish to tobacco and we dont know what these unique ingredients are going to do to people over time.

The professor highlighted that its becoming a child protection issue and that vaping could lead to taking up smoking.

He said: A study of 4,000 children aged between 15 and 16 year olds found that 22% are users of e-cigarettes

Its becoming a child protection issue now. Numerous studies show that they (younger people) are attracted by the flavours. Rather than allowing young children and young adults to start this habit, they become addicted to nicotine and theyll have a problem coming off that.

Research found in 2021, published in the BMC Public Health journal, found that vaping has risen rapidly among teens with the current number of those using e-cigarettes jumping from 10% to 18% between 2015 and 2019.

It was also found that over 33% of teenagers said they had tried out electronic cigarettes in 2019 but it was just under a quarter in 2015, which means the figures increased from 23% to 37%.

A TikTok Spokesperson told Dublin Live: "Keeping the TikTok community safe is our top priority, and none more so than our younger users. Our guidelines make clear that content promoting the sale, trade or offer of tobacco, including vaping products, is not permitted, regardless of age.

"There is no finish line when it comes to our community's safety and we will continue to invest at scale in our people and technology to proactively detect and remove content that violates our Community Guidelines."

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Dublin professor concerned for young people as vaping promoted on TikTok - Dublin Live

The city of St. Augustinecould soon ban smoking and vaping in public parks and at its city pool.

City commissioners passedan ordinance on first reading Monday night that would ban both vaping and smoking not only in city-owned and operated public parks, but also at theWillie Galimore Center public pool.

A change in Florida law opened the door for the city to prohibitsmoking and vaping in any city-ownedpublic park, City Attorney Isabelle Lopez said.

"So we took that opportunity to update our code and providing for smoking-prohibited areas in all of our public parks, and we specifically called out the public pool deck at the Willie Galimore Center,"Lopez said. "One would think it's intuitive you shouldn't smoke there, but you would be surprised."

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Commissioners moved the ordinance forward with a 4-0 vote andfew comments. The ordinance must pass at a second reading and public hearing to be enacted.The second reading is tentatively scheduled for Aug. 8. Commissioner Roxanne Horvath did not attend the meeting.

Once adopted, people who smoke in public city parks could face a fine of up to $100 per violation.

The city has several public parks, including:

The Plaza de la Constitucion would also be included in the ban.

Randy Hunziker, a smoker, spoke from the Eddie Vickers Park gazebo in Lincolnville on Monday.

He said he could understand a ban for smoking in smaller spaces, but he saidit doesn't make sense in larger areas where people can move away from a crowd and thensmoke.

"Banning it in public spaces like a public park that's just idiotic," he said.

He also said the fine of $100 is too much, andhesaid$25 or $50 seemed more reasonable.

Dayle King, from England, visitedthe Plaza de la Constitucion on Monday. He said the proposed ban makes sense for areas where a lot of people are congregating who might not want to be exposed to smoke.

"It's a good thing, especially in a place like St. Augustine," he said.

Vice Mayor Nancy Sikes-Kline asked whether the law would apply to community gardens. Lopez said she plans to bring back that informationat the final reading.

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St. Augustine officials could ban smoking and vaping in parks - St. Augustine Record

Greg Conley

Longtime vaping industry advocate Gregory Conley is joining the American Vapor Manufacturers Association (AVM) as director of legislative and external affairs.

Under the direction of AVM President Amanda Wheeler, Conley will focus on government and media relations, while helping advance public policy supporting the American vaping product industry in its fight for survival.

Over the last decade-plus, myself and millions of American adults have given up cigarettes because of vaping, said Conley. During that time, I have been proud to advocate for vaping from the perspective of a consumer and harm reductionist. In this new role at AVM, I will continue to push for appropriate regulations to ensure that American businesses are not replaced with a multibillion-dollar illicit market.

Gregory is a critical voice for vaping and understands adult smokers and ex-smokers face dire circumstances because of the FDA, said Wheeler. One billionaire is pumping hundreds of millions of dollars into campaigns designed to end the vaping industry. The stakes have never been greater and I am thrilled to have him aboard to work towards a unified industry.

Conley has a long history of advocacy for vaping products and tobacco harm reduction, dating back to 2010. While receiving a la and business degree from Rutgers University, Conley served as the pro bono legislative director for the Consumer Advocates for Smoke-Free Alternatives Association.

Conley then founded the American Vaping Association (AVA), and during his time there he testified before dozens of state legislative bodies, appeared on numerous news networks, and participated in a White House listening session with then-President Donald Trump.

Conley plans to continue working with AVA as it charts a new path forward focusing on voter education and outreach.

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Vaping Advocate Greg Conley Joins the AVM - Tobacco Reporter