Daily Archives: December 20, 2023

Despite the damage to public health and the environment from disposable vapes, an outright ban may not be viable. But policy-makers could regulate consumption, particularly among younger people, as well as promoting battery recycling and greater use of reusable e-cigarette options.

The popularity of vaping has surged dramatically in recent years. These colourful, pocket-sized devices have emerged as an alternative to smoking. With creative and wide-reaching marketing, they have seen rising popularity, particularly among young people. According to the NHS, 18% of 15-year-olds in England and Wales were using e-cigarettes in February 2022.

While disposable vapes offer a unique substitute for smoking and are argued to be a somewhat safer alternative the dangers are being overlooked. Currently, the environmental and future healthcare issues associated with disposable vapes are not being addressed.

The alarming increase in the number of 11 to 17-year-olds vaping in the UK doubling to 7% in 2022 has raised grave concerns. Disturbingly, 69% of these young vapers rely on disposable vapes to satisfy their nicotine cravings.

Medical experts such as Sarah Brown, a consultant in paediatric respiratory medicine, have sounded the alarm about a generation of children facing nicotine-induced mood problems and attention disorders. Along with nicotine addiction and respiratory illnesses, the long-term effects of e-cigarette consumption have barely been investigated.

These dangers and costs could be avoided if disposable vapes were to come under closer scrutiny by the government. Tighter regulations need to be put in place to prevent UK youth from getting their hands on disposable vapes so easily. This could avert substantial financial repercussions stemming from future hospitalisations and the need to reallocate resources to address these issues in the future.

The environmental costs associated with disposable vapes are also significant. One of the key concerns is the challenge of recycling the materials used in these devices lithium in particular. This valuable resource, now widely known for its use in batteries and electronics, is present in each disposable vape, amounting to around 0.15 grams of lithium per device.

With sales of disposable single-use vapes skyrocketing to approximately 138 million units annually, the cumulative impact of the improper disposal of these vapes is large. To put things into perspective, the amount of lithium contained in this number of disposable vapes is equivalent to over 2,500 electric car batteries. This waste of valuable resources could be used for the green energy transition.

In an era where sustainability is paramount, these resources should not go to waste. At the bare minimum, emphasis needs to be placed on the correct recycling of disposable vapes.

Currently, one of the UKs largest electronic recycling plants processes just 700 vapes a week. Proper recycling can offer a second life to lithium, potentially alleviating the need for as much mining and extraction (which comes with its own set of environmental challenges). While an outright ban on single use vapes may not be a viable solution, as it might give rise to unregulated black markets, decisive action is imperative.

There is some evidence that disposable vapes can be effective in helping cigarette smokers to kick their habit. But the alarming surge in vaping among young people who may not necessarily be smokers can also be attributed to the availability of disposable vapes.

A potential solution could be to phase out disposables gradually, while promoting rechargeable substitutes. People who use e-cigarettes as a tool to stop smoking are likely to be receptive to the transition to rechargeable vapes. This shift away from the simplicity and easiness of disposable vapes could also reduce the incentives for youngsters to start vaping in the first place.

If disposable vapes were rechargeable, they could be reused up to 300 times. This would dramatically reduce the volume of vapes that find their way into landfills.

Instead of an outright ban, a more pragmatic yet effective approach would be to implement stringent controls and limits to curb easy access for young people, while simultaneously promoting rechargeable, eco-friendly alternatives.

While the UK has historically maintained a hands-off approach to vaping regulations, it is now vital to address the disposable vaping outbreak. In stark contrast, the European Union is set to ban flavoured heated tobacco products, and the Dutch government is moving forward with restrictions on flavoured vaping devices.

The UK's complacency about vaping regulation needs to evolve, considering the future costs and consequences that are currently overlooked. While the vaping industry is a growing sector with economic contributions, the importance of prioritising public health and environmental sustainability cannot be overstated. Protecting the countrys youth from the lure of disposable vapes, and taking responsibility for the environment, must take precedence over short-term economic gains.

More here:

#studentviews: How could policy reduce the harm caused by disposable vapes? - Economics Observatory

Multnomah Countys ban on flavored tobacco and nicotine products is set to go into effect on Jan. 1 after surviving a court challenge.

Last week, Multnomah County Circuit Court Judge Benjamin Souede denied a request by the tobacco industry to halt enforcement of the county ordinance. The decision likely paves the way for Oregons largest county to become the first in the state to ban flavored tobacco.

County officials banned the products to deter young people from smoking and vaping: They often start with flavored products and then get addicted to nicotine. That can lead to a lifelong habit and heart and lung problems. In pushing for the ordinance, public health officials pointed to the prevalence of tobacco flavors such as chocolate, candy, fruit, honey and other products, which they say are designed to lure the next generation of tobacco users into the habit.

Nearly 8,000 Oregonians die every year from tobacco-related illnesses, according to the Oregon Health Authority.

Earlier this year in Salem, state lawmakers considered House Bill 3090, which would have enacted a similar ban statewide. It had the support of one Republican lawmaker, Sen. Bill Hansell of Athena, and two Portland physicians, Rep. Lisa Reynolds and Sen. Elizabeth Steiner. It passed out of the House health care committee on a party line vote, with Democrats in favor and Republicans against, but died in the Joint Ways and Means Committee.

In December 2022, Multnomah County commissioners unanimously passed the ordinance with the ban. The next month, the industry sued to overturn the ordinance, alleging it was unconstitutional and unenforceable. The plaintiffs are 21+ Tobacco and Vapor Retail Association of Oregon, No Moke Daddy, LLC, and Paul Bates, a vaping shop owner.

In September, Souede ruled in favor of Multnomah County, finding that the state law allows local health officials to pass ordinances like this one. In a release, county officials said the plaintiffs could file an appeal but none has been filed.

I am really grateful to Multnomah County commissioners for leading the state in so many tobacco-related policies from raising the legal sales age to 21, implementing tobacco retail licensing, and now the restricted sale of flavored tobacco products, Kari McFarlan, the countys tobacco control and prevention program supervisor, said in a statement. This ordinance is another step toward protecting young people from the harms of tobacco and nicotine.

Health advocates praised the ruling.

The tobacco industry has targeted youth with candy flavored tobacco products, said Brittany Grant, director of the western region for the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids, a national nonprofit organization.

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Flavored tobacco ban for Multnomah County set to start on Jan. 1 Oregon Capital Chronicle - Oregon Capital Chronicle

Laurel High School senior Malcolm Terrell gave a brief presentation to the Laurel City Council at Tuesday mornings meeting about the work he is doing with his fellow students. He is the student leader of the BY Youth Tobacco & Vaping Prevention Program at LHS. I present my peers with information about the dangers of smoking and vaping, he said. Edward Clark, who is the regional director of the program, was with Terrell and introduced him to the council. The grant-funded program was developed in 2018 by Mississippi State University and the state Department of Health to target primarily high-poverty, high-risk secondary schools in the state. Its stated goal is to mobilize youth activists to promoted tobacco-free environments and increase youths affinity toward anti-tobacco branding and messaging ... to disrupt and dissolve the tobacco industrys targeting of vulnerable communities. The programs brand BE YOU was later shortened to BU. (Photo by Mark Thornton)

Original post:

Taking a stand against smoking and vaping | Education | leader-call.com - leader-call.com

HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY, Fla. Hillsborough County leaders are thinking about adopting an ordinance to temporarily stop vape shops from operating near schools.

The ordinance would provide a moratorium on vaping retail shops that are within 500 feet of any elementary, middle, or high school. The moratorium would last for 180 days.

County leaders say that will give them time to schedule public hearings on an amendment to a land development code to regulate the vape shops.

In March, commissioners adopted the ordinance and created the temporary moratorium, but it was later voided by Senate Bill 250. SB 250 affected local government regulations within 100 miles of Hurricane Ian.

At the beginning of December, the Legislature made a change to remove Hillsborough County from the effective area. Now commissioners can consider moving forward with the ordinance.

The goal is to address tobacco use among teenagers. You need to be 21 to legally burgs tobacco products in Florida.

According to the CDC, in 2023, 10% of middle and high schoolers reported current tobacco use. E-cigarettes were the most commonly used product.

Click here for resources on how to talk to your child about vaping.

The meeting starts at 9 a.m. You can watch it live here.

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Hillsborough leaders consider ordinance to stop vaping in schools - ABC Action News Tampa Bay

Irelands finance minister, Michael McGrath,postponed a vaping taxover concerns that it would discourage smokers from quitting with e-cigarettes.

Officials from the Department of Finance cited the need to strike a balance between discouraging young people from vaping and supporting existing smokers who switch to e-cigarettes to quit. Health officials recommended e-cigarettes be taxed differently based on their comparative harm versus traditional cigarettes, according tomediareports.

McGrath has said a new tax on vapes will be challenging to implement. A domestic tax will require significant IT, administrative, control and compliance costs, he said.

Tobacco harm reduction activists applauded the decision. We welcome the decision of the minister of finance and ask the Irish government to keep a tax differential between electronic and traditional cigarettes in the future large enough to incentivize smokers to switch, said Michael Landl, director of the World Vapers Alliance, in a statement.

The risk profile of vaping products is much lower than that of combustion cigarettes, and they should be taxed as such. If the tax had been approved, it would have pushed tens of thousands of vapers back to smoking.

The government has not specified a new date for the vape tax. Some suspect it may await the updated EU Tobacco Tax Directive, which is expected to include an EU-wide excise tax on vaping products.

Read more here:

Ireland Halts Vape Tax Over Cessation Concerns - Tobacco Reporter

Minister for Health Stephen Donnelly has announced the banning of the sale of nicotine inhaling products such as e-cigarettes to children.

Mr Donnelly had secured cabinet approval earlier this year and the law will prohibit the sale of e-cigarettes (commonly referred to as vapes) to persons under 18.

The Public Health (Tobacco Products and Nicotine Inhaling Products) Bill comes into effect from Friday 22 December 2023.

Under the new law, it is an offence to sell a nicotine inhaling product to a child.

The offence carries a penalty of a fine of up to 4,000 and a prison sentence of up to six months.

The legislation also contains other wide-ranging measures to tackle smoking and vaping among children and adults.

These measures include, in addition to the ban, the prohibition of selling tobacco and nicotine inhaling products at events to children.

Advertising of nicotine inhaling products around schools and on public transport will also be banned and there will be a stricter licensing system put in place for the retail sale of these products.

Mr Donnelly reacting to the announcement said: "I committed to bringing this ban on the sale of vaping products to under 18s into law before Christmas and I am pleased that I have been able to do that by signing the commencement order".

"I thank colleagues in both Houses of the Oireachtas who understood the urgency for our children and who supported me to get this law enacted quickly," he added.

In November, Mr Donnelly and Minister for Public Health, Wellbeing and the National Drugs Strategy, Hildegarde Naughton launched a public consultation into future regulation of tobacco and nicotine inhaling products such as vapes.

Ms Naughton said the ban on e-cigarettes was a good beginning.

"I look forward to the results of our public consultation on the options for the further regulation of nicotine inhaling products, particularly around flavourings and packaging".

"We know that young people who vape are more likely to go on to smoke, so it is important that they are not drawn to these products," Ms Naughton added.

More:

Government bans sale of vaping products to under 18s - RTE.ie

KEITH MILLER, TRAVIS JOHNSON and 40 other Montana principals

As principals we strive to ensure our schools are engaging, safe and healthy environments that promote learning. However, youth vaping in Montana is threatening our kids health and safety and creating unnecessary barriers to academic success.

Montana has a serious problem with youth e-cigarette use. Our most current Montana Youth Risk Behavior Survey data tell us 26% of our high school students currently vape and nearly half (48%) of them have tried vaping. We are encouraged that most Montana youth report they do not vape, but we are very concerned about the health and well-being of the one-in-four students who do.

While youth vaping is a discipline problem that can disrupt learning in our schools, its become an addiction problem too. Like all other tobacco products, electronic cigarettes contain nicotine, an addictive drug that can harm the developing brain. Nicotine impacts the portions of the brain that control attention and learning; its use can increase symptoms of anxiety and amplify depression. Nicotine use in adolescence may also increase the risk for future addiction to other drugs. Its also important to be aware that some principals report kids are vaping marijuana and other drugs, in addition to tobacco products.

Devices that show up in our schools come in a myriad of shapes and sizes, many that resemble school supplies like highlighters, markers and USB drives. It can be very difficult to identify what has been referred to as stealth vaping in our buildings.

We are concerned that these highly addictive products come in flavors especially attractive to kids. Flavors like cotton candy, mango pineapple ice, skittles and blue raspberry are hooking our kids and impacting their lives physically, mentally, socially, emotionally and financially.

Principals, teachers and counselors are connecting kids to resources to help address an addiction to electronic cigarettes. Quitting resources like the state of Montanas My Life My Quit website (mt.mylifemyquit.org) are free, confidential and specifically designed for youth. We know that prevention is key. We urge parents to talk to their kids about the harmful risks of vaping; you have a great influence on the healthy choices your kids are making.

In short, the notion that vaping is somehow safe and harmless to youth is false, and Montanas standing as the state with the second-highest incidence of youth e-cigarette use calls for corrective action. We urge Montana decision-makers at the state and local levels to help us address this problem and put the best practices for youth tobacco use prevention into action.

Paul Condon, Hays/Lodgepole Schools, Hays and Lodgepole

Len Dorscher, Thompson Falls Middle School, Thompson Falls

Carl Dynneson, Sidney High School, Sidney

Geoff Habel, Great Falls High, Great Falls

Kim Hanks, Wolf Point High School, Wolf Point

Ashley Henigman, Sacajawea Middle School, Bozeman

Brad Holloway, Glacier High School, Kalispell

Tryg Johnson, Kalispell Middle School, Kalispell

Kevin Kenelty, Ronan High School, Ronan

Katy Kennedy, Glendive Middle School, Glendive

Brian Kessler, East Helena High School, East Helena

Jon Konen, Columbia Falls High School, Columbia Falls

Jennifer LaFromboise-Wagner, Browning High School, Browning

Eric A. Larson, Stevensville High School, Stevensville

Patrick McClellan, Chief Joseph Middle School, Bozeman

Jamie McGraw, C.M. Russell High School, Great Falls

Brian Miller, North Middle School, Great Falls

Judson Miller, Hellgate High School, Missoula

Ted Miller, Columbia Falls Middle School, Columbia Falls

Dan Mills, Bozeman High School, Bozeman

Matt Molyneaux, Chinook Jr./Sr. High School, Chinook

Lynsi Morris, East Valley Middle School, East Helena

Ryon Noland, Plains High School and Junior High School, Plains

Mike Olson, Culbertson High School, Culbertson

Michele Paine, Flathead High School, Kalispell

Kyle Paulson, Belt Public Schools, Belt

Amy Ree, Dawson County High School, Glendive

Erica Schnee, Gallatin High School, Bozeman

Steve Thennis, Helena High School, Helena

Stephanie Thennis, Sentinel High School, Missoula

Brett Zanto, Capital High School, Helena

Jay Wahl, Skyview High School, Billings

Shelli Strouf, Billings Senior High School, Billings

Jody Sulser, Lewis and Clark Middle School, Billings

Annie Begger, Wibaux Public Schools, Wibaux

Becky Carlson, Will James Middle School, Billings

Jeremy Carlson, Billings West High School, Billings

Michael Thomas, Medicine Crow Middle School, Billings

Matt Clouser, Billings Career Center, Billings

Ashley Copple, Sidney Middle School, Sidney

Keith Miller, East Middle School, Butte

Travis Johnson, Butte High Career Center, Butte

For full list of signers, go to mtstandard.com.

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Guest view: Montana Principals: Vaping impacting our kids and schools - The Montana Standard

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E-cigarette makers dodged U.S. customs and taxes after China's ban on vaping flavors - Lewiston Morning Tribune

A ban on the sale of vaping products and e-cigarettes to people under 18 years of age is to come into effect on Friday.

Earlier this month new laws governing vapes were passed by the Oireachtas and signed into law by the President, Michael D Higgins. Minister for Health Stephen Donnelly has commenced sections of the law into force to prohibit the sale of vapes to under-18s.

The new law means it is an offence to sell vaping products to children, with penalties ranging from fines of up to 4,000 to up to six months in prison. It is currently an offence to sell cigarettes to anyone under the age of 18.

Other measures in the new law due to be enacted next year include a prohibition of the sale of tobacco and vaping products in vending machines, as well as a ban on advertising the products near schools or on public transport. The law will also ban the sale of cigarettes or vapes at events that are aimed at children.

[Crazy, absolute madness: Vaping companies in Ireland cash in as legislation struggles to keep up]

In a statement, Mr Donnelly said he was pleased to be able to bring the ban on the sale of vapes to under-18s into effect before Christmas, as he had previously committed to do so.

In 2024 I will commence the remaining measures in the Act (such as around advertising, a licensing system and vending machines), he said.

The Department of Health is currently running a public consultation on plans to further regulate vapes, aimed at reducing the numbers of young people using the products.

[Lung cancer specialist raises concerns over impact of vaping]

The consultation, which is open until January 5th, is seeking the publics view on banning smoking in outdoor dining areas, as well as regulating the packaging of vaping products and their display in shops.

The department has also proposed extending current smoke-free restrictions to vaping, as well as increasing the age when young people can buy tobacco products.

Excerpt from:

Ban on sale of vapes to under-18s in force from Friday - The Irish Times