Category Archives: Vaping

COLUMBIA In Oconee County, dozens of illegal e-cigarettes are confiscated from students weekly, tallying to potentially thousands in the past three years, estimates school security director Evie Hughes.

I dont believe you can go into a bathroom in a middle or high school and not get a vape, Hughes told the SC Daily Gazette. It is an epidemic among kids.

A bipartisan proposal sent Thursday to the Senate floor aims to cut down on the number of vapes being sold to children, who could be inhaling much more than nicotine.

The fruity- or candy-flavored e-cigarettes that have caused vaping by youth to skyrocket are already illegal. Only e-cigarettes that taste like tobacco or menthol are approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, and theyre generally marketed as a way to help adults quit smoking.

The problem is that the colorful, disposable vapes made in China (and often disguised as something else) have poured into the United States since shortly before Chinese regulators banned selling the flavors there in 2022.

U.S. authorities cant keep up. The FDA announced its first seizure of illegal e-cigarette shipments in December. The 1.4 million products seized at the Los Angeles airport all from China were worth $18 million, according to the announcement.

South Carolina is among states acting on their own to try to stop the escalating flow to youth in their borders.

This is about the children and their futures, said Senate President Thomas Alexander, R-Walhalla.

His bill, which received a rare unanimous vote by all 17 senators on the Medical Affairs Committee, would create a registry of vapes that are legal to sell in South Carolina. Products not on the registry, created and maintained by the attorney generals office, could be seized from wholesalers and retailers.

Makers and distributors of vapes not on the approved list must remove them from stores statewide or face fines of $1,000 per day per product.

The sweet-smelling, brightly colored vapes senators are trying to get off shelves come in flavors like wild cherry, bubblegum and cotton candy. The packing can look like makeup brushes, highlighters and flash drives, making them easy to conceal in a students book bag or pockets, said Senate Minority Leader Brad Hutto, D-Orangeburg.

Its clear from the colors and shapes of these that these are being marketed to children, said Hutto, among 15 co-sponsors of the bill.

As a show-and-tell of the problem, Alexander brought dozens of e-cigarettes confiscated from Oconee County students over the past several weeks.

Hughes said 30 to 50 vapes are taken from students in the districts 18 schools each week.

In South Carolina, 47% of high school students reported vaping in 2020, according to the latest stats available from the Department of Alcohol and Other Drug Abuse Services. It could be much higher now.

Nationwide, theres been a 2,600% rocket-fueled-like surge since 2019 in high schoolers who vape choosing disposables, with fruity flavors being by far the most popular, followed by candy flavors, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Preventions 2023 National Youth Tobacco Survey.

Like regular cigarettes, e-cigarettes contain nicotine. And disposable vapes generally have a high nicotine content. The addictive drug is particularly harmful to young people whose brains are still developing, as it can affect their attention spans, mood, impulse control and ability to learn, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The vapor has also been linked to lung damage and seizures, according to the FDA.

And thats what can happen with regulated vapes.

Theres no telling whats in illegal, unregulated vapes coming from China, senators said.

Some have THC, the psychoactive drug found in marijuana. Senators said they worry many could be laced with highly deadly drugs like fentanyl, a synthetic opioid 100 times more potent than morphine thats also pouring in from China. Fentanyl-laced vapes have already been reported in other states.

Under South Carolinas bill, the registry would have to be in place by Sept. 1.

Four other states Alabama, Louisiana, Oklahoma, and Wisconsin already have similar registries. Virginia is expected to be the fifth with a bill passed by its Legislature this week.

Alexanders bill has the backing of not only legislators of both parties but educators and law enforcement.

It would put the State Law Enforcement Division, the attorney generals office and the Department of Revenue in charge of enforcement.

Richland County Sheriff Leon Lott said his deputies are busy with murders, break-ins and other serious crimes. They dont have time to check what products stores have on their shelves, he said.

We could spend all our time going to stores, Lott said.

The registry would make it easier for the state to crack down on sales, said Columbia Mayor Daniel Rickenmann, who spoke in support of the bill at a recent subcommittee meeting.

Getting enforcement into place is key, said Rickenmann, adding hes heard from parents and teachers.

In Oconee County, students caught with vapes have to go through an eight-week course on the dangers of drugs and alcohol.

Instead of deterring students, though, the strict punishments have led to teens getting sneakier about hiding their vapes, Hughes said.

It feels like were fighting a war, but right now were losing the battle, Hughes said.

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As youth vaping skyrockets, SC bill aims to crack down on sales of illegal e-cigs - News From The States

Vaping is not risk-free but is less harmful than cigarette smoking, according to the UK's National Health Service (NHS).

More than half of smokers in England inaccurately think that vaping is more or as harmful as cigarette smoking, according to a new study.

The study included survey responses from more than 28,000 smokers in England between 2014 and 2023.

Some 57 per cent of respondents thought vaping was more or equally as harmful as smoking, while 27 per cent thought e-cigarettes were more harmful.

The risks of vaping are much lower than the risks of smoking and this isnt being clearly communicated to people, said Sarah Jackson, lead author and principal research fellow at University College London.

This misperception is a health risk in and of itself, as it may discourage smokers from substantially reducing their harm by switching to e-cigarettes."

"It may also encourage some young people who use e-cigarettes to take up smoking for the first time, if they believe the harms are comparable," she added.

The findings were published in Jama Network Open and funded by Cancer Research UK.

The researchers also found that the perception of e-cigarettes has worsened over time. In 2014, only 11 per cent of smokers said they were more harmful than cigarettes.

The researchers said this view increased amid reports in the US of lung injuriesassociated with the use of e-cigarette or vaping products.

Laboratory data, however, showed that the cases were linked to vitamin E acetate, an additive in THC-containing e-cigarette or vaping products, according to theCenters for Disease Control and Prevention(CDC).

The study's authors said that more research is needed into the factors that caused people to think vaping was more or as harmful as smoking.

According to the National Health Service (NHS), nicotine vaping is not risk-free but is "substantially less harmful than smoking".

"We only recommend it for adult smokers, to support quitting smoking and staying quit," the NHS added.

There have been concerns about the rise in vaping among young people especially. One study in the US found that some 14 per cent of high school students reported e-cigarette use and that many did not know that vaping products contain nicotine.

The CDC also notes that young people who use e-cigarettes may be more likely to start smoking.

The UK is banning the sale and supply of disposable vapes due to their appeal to young people, including colourful packaging.

"The number of children using vapes has tripled in the last three years and there is strong evidence to suggest that cheap and easy-to-use disposable vapes are partly to blame," the government said.

One limitation of the UCL study was that only current adult smokers were asked about their perception of e-cigarettes so the researchers were "unable to explore changes among nonsmokers or youth".

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Adults in England wrongly think vaping is worse than smoking - study - Euronews

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Iowa vaping bill draws opponents from retailers, health care groups - Southernminn.com

In concerning news a new survey shows rates of current e-cigarette use and vaping in Australia have tripled since 2019 from 2.5% to 7.0% of people.

The data comes from the results of the latest National Drug Strategy Household Survey (NDSHS).

More than 21,000 people across Australia took part in the survey, produced by the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW), in 2022 and 2023.

Vaping was most common among people aged 1824, with current use increasing substantially between 2019 (5.3%) and 20222023 (21%), says AIHW spokesperson Dr Gabrielle Phillips.

The proportion of all people who have used an e-cigarette at least once in their lifetime has also increased significantly to 19.8% from 11.3% in 2019.

But that number jumps in young adults aged 1824 to almost half (49%).

Episode 2 of the Cosmos: Debunks podcast series on vices, we learned that while we know about the long-term health impacts of smoking tobacco, the effect of vaping wont be fully understood until decades down the line.

The 2022-2023 NDSHS was conducted before new regulations on vapes and e-cigarettes including restriction on importation of vapes except for therapeutic purposes came into effect in early 2024.

The report also provides insights into the use of other drugs including tobacco, alcohol, and illicit substances in Australia.

In promising news, the proportion of people who smoke daily continues to drop from 24% in 1991 to 8.3% in 2022-2023 while the proportion of those who have never smoked continues to increase from 49% in 1991 to 65% in 2022-2023.

Smoking is the leading cause of preventable disease and death in Australia, so its encouraging that we continue to see a decrease in the use of tobacco by people in Australia, says Phillips.

But Phillips says that, despite updated guidelines to reduce alcohol-related harms, the proportion of people in Australia who drink alcohol at risky levels has not changed since 2019.

Alcohol still remains the most commonly used drug in Australia, with 77% of Australians reporting they consumed alcohol in the previous 12 months.

And while almost half (47%) of Australians have used an illicit drug in their lifetime, about 1 in 5 (18%) have done so in the past 12 months.

This recent use of many illicit drugs, including cannabis and cocaine, has remained stable between 2019 and 2022-2023. However, from 2019 to 2022-2023:

Dr Stephen Bright, aSenior Lecturer in Addictionat Edith Cowan University, says the survey shows several interesting trends in drug use.

Australians continue to be one of the worlds highest consumers of cocaine, yet there is little public awareness about the use of this drug since it is perceived to be an upper-class drug despite the significant impact that the production of the drug and trafficking has on the South American rainforest and indigenous communities, he says.

Use of psychedelic drugs has significantly increased making them the third most popular illegal drugs in Australia after cannabis and cocaine. The increased popularity of psychedelic drugs is likely due to increased media hype regarding the potential for these drugs to be used to treat mental health conditions.

To access free and confidential advice about alcohol and other drugs, phone the National Alcohol and Other Drug Hotline 1800 250 015

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Young people lead vaping and use of some illicit drugs soar - Cosmos

Vaping is on the rise among young Australians. Recent figures from the National Drug Strategy Household Survey show current use of ecigarettes among teenagers aged 1417 increased five-fold from 1.8% in 2019 to 9.7% in 20222023. For young adults aged 1824, use quadrupled from 5.3% to 21% over the same time period.

If these young Australians were using e-cigarettes to quit smoking, perhaps we would have slightly less to worry about. But many young Australians using e-cigarettes do so recreationally and havent previously been exposed to nicotine. Although were still learning about how vaping will affect health in the long term, we know e-cigarettes are harmful.

Reforms introduced this year by the federal government will be key to reducing rates of e-cigarette use among young Australians, while ensuring those who are genuinely using e-cigarettes to quit smoking have a pathway to do so.

It will take some time to see a reduction in e-cigarette use as a result of these reforms. We need to be patient, and give the laws time to work. Enforcement will be key. But if theres anything weve learnt from decades of tobacco control, its that we need a comprehensive approach.

This is where the federal governments latest initiative a social media campaign targeting youth vaping comes in.

Read more: Young non-smokers in NZ are taking up vaping more than ever before. Here are 5 reasons why

Many will be familiar with the anti-smoking TV ads that have aired over the past several decades. Who could forget the Sponge campaign featuring tar being squeezed out of a sponge into a jar to represent the tar in the lungs of those who smoke.

Or the hard-hitting testimonial featuring a former smoker named Terrie diagnosed with oral and throat cancer, who had her larynx removed.

But times have changed. Tobacco smoking continues to decline and young Australians spend a lot of their time on social media. For better or worse, platforms such as Snapchat, TikTok, YouTube and Instagram have become a source of information for youth.

And so we need to be creative with our campaigns. We need to present information in a fresh way.

The governments new influencer-led youth vaping campaign aims to spark a conversation with the next generation of Australians about the harms of vaping and nicotine addiction.

This campaign will feature a range of influencers seeking to combat the large amount of pro-vaping content on social media platforms. These influencers people like Ella Watkins (a writer and actor), Ellyse Perry (a cricketer), Zahlia and Shyla Short (surfers), the Fairbairn Brothers (comedians), and JackBuzza (a gamer) span multiple areas to ensure young Australians with diverse interests are reached. Some have vaped in the past and subsequently quit.

The government hopes these influencers will engage young people using their own unique style and tone, and communicate authentically about the harms associated with e-cigarette use.

Read more: TikTok promotes vaping as a fun, safe and socially accepted pastime and omits the harms

The campaign capitalises on what can be powerful parasocial relationships: one-sided relationships where a person becomes emotionally connected to a public figure such as a celebrity or influencer. Social media influencers are in our childrens bedrooms, bathrooms, and classrooms. Why not use them to promote healthy attitudes and behaviours?

Emerging research suggests the use of social media influencers in anti-vaping campaigns could be a promising strategy for improving the reach of public health messaging and engagement with the target audience.

In the context of vaccination, the use of social influencers in a campaign promoting the flu vaccine in the United States led to significant increases in positive beliefs about the vaccine and marked decreases in negative attitudes toward it.

The use of social influencers to promote a healthy lifestyle is still a relatively new frontier in health communication, and whether this campaign will be effective is a tricky question to answer.

There are several benefits to this approach, such as leveraging the relationships influencers have built with their audience, enhanced authenticity, and meaningful communication of health information.

It also provides an opportunity to shift social norms. In the context of tobacco and vaping control specifically, public health has far fewer resources compared to the tobacco and vaping industries. The strategic use of social influencers can help organisations involved in health promotion to overcome this commercial imbalance.

Read more: How can I help my teen quit vaping?

But there could also be risks associated with this campaign, such as the lack of control over the content an influencer may choose to share, and their actions and opinions on other topics, which may affect their credibility. Vetting influencers and implementing risk mitigation plans will be crucial steps for the government to take.

Specific details of the campaign are yet to be released, so we dont know exactly how the influencers will be engaged to combat increasing rates of e-cigarette use among youth. But we will be closely watching this innovative approach.

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Could messages from social media influencers stop young people vaping? A look at the government's new campaign - The Conversation

(The Center Square) An Iowa bill that would add requirements to manufacturers of vaping and e-cigarette products has two surprising allies standing together in opposition: vape shops and health care organizations.

House Bill 682 and its companion legislation, Senate File 2402, would require vaping manufacturers who sell products in the state to include them on a new registry. The registration fee is $100 per product. Retailers could only sell products listed on the registry.

David Scott of Altria, a manufacturer of tobacco and related products, said the bill does not prohibit the sale of any legal product. What the bill does is prevent illegal products from overseas.

China have over 50% of the (products) that are illegal, Scott told a House Ways and Means subcommittee this week. Three out of the five youth brands are illicit but they are still being brought in.

The Food and Drug Administration created a similar registry on the federal level. In January, the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that the FDAs decisions were made arbitrarily and capriciously and that the agency should reconsider its guidelines. Scott said the FDA admits it doesnt have the resources to monitor the products.

If you are not on the directory, the FDA has no idea what the ingredients are in your vape, Scott said. They have no control of your marketing and we have no idea of the manufacturing process.

Iowa is one of 23 states considering bills that would require a vaping product registry, according to Consumer Advocates for Smoke-free Alternatives Association, an organization opposing the bills.

Sarah Linden, owner of Generation V in Council Bluffs and Davenport, told the subcommittee that the bill would put a strain on her business.

It would eliminate 99% of the vapor products on the market, Linden said. Retailers said vape users will find other ways to get their product if it is unavailable in their stores.

Retailers have an unlikely ally in health care organizations. The American Cancer Society is listed as against the bill in lobbyist declarations. The American Heart Association is undecided. CAFE Iowa Citizens Action Network, an organization that advocates for tobacco control policies to reduce its use, is also against the bill.

At the end of the day, this bill will do nothing to reduce youth consumption, and/or adults likely, said Threase Harms in her testimony. I think as the vape shop owner said that folks will continue to get this whether they bring it in online through their mailbox and have it delivered at their door or they go across state lines.

A better prevention measure would be advertising regulations, placing a tax on the products and a permit fee for retailers, according to Harm.

The bills were approved by subcommittees and will be heard by the Ways and Means committees in their respective chambers.

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Iowa vaping bill draws opponents from retailers, health care groups - Blackchronicle

The allure of e-cigarette usage for high schoolers is waning, according to newly published survey data by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Counseling Schools used data from the CDC survey, academic studies, and news articles to track trends in vaping and tobacco use among high schoolers in America.

Electronic cigarettes, also known as vapes, entered the U.S. marketplace around 2007. The use of e-cigarettes surged by 900% among middle and high school students between 2011 and 2015, according to a report from the office of former U.S. Surgeon General Vivek H. Murthy.

By 2018, the first U.S. vaping fatality, caused by an exploding e-cigarette pen, made worldwide newsthe same year TikTok became the most downloaded app in the U.S.

Still, the vaping rates of young people persisted. A study published in the official journal of the American Academy of Pediatrics found that another peak in vaping use among minors in 2019 was associated with highly increased sales of Juul. This once-popular e-cigarette manufacturer introduced higher-dosed nicotine products with flavors like mango, mint, and creme brulee that appealed to young people. CDC data collected in 2023 found that of the students who vape, just under 90% used flavored products.

Minnesota was the first state to make it to a trial with Juul in March 2023 after filing a lawsuit against the company in 2019. Attorney General Keith Ellison said Juul baited, deceived, and addicted a whole new generation of kids after Minnesotans slashed youth smoking rates down to the lowest level in a generation.

While Juul attorney David Bernick said the company did not intentionally drive youth demand, their targeting of adults with a less dangerous product could have spurred increased youth vaping.

Dr. Sarper Taskiran, a senior child and adolescent psychiatrist in the Psychopharmacology Center at the Child Mind Institute, said there is a misconception that vaping isnt harmful to users health. They really think that they are mostly flavors and that they are inhaling a pleasant gas, Taskiran said in an interview for the institutes website.

The aerosol vapor from e-cigarettes contains cancer-causing chemicals, the institute said. The packaging says 5% nicotine, which sounds like nothing, so teens think 95% is water weight or vapor, Taskiran said.

While the amount of nicotine in various e-cigarette products differs, a Healthline analysis shows that 15 puffs of an e-cigarette match the nicotine content of an entire cigar. Nicotine use in adolescents can harm brain development that controls attention, learning, mood, and impulse control. It can also increase the risks of future addictions to other drugs.

Despite all of the harms caused by vaping and the influence of e-cigarette manufacturers on U.S. minors, at its peak, the vaping rate of U.S. high schoolers doesnt come close to the historically high rates of cigarette smoking among the same age cohort some 20 years before. But, according to the CDC data, its decline has been much more rapid than that of cigarette smokers.

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Efforts to curb e-cigarette smoking among young people have struggled to keep pace with industry trends. In 2019, Juul ceased advertising in the U.S. and discontinued most of its flavors as part of the FDAs ban on teen-preferred flavors from reusable e-cigarettes. The flavor ban didnt apply to disposable vapesthe kind that more than half of teens use, according to the FDAs 2023 National Youth Tobacco Survey. Juul has settled legal cases with 48 states and U.S. territories.

Meanwhile, competitors have flooded the market, many of which are imported and not FDA approved. Between 2020 and 2022 alone, 46% of new reusable and disposable vape brands sold in the U.S., according to the CDCs Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report.

As of late 2023, around 2,000 vaping and e-cigarette brands are on the market, 90% of which are from Chinese factories. The FDA has yet to approve any disposable vape brands and is struggling to regulate the market, particularly as diplomatic relations with China remain tense. By contrast, Australia has an outright ban on all disposable vape imports starting January 2024.

The FDA can ban imports of illegal products and warn retailers who are selling unauthorized products, but that doesnt stop minors from getting vapes online.

The internet, more specifically TikTok, is an echo chamber for vaping use among young people. A comprehensive analysis by Australian researchers found that a majority of TikToks featuring vaping (63%) depicted its use positively. In 2020, a third of TikToks users were 14 or younger.

Yet, teen vaping rates appeared to fall by about 40% in 2020, as many were going to school remotely, according to a 2021 CDC survey, which was conducted online for the first time.

Teen vaping rates may continue to decreasewith or without Juuls recent attempt to sell vapes while blocking underage users using Bluetooth technology. TikTokers went viral in late November 2023, vowing to quit vaping in response to reports of child labor abuses in the Democratic Republic of Congos mining of cobalt, used in disposable vapes. Disposable vapes also create huge amounts of e-waste: An estimated 150 million vapes containing cobalt and other materials like iron and copper end up in landfills yearly.

CDC data also shows that vaping among middle schoolers has climbed from 3.3% in 2022 to 4.6% in 2023. Bebi Davis, the vice principal of Kawnanakoa Middle School in Hawaii, told EducationWeek that younger students may not have been as exposed to anti-vaping messages during remote schooling.

Now that middle-schoolers have returned to in-person learning, school staff may struggle to notice changing tobacco technologies. Davis said that vapes that once were mistaken for pens and new oral tobacco pouches can look like candy.

Kurt Ribisl, a University of North Carolina researcher, spoke to NBC News about the middle school data, saying it may be too soon to be concerned. While smoking rates of middle and high schoolers usually rise and fall together, he said that the surveys finding may be a short-term blip.

Data reporting by Wade Zhou. Story editing by Jeff Inglis. Copy editing by Kristen Wegrzyn.

This story originally appeared on Counseling Schools and was produced and distributed in partnership with Stacker Studio.

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Vaping is finally on a downward trend in schools - Lootpress

BEAMSVILLE, Ontario, Feb. 23, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The Canadian Vaping Association (CVA) is dedicated to promoting tobacco harm reduction (THR) strategies for adults while endorsing policies that safeguard youth from nicotine addiction and exposure. Global experts, including some who have testified in court, argue that certain measures proposed by health organizations, like flavour bans and high taxes, actually hinder harm reduction efforts and fail to reduce vaping experimentation among young people.

Contrary to many claims, a blanket ban on flavoured vaping products is a harmful approach to public health. Research finds that flavours play a crucial role in the adoption of vaping by adult smokers and that using a flavoured product to quit smoking significantly increases the likelihood of a successful quit attempt. Moreover, mounting evidence suggests that banning flavours leads to an increase in smoking among both adults and youth. Rather than imposing flavour bans, the CVA supports, based on the strongest evidence, the enforcement of regulations that protect young people while also promoting harm reduction for adults. This includes strict age-verification processes, extensive youth prevention initiatives, and rigorous enforcement of existing laws that already ban the sale and marketing of vaping products to minors.

Canadian Tobacco and Nicotine Survey (CTNS) data is clear that while in hypothetical surveys may appear to reduce youth usage, restrictive policies like flavour bans and taxation have yet to be effective in real world applications. On average, provinces that have implemented flavour bans exhibit the highest rates of youth usage. Conversely, provinces like Ontario and Alberta with balanced regulation have the lowest rates of youth vaping in Canada.

This is likely because flavours have not been found to be a primary driver for youth experimentation. Though young people may prefer flavours, as do adults, according to the 2021 CTNS, the leading reason reported for why those aged 15-19 vape was to reduce stress. Youth also reported vaping because they enjoy it, curiosity, and other reasons.

The prevalence of stress relief through vaping among youth, is a recurring theme in various youth usage surveys. Most commonly, young people cite depression, anxiety, or mental health as the primary reasons for experimenting with vaping. Acknowledging this is crucial because proponents of flavour bans and other restrictive measures frequently overlook this data, opting instead for simplistic and ineffective regulations that fail to address the root cause of the issue.

Additionally, health organizations have come together to propose nicotine pouches be restricted to prescription-only access, overlooking the tangible benefits of these products in harm reduction strategies. Rather than restricting access, the CVA supports measures that ensure responsible marketing and appropriate age restrictions, in line with established tobacco control principles. These policies have been found to achieve the lowest rates of youth experimentation while supporting adults who smoke in their transition to a far less harmful product.

Before adopting any further NGO policy recommendations, its essential to review the outcomes of such policies. The results from provinces that have enacted flavour bans clearly show a discrepancy between the intended policy goals and the actual outcomes.

If Canada is to achieve its goal of being smoke-free by 2035, adults who smoke need to be aware of all quit options. Flavour bans weaken the efficacy of these products and slow our progress in achieving a smoke-free society. The CVA calls on Minister Holland to convene a roundtable of leading experts, akin to the Cannabis review, to ensure future regulations are grounded in scientific evidence, said Darryl Tempest, Government Relations Counsel to the CVA Board.

The CVA urges policymakers to consider evidence-based approaches that prioritize both youth protection and adult harm reduction, rather than resorting to reactionary measures that hinder Canadas goal of becoming smoke-free by 2035.

About the CVA: The Canadian Vaping Association (CVA) is a registered national, not-for-profit organization, established as the voice for the Canadian vaping industry. The CVA represents over 200 vaping businesses in Canada, and receives no funding from tobacco companies or affiliates. The primary goal of CVA is to ensure that government regulation is reasonable and practical, through the strategy of proactive communication.

Darryl Tempest Government Relations Counsel to the CVA Board dtempest@thecva.org 647-274-1867

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The Canadian Vaping Association calls on the federal government to maintain science-based vaping regulations - GlobeNewswire

By Dr Joe Milton the Australian Science Media Centre

Smokers undergoing counselling to quit smoking are more likely to succeed if nicotine vapes are part of the strategy, according to an international study publishedin the New England Journal of Medicinethis week.

As Australia gears up to make vaping prescription-only from March, fierce debate has raged over whether vapes are a menace creating a new generation of nicotine addicts, or a lifesaver for smokers who are trying to quit.

The government is hoping the changes to the law will make it harder for kids to get hold of vapes, while theyll remain available as a cessation aid for adult smokers via their doctors.

The new study suggests vapes may have an important role to play in helping people get off the smokes.

The researchers recruited 1,246 smokers, 622 of whom received counselling along with free e-cigarettes and e-liquids. The other 624 underwent counselling but were given a voucher to spend on anything they liked, instead of the free e-cigarettes.

Six months on, around three in five smokers in the vaping group had stayed off the smokes in the week before their check-up, compared to around two in five among the other group.

Dr Colin Mendelsohn, a retired academic, researcher, and smoking cessation clinician, says the study was large and well-conducted and that the results support the use of vaping nicotine as an effective quit-smoking aid.

After six months, 28.9% of smokers in the intervention group were continuously abstinent from the quit date compared to 16.3% in the control group, he said. And, perhaps surprisingly, respiratory symptoms improved in the intervention group to a larger extent than for subjects in the control [non-vaping] group, he added.

So far, so promising, but the study did not look at how vaping compared to other available smoking cessation methods, including nicotine replacement therapy, saidAssociate Professor Michelle Jongenelis fromThe University of Melbourne.

And vapes should not be considered completely harmless as e-liquids can contain potentially damaging chemicals, she added.

(For a wider discussion and some dissenting views listen to Cosmos new podcast series Debunks: Vaping below)

When it came to who had kicked the nicotine habit altogether, the news was also not so good for the vapers. Only around one in five people in the vaping group had given up all nicotine products completely, compared to one in three for the other group, suggesting many of those who gave upsmoking tobacco continued using e-cigarettes.

It is critical that those who use e-cigarettes to quit smoking are then supported to quit the use of e-cigarettes ongoing use is not recommended,saidAssociate Professor Jongenelis

But DrMendelsohn said the study suggests vaping nicotine is an effective quitting aid with a good safety profile.

Australian doctors should feel more confident in prescribing vaping products for their smoking patients, especially those unable to quit with other methods.

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New study adds more smoke to the vaping debate - Cosmos

disposable vape (Image: PA)

Disposable vapes will be banned next year under new legislation proposed today.

The Scottish Government has put forward draft legislation to bring in the ban on sale and supply of single use vapes from April 2025.

The ban was recommended following a UK wide consultation Creating a Smokefree Generation and Tackling Youth Vaping last year.

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It needs separate legislation in each of the four UK nations.

The draft legislation is open for consultation until March 8.

Lorna Slater, Circular Economy Minister, said: Legislating to ban the sale and supply of single-use vapes fulfils a Programme for Government commitment to reduce vaping among non-smokers and young people and take action to tackle their environmental impact.

The public consultation demonstrated that there is strong support for tougher action on vaping. From causing fires in waste facilities to more than 26 million disposable vapes being consumed and thrown away in Scotland in the past year, single-use vapes are a threat to our environment as well as to our public health.

These proposed changes to the law demonstrate our absolute commitment to further improve the wellbeing of communities and protecting our beautiful natural environment.

Read more:

Disposable vapes to be banned in Scotland under new legislation - Yahoo News UK