Category Archives: Vaping

More than a third of New Zealand high school students have tried vaping, a new study shows, with 10 per cent vaping regularly and 6 per cent at least once a week.

About 80 per cent of those who reported vaping regularly and 90 per cent of those who vaped weekly or more often sometimes or always used e-cigarettes containing nicotine.

Students often began experimenting with vaping at a young age, with 22 per cent of Year 9 students (13 and 14-year-olds) saying they had tried vaping.

According to clinical psychologist Dougal Sutherland there was real difficulty in designing effective marketing campaigns to deter young people. Its what the cool people are doing at school thats going to be much more influential.

READ MORE:* Vaping problem in schools at 'almost epidemic proportions'* When we've achieved a smokefree Aotearoa, we can start fighting the vape epidemic* Youth vaping - worrying epidemic or divisive distraction from smokefree goals?

The study is based on data from the Youth19 survey of secondary school students aged 13 to 18 in the Auckland, Northland, and Waikato education regions conducted in 2019. It reflects the situation before the Government banned the sale of vaping products to under 18s and prohibited e-cigarette marketing late last year.

The fact that flavours make vaping an enjoyable experience increases the appeal for young people. (File photo)

The influence of people their age is a huge factor, Sutherland said. Theres clearly a sort of coolness attached to it.

A group of middle-aged white men in suits, he said, would be fighting a losing battle to change their minds.

There is also a sense that its relatively safe. Its not smoking, therefore its okay.

The fact that the flavours made it an enjoyable experience increased the appeal for young people. Its like RTDs for alcohol if you make it sweet and palatable, young people will be drawn to it.

Researcher Dr Jude Ball, from the University of Otago in Wellington, said the study highlighted the importance of getting the balance right between making it easy for adult smokers to switch to less harmful vaping, while protecting young non-smokers.

Our findings suggest that during 2018 and 2019, that balance was not achieved.

Ricky Wilson/Stuff

The study highlighted the importance of getting the balance right between making it easy for adult smokers to switch to less harmful vaping, while protecting young non-smokers. (File photo)

Vaping was two to three times more common than smoking among students, and was common among demographic groups unlikely to smoke; two-thirds of those who had tried it, and nearly half of regular vapers, had never smoked.

Two-thirds of those who had tried vaping, and nearly half of regular vapers, had never smoked, and it was and was common among demographic groups unlikely to smoke.

Nationally, this would translate to 15,000 regular vapers and 6700 weekly vapers in the New Zealand secondary school population who have never smoked, Ball said.

Adolescents use increased sharply since the introduction of devices compatible with nicotine in 2018.

Our finding that 80 per cent of students who vape regularly are using nicotine is in contrast to a 2018 study which showed only 23 per cent of 14 and 15-year-old vapers had used nicotine the last time they vaped.

It is also concerning that 17 per cent of those who had tried vaping did not know whether they had used nicotine or not.

Christel Yardley/Stuff

A collection of vaping gear confiscated from students at Cambridge High School. (File photo)

Ball said while vaping carried lower health risks than smoking, it was not harmless.

Recent reports have highlighted the risk of acute lung injury in vapers, as well as chronic risks to cardiovascular, respiratory and oral health, she said. The impacts of long term use are still unknown.

Fellow researcher Associate Professor Terryann Clark (Ngpuhi), from the University of Auckland, welcomed new Government proposals to invest in social marketing campaigns aimed at young people.

Our findings suggest that prevention campaigns will need to focus on much younger students, with one in five students having already tried vaping by the age of 14.

More needed to be done to enforce new laws brought in last year to restrict marketing, and ban the sale of vaping products to under 18s.

The research paper, New Zealand Youth19 survey: vaping has wider appeal than smoking in secondary school students, and most use nicotine-containing e-cigarettes, has been published in the Australian and New Zealand Journal of Public Health.

Continued here:

Vaping with nicotine more common than smoking among teens - Stuff.co.nz

In what feels like another lifetime, before the COVID-19 outbreak, there was a different type of lung disease affecting a majority of people. Vape consumers, primarily those who consumed cannabis, were suffering from a disease called EVALI, which caused respiratory and gastrointestinal symptoms. The disease could result in long-lasting damage to the lungs and even in death.

And now, a recent study reveals that states with legal marijuana programs had fewer reports of the illness.

RELATED: How Safe Do Consumers Really Feel After Recent Vaping Illness?

Photo by cottonbro via Pexels

Published in the journal Drug and Alcohol Dependence, and conducted in conjunction with the National Institute on Drug Abuse, the study demonstrated that in states where cannabis was medicinally or recreationally legal, EVALI was much less available. In 2019, states with marijuana laws had 42% fewer cases of EVALI.

Marijuana policy attributes linked to lower EVALI incidences were also associated with reduced likelihoods of vaping as ones primary mode of use, concludes the study. As additives in informally-sourced vaping concentrates could drive future EVALI cases, marijuana policy design should account for effects on mode of use in licit and illicit markets, to limit the scope of future outbreaks.

RELATED: The Dark Truth Behind The Recent Outbreak Of Vaping Related Illnesses

EVALI first appeared in 2019, creating a sort of panic within the vaping community, especially since vape pens were becoming increasingly common. After some study and research, the disease was linked to an element in cannabis vapes known as vitamin E acetate, although other compounds and elements might also have an influence.

This study is a great example of the importance of legal cannabis. Aside from the standard reasons, such as reducing the effects of the war on drugs and providing new avenues for medical relief, legal cannabis significantly reduces the extent and harm of illicit and black-market cannabis. As long as cannabis remains illegal on a federal level, unsuspecting people will continue to be harmed by these preventable situations.

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Vaping Lung Disease Less Likely In These States, Finds New Study - The Fresh Toast

coronavirus,

A number of Canberra's daily COVID-19 cases have come from people sharing vaping equipment, ACT chief health officer Dr Kerryn Coleman has revealed. Dr Coleman said the number of daily cases that came from vaping had more than doubled in the few weeks, with four to eight cases identified each day. "The sharing of vaping equipment has been identified as a potential transmission pathway," she said. "In the current environment, I think actions like this are undoubtedly going to increase the risk of transmission in our community. "So think about everything you do where you are sharing some form of saliva or a piece of equipment." The trend was being seen in young people and household contacts, Dr Coleman said. Canberra will emerge from lockdown on Friday, after the chief health officer gave the final sign-off to the ACT's emergency cabinet on Monday. MORE COVID-19 NEWS: Dr Coleman said to expect an increase in cases, with the possibility that the daily number could reach at least 100 within a fortnight. "We're working towards seeing 50 cases, up to 60 cases and then up to 100 cases per day, I'm really not sure how long that will take," she said. "We may see 50 cases per day but the mid to end of next week. "It may take us another couple of weeks to get to 100 cases or we may see it happen over a fortnight." The ACT recorded another 28 cases of COVID-19 in the 24 hours to 8pm on Monday. Our coverage of the health and safety aspects of this outbreak of COVID-19 in the ACT and the lockdown is free for anyone to access. However, we depend on subscription revenue to support our journalism. If you are able, please subscribe here. If you are already a subscriber, thank you for your support. You can also sign up for our newsletters for regular updates. Our journalists work hard to provide local, up-to-date news to the community. This is how you can continue to access our trusted content:

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A number of Canberra's daily COVID-19 cases have come from people sharing vaping equipment, ACT chief health officer Dr Kerryn Coleman has revealed.

Dr Coleman said the number of daily cases that came from vaping had more than doubled in the few weeks, with four to eight cases identified each day.

"The sharing of vaping equipment has been identified as a potential transmission pathway," she said.

"In the current environment, I think actions like this are undoubtedly going to increase the risk of transmission in our community.

"So think about everything you do where you are sharing some form of saliva or a piece of equipment."

The trend was being seen in young people and household contacts, Dr Coleman said.

Canberra will emerge from lockdown on Friday, after the chief health officer gave the final sign-off to the ACT's emergency cabinet on Monday.

Dr Coleman said to expect an increase in cases, with the possibility that the daily number could reach at least 100 within a fortnight.

"We're working towards seeing 50 cases, up to 60 cases and then up to 100 cases per day, I'm really not sure how long that will take," she said.

"We may see 50 cases per day but the mid to end of next week.

"It may take us another couple of weeks to get to 100 cases or we may see it happen over a fortnight."

Our coverage of the health and safety aspects of this outbreak of COVID-19 in the ACT and the lockdown is free for anyone to access. However, we depend on subscription revenue to support our journalism. If you are able, please subscribe here. If you are already a subscriber, thank you for your support. You can also sign up for our newsletters for regular updates.

Our journalists work hard to provide local, up-to-date news to the community. This is how you can continue to access our trusted content:

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Vaping causing COVID-19 transmission in the ACT - The Canberra Times

The TPD 2021 Application Report singled out novel tobacco products such as snus and e-cigarettes, as posing specific regulatory challenges.

And sadly, a number of studies have already indicated that this was indeed the case. The UK Office for National Statistics (ONS) annual publication release in 2018, Adult Smoking Habits in Great Britain, with data for 2017, had pointed out that while smoking rates amongst young adults had dipped further, those for older adults had for the first time in years, increased slightly, as predicted.

ECigIntelligence, the renowned independent data analysis resource for the tobacco-alternatives industry, had explained that the EU Commission has carried out different assessments with industry members, commissioned research to in-house scientists and third parties, and put in place a validation workshop to check the consistency and accuracy of all the findings, since 2019.

These findings have been used by officials as important sources in the document, which had then been forwarded to the European Parliament, the Council, the European Economic and Social Committee, and the Committee of the Regions.

The TPD 2021 Application Report, was finally published by the European Commission on May 20th. It singled out novel tobacco products such as snus as posing specific regulatory challenges. Instead of acknowledging the benefits of such products, the report refers to them as a nuisance to regulate, saying that the market for tobacco and nicotine products as more diverse and challenging to regulate, as the new product categories circumvent existing regulations and cant be fully addressed by the current TPD rules.

Health warnings, the existence of flavours, and the use of devices were among the issues singled out by the Commissions report as legal loopholes exploited by these novel products. The Commission also said that it plans to amend the TPD to fully capture new products such as nicotine pouches and heated tobacco products (HTPs).

In compiling the report, the Directorate-General for Health and Food Safety (DG SANTE) is believed to have considered a product perception study, and researched howspecific product categories, such as vaping and heated tobacco products, are perceived by the public.

The study titled, European adult smokes perceptions of the harmfulness of e-cigarettes relative to combustible cigarettes: cohort findings from the 2016 and 2018 EUREST-PLUS IT, aimed to determine the effects of the TPD on the harm perceptions of e-cigarettes compared to cigarettes, in adult smokers from six European Union member states (Germany, Greece, Hungary, Poland, Romania and Spain).

A total of 6011 participants were recruited in 2016, before the TPD was implemented. Of these, 3195 were followed-up in 2018 along with an additional new 2832 respondents in 2018. The researchers adjusted results according to consumption of cigarettes per day, sociodemographic characteristics and the number of times participated in the study.

The researchers found that in 2018, 28.4% of the respondents viewed e-cigarettes as less harmful than cigarettes, 61.8% believed that they were equally or more harmful than cigarettes and 9.8% responded that they did not know whether they were more, less or equally as harmful as cigarettes.

However, there were no significant overall differences in perceptions between 2016 and 2018. The only exception to this was a change in dont know responses in Spain, where participants were less likely to respond that they did not know whether e-cigarettes were less harmful than cigarettes in 2018 than they were in 2016.

UK Study: TPD Regulation Pushes UK Vapers to The Black Market

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The Outcome of The EU TPD Implementation Report - Vaping Post

UAE authorities have said that a British man arrested for possession of synthetic cannabis oil has the right of appeal and his case is now pending the court of appeals decision. The UAE considers drug dealing a serious crime and is known to have a zero-tolerance approach.

Billy Hood, 25, was arrested in the Emirates on February 2 and charged with drug trafficking after his car was searched and substantial amounts of cannabis oil were found.

The General Directorate for Drug Control (GDDC) received a tip-off that Mr Hood possessed quantities of synthetic cannabis oil with the intention of selling, according to a statement from the UAEs Public Prosecution.

A source from the GDDC said that the man had quantities of cannabis oil intended for trafficking in return for financial gain, including the cannabis oil, substantial amounts of cash, an electronic hookah, various storage bottles and boxes and 570 individual cartridges to be used for substance vaping.

The statement said Mr Hood was convicted based on evidence including the items found in his possession, information on his phone, a third-party statement and his own confession.

Mr Hood has since appealed the initial ruling in accordance with UAE law, and his case is now pending with the Court of Appeal. At all times, he has been treated in accordance with UAE law and applicable international standards, according to an official statement from the UAE Public Prosecution.

There were reports in British media in which Mr Hood alleged that he was not treated well and was forced to sign a confession written in Arabic despite not speaking the language. The public prosecution office said that Mr Hood has had access to an English interpreter at all stages, including for his questioning, confession and trial.

He was represented in his trial by a defence lawyer whom he selected. The UAE provided full access to Mr Hood for UK diplomatic and consular representatives, who visited him in custody, the statement read.

The UAE Government considers that drug dealing is a serious crime. Like a number of other governments, it takes a zero-tolerance approach, and this is well known. It seeks to protect its communities from the serious dangers posed by illicit narcotics.

The UN Office of Drugs and Crime has categorised MDMB-4en-PINACA - the cannabis oil that was found in Mr Hoods car - as a Schedule II substance, with severe adverse health effects and fatal intoxication, which has no therapeutic use.

According to United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, MDMB-4en-PINACA was placed under international control at the 64th regular session of the Commission on Narcotic Drugs in April 2021 (Schedule II of the Convention on Psychotropic Substances of 1971) upon recommendation by the World Health Organisation.

The substance is a potent synthetic cannabinoid receptor agonist - with similar effects to a number of other synthetic cannabinoids that are controlled under Schedule II of the Convention on Psychotropic Substances of 1971.

The use of MDMB-4en-PINACA has been associated with severe adverse effects, including fatal intoxications, and cases of impaired driving.

MDMB-4en-PINACA has no therapeutic use, according to WHO.

Updated: October 16th 2021, 12:56 PM

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UAE says British man arrested for possession of synthetic cannabis oil has right of appeal - The National

Vaping individuals who dont smoke cigarettes or marijuana, were more likely to report suffering from asthma-like symptoms, than non-vapers, said the researchers. Lead study author Alayna P. Tackett PhD, an assistant professor of preventive medicine at the University of Southern California Keck School of Medicine and her team, conducted a web-based survey of 2,931 adolescents and young adults with questions related to the use of e-cigarettes, cigarettes and cannabis, along with self-reported asthma diagnosis and respiratory symptoms, over the previous 30 days.

After controlling for age, gender and race/ethnicity, the compiled data indicated that past 30-day e-cigarette use was associated with increased odds of self-reported asthma, wheezing and shortness of breath, compared with survey respondents who reported never using e-cigarettes.

This relationship held true, even after statistically controlling for those who reported never using cigarettes or cannabis. The prevalence of asthma, wheeze and shortness of breath was 24%, 13% and 20%, respectively. Among past 30-day e-cigarette users, 15% reported using cigarettes and 37% reported cannabis use.

As more products, including cannabis and various e-cigarette devices, enter the market, assessing respiratory health will be important both where adolescents and young adults receive their health care and in research, said Dr. Tackett. This preliminary study highlights the need for more longitudinal studies and studies that incorporate objective assessments of respiratory health to further determine the specific respiratory risks from e-cigarettes. We also need to better understand the complex relationships between these products and whether multiple product use is associated with worse respiratory outcomes.

Meanwhile, an earlier study by award winning and renowned expert in tobacco harm reduction Prof. Riccardo Polosa, titled Health effects in COPD smokers who switch to electronic cigarettes: a retrospective-prospective 3-year follow-up, had indicated that COPD patients who had completely switched to e-cigarettes, reported improved respiratory symptoms. While those who continued to smoke, experienced no change in either measure of disease severity.

The findings of this review indicate that ECs under normal conditions of use demonstrate far fewer respiratory risks than combustible tobacco cigarettes.Prof. Riccardo Polosa

The present study suggests that EC (e-cigarette) use may ameliorate objective and subjective COPD outcomes and that the benefits gained may persist long-term. EC use may reverse some of the harm resulting from tobacco smoking in COPD patients, concluded Polosa at the time.

Similarly, a comprehensive 2019 review also conducted by Polosa, carried out with the aim of comparing the effects of vaping and smoking on lung health, had confirmed once again that vaping is much less harmful.

We critically assess published research on the respiratory system investigating the effects of ECs in pre-clinical models, clinical studies of people who switched to ECs from tobacco cigarettes, and population surveys. We assess the studies for the quality of their methodology and accuracy of their interpretation. To adequately assess the impact of EC use on human health, addressing common mistakes and developing robust and realistic methodological recommendations is an urgent priority, read the study Abstract.

The findings of this review indicate that ECs under normal conditions of use demonstrate far fewer respiratory risks than combustible tobacco cigarettes. EC users and smokers considering ECs have the right to be informed about the relative risks of EC use, and to be made aware that findings of studies published by the media are not always reliable, concluded Polosa once again.

Read Further: EurekAlert!

New Study Links Vapour Exposure to Acute COPD Symptoms

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New Study Claims That Vaping Causes Wheezing And Shortness of Breath - Vaping Post

Vapers are being warned that E-cigs contain thousands of chemicals that could harm health, warns new research.

They include potentially toxic industrial substances and caffeine - to provide an extra kick.

The compounds are undisclosed by manufacturers - and not found in traditional cigarettes.

Scientists analysed four popular tobacco flavoured liquids including Mi-Salt, Vuse, Juul and Blu.

They identified the unique 'fingerprints' of almost 2,000 chemicals using a state of the art scanning technique.

Six were possibly harmful - including three never previously found in e-gigs. The vast majority were unidentified.

Alarmingly, hydrocarbon-like compounds were detected - typically associated with combustion - which manufacturers say is not happening.

In traditional cigarettes, the condensed hydrocarbons generated during combustion are toxic.

Lead author Dr Mina Tehrani said: "One of the main ways electronic cigarettes have been marketed is they operate at temperatures below combustion, which would make them safer than traditional smoking.

"Our study shows this novel fingerprinting approach can be applied to assess whether combustion-like processes are going on."

She was particularly surprised to find caffeine in two of the four products.

The stimulant has previously only been found in e-cig liquid flavours like coffee and chocolate.

Dr Tehrani said: "That might be giving smokers an extra kick that is not disclosed. We wonder if they are adding it intentionally."

Three industrial chemicals, a pesticide and two flavourings linked with possible toxic effects and respiratory irritation were also found.

Vaping products come in hundreds of flavours ranging from fruits, vanilla, and custard to bubblegum - and even donuts.

Senior author Dr Carsten Prasse said: "People just need to know that they're inhaling a very complex mixture of chemicals when they vape.

"And for a lot of these compounds we have no idea what they actually are."

It has particular implications for teenagers who believe e-cigs are a safer option than smoking tobacco.

In the UK, more than one in three 15 year-olds have used the devices despite the fact it is illegal to sell them to under-18s.

The team at Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland, applied an advanced technique used to check organic compounds in food, wastewater and blood.

It found vaping could have adverse health effects - and the risks are yet to be fully determined.

Dr Prasse said: "Existing research that compared e-cigarettes with normal cigarettes found cigarette contaminants are much lower in e-cigarettes.

"The problem is e-cigarette aerosols contain other completely uncharacterised chemicals that might have health risks that we don't yet know about.

"More and more young people are using these e-cigarettes and they need to know what theyre being exposed to."

Previous studies have looked specifically for evidence of the hazardous chemicals found in traditional cigarettes.

Dr Prasse became interested in e-cigs after his cousin, a former smoker, started vaping, insisting it was healthy. He plans to send him the findings.

He said: "I have a problem with how vaping is being marketed as more healthy than smoking cigarettes.

"In my opinion we are just not at the point when we can really say that."

Co author Dr Ana Rule, an expert in metals exposures from vaping, says young people aren't making a healthier choice - only a risky one.

She said: "There are millions of middle school and high-school students vaping that would not otherwise think of smoking. For them there is no risk reduction - only increased risk."

Last year University of Bristol researchers found teenagers who use e-cigs are nearly five times more likely to smoke tobacco later in life.

Public Health England has repeatedly endorsed the devices. But other experts are worried about safety concerns and their use by young people.

It is estimated one in nine children aged 11 to 17 in the UK has tried vaping.

Vaping has been linked to 200 health problems including heart disease and pneumonia.

In August another US team found vaping just once can damage cells - increasing the risk of cancer and other life threatening illnesses.

The latest study is in Chemical Research in Toxicology.

For more stories from where you live, visit InYourArea.

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Vape fluid 'contains thousands of chemicals that could harm health' - Wales Online

SAN DIEGO, Oct. 11, 2021 /PRNewswire/ --Sales of Verifique, the fastest and most accurate at-home drug testing kit on the global market, went live the week of October 5, and concerned parents across North America express huge interest in the product in preparation for Halloween. Not wishing to be left any longer in the dark as to whether or not their adolescent children are using cannabis, parents are turning to these easy-to-use, at-home test kits. Cannabis use by youth is discouraged heavily by all major health organizations and the scientific literature supports this position.

What are our youth doing this Halloween? What are they consuming? Verifique offers parents a chance to test for Cannabis in treats and products that are difficult to detect.

Halloween is a time when many of these products are heavily promoted. Unfortunately, cannabis is aggressively marketed and sold to the underage youth market in products that are designed to be inconspicuous. Cannabis is made available in a wide range of edible products, many of which are copycats of popular branded food items and candy; there are cannabis enhanced drinks, baked goodies, chewing gum, and even potato chips marketed as cannabis drug delivery devices. Vaping cannabis has become enormously popular with youth but remains a serious and dangerous risk to health. All of these products have one thing in common: they are designed to make it near impossible to detect the presence of THC-cannabis.

With the rapid emergence of youth vaping cannabis that has become one of the most pressing public health issues of our time; the time is now for parents to keep their families safe by testing any suspicious products and paraphernalia.

The rise in vaping cannabis indicates the need for new prevention and intervention efforts aimed specifically at adolescents. Verifique Cannabis Test Kits offer parents rapid results that test vape pens, edibles, vape, and treats in a concerted effort to support keep families and communities safe.

Verifique's at-home test kits have been designed and developed to make it easy for parents, teachers, and community leaders to address the cannabis vaping crisis. The easy-to-use narcotic detection kits are now available via their website.

For more information on Verifique, visit http://www.verifique.netand follow the brand on LinkedIn, Instagram, and Facebook for updates.

For media inquiries:

Max Jakubke

max@publishpartners.co

778.772.7336

PUBLiSH Partners

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Verifique Cannabis Test Kits Experience Heightened Demand from Concerned Parents in Advance of Halloween - WFMZ Allentown

The St. Paul City Council will introduce a new ordinance that would set a $10 minimum price on a pack of cigarettes and ban coupons and other discounts at retail outlets, among other things.

Eva Hambach | AFP via Getty Images 2019

St. Paul is poised to enact some of the toughest tobacco restrictions in the nation. The City Council on Wednesday will introduce a new ordinance that would set a $10 minimum price on a pack of cigarettes and ban coupons and other discounts at retail outlets, among other things.

City Council member Nelsie Yang said it's about public health.

St. Paul City Council member Nelsie Yang.

Nina Moini | MPR News 2019

"It's about healing our communities and taking it back, she said. You know, putting it back into the hands of people, and allowing them to decide, do they want a community that revolves around health and safety and so much more? The answer is yes."

A sponsor of the new ordinance, Yang said that despite legal and regulatory action, she thinks tobacco companies are still improperly targeting children, people of color and low-income communities. She said she simply wants to make it as difficult as possible to start smoking, vaping and chewing and have more reason than ever to stop.

Besides the price regulations, the new ordinance will also gradually cut back on the number of tobacco retail licenses in the city and mandate a half-mile separation for tobacco retailers, which could further restrict outlets.

Anti-tobacco activists say there is some precedent for the new regulations: New York City has a per-pack minimum price, now $13. And Providence, R.I., bans tobacco discounts.

Jeanne Weigum, president of the St. Paul-based Association of Nonsmokers-Minnesota, which helped draft the city's proposed ordinance, said the per-pack minimum is actually lower than some current retail prices, and probably should be higher in St. Paul.

Cigarette smoking is already dropping among Minnesotans, and has declined mostly sharply among teens in Minnesota in recent years. Occasional use is down from nearly a third of high school students in 2000 to about 3 percent in the most recent state Health Department survey.

But about 1 in 5 now report occasional e-cigarette use.

Weigum said St. Paul's no-discount ordinance is aimed at vaping liquids, e-cigarettes and kids.

"Vaping erased literally two decades of gains we had made, she said. I think we're edging our way back. I think the regulations that have been put in with T-21, some of the flavoring restrictions, are starting to reverse it."

Weigum said the minimum pack price and no-coupon policy will give St. Paul some of the most far-reaching tobacco regulations in the country. She hopes it will spread, like the city's first attempt at a smoking ban in bars.

The ordinance includes other measures: Fines for underage sale would grow from $200 to $500 for first offense and up to $2,000 for a third offense. Also, liquor stores would no longer be able to sell menthol cigarettes.

For retailers including many small businesses it's another speed bump on the road to making a living, according to Minnesota Retailers Association President Bruce Nustad.

"I think there's just a bit of a feeling that there's a little bit of a piling on relative to consumers and retailers in St. Paul right now, he said. The city has asked retailers to make a lot of sacrifices. You look at sick and safe leave, you look at minimum wage. All these things, and they might be the right ideas, but it feels like this isn't the best time for that kind of a far-reaching tobacco ordinance."

But it looks like it will happen: the new ordinance gets a first reading at City Hall Wednesday, and a public hearing on Oct. 20. All seven City Council members have already signed on as co-sponsors.

That means an Oct. 27 vote is likely a foregone conclusion although the real question will be if any other cities follow St. Paul's lead, as they did in 2004 when it implemented an indoor smoking ban.

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St. Paul to introduce some of the strictest tobacco rules in the nation - Minnesota Public Radio News

Australian surveys show vaping by young people has increased.16, 17

Young people who vape nicotine are exposed to a toxic chemical that can harm adolescent brain development (the brain continues to develop until the age of 25) and lead to dependance.2

There is also some evidence that vaping nicotine is associated with later tobacco use among teenagers.20-24

The advertising and promotion of vaping products is illegal in Australia.

However, companies can use other strategies to target youth.

Social media has been found to play a role as both an information source and as a means of exposure to e-cigarette advertising in Australia.25

Companies are also glamourising their products to seem cool or fun and creating flavours that appeal to young people.26

There have been a number of studies which have found that e-cigarette flavours which give off the perception of sweetness (such as candy or fruit flavoured) may make buying and trying e-cigarettes more appealing among young people.27-29

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The Alcohol and Drug Foundation - Alcohol and Drug Foundation