ETHRA’s monthly roundup of news: Czech vow to support harm reduction - How safe is your vape? - COP out - Irish vapers say no to bans - Political support for flavours in Sweden - NNA discusses TRPR - Studies say THR works. Read on for more.
Contents:
COP9 report
The report of the Ninth Session of the Conference of the Parties to the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control has been published and is available to read and download.
WHO FCTC main documents page:
https://fctc.who.int/who-fctc/governance/conference-of-the-parties/ninth-session-of-the-conference-of-the-parties/main-documents
Read and download the report here:
https://untobaccocontrol.org/downloads/cop9/main-documents/FCTC-COP9_Report_EN.pdf
Belgium
Policies that aim to minimise youth uptake of nicotine pouches should not come at the expense of adult smokers. Policymakers must take into account the risks to young people, as well as the opportunities for adult smokers.
Read more here:
https://www.demorgen.be/nieuws/hou-nicotinezakjes-weg-van-jongeren-maar-pak-het-anders-aan-voor-volwassen-rokers~b223770e/
Czech Republic
Scientifically proven concepts of risk prevention and harm reduction will form the basis of addiction policy in the Czech Republic, according to Health Minister Vlastimil Válek and national anti-drug coordinator Jindřich Vobořil. Addiction policy will be a priority during the Czech presidency of the EU.
Germany
The use of vaping products, with or without nicotine, substantially increases the odds of successful smoking cessation compared to using NRT’s or unaided quit attempts.
Read more here:
https://vapoon.de/weitere-studie-belegt-e-zigarette-erfolgreicher-als-nikotinersatzprodukte-beim-rauchstopp/
Read the study here:
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35384835/
Ireland
A recent Red C survey found that 84% of Irish vapers believe a flavour ban would result in the emergence of a black market. A further 42% said a ban on flavours would force them back to smoking.
Read more here:
https://www.newstalk.com/news/flavoured-vapes-ban-will-push-vapers-back-to-smoking-survey-1331550
Read the full survey results here:
https://respectvapers.ie/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/RedC-survey-of-vapers-March-2022.pdf
Norway
Researchers from the Norwegian Institute of Public Health find that snus use is strongly linked with successful smoking cessation attempts.
Read more here:
https://snusforumet.se/en/new-research-shows-snus-helps-smokers-quit/
Sweden
Good news from Sweden as the Moderate Party strongly rejects the government’s proposal to ban vape flavours: "It is important to safeguard alternative products that can make it easier for more smokers to quit smoking"
Read more here:
https://www.vejpkollen.se/2022/04/moderaterna-avvisar-regeringens-smakforbud/
The Centre Party added its objections to the government’s “unscientific and premature” flavour ban proposal:
https://www.vejpkollen.se/2022/04/c-sager-nej-till-smakforbud-vill-invanta-utredning/
UK
Vaping regulation will remain unchanged, for now at least. The New Nicotine Alliance discusses the government’s post-implementation review of the Tobacco and Related Products Regulations 2016 (TRPR).
Read more here:
https://nnalliance.org/blog/367-the-governments-review-of-vaping-regulations-could-be-worse-but-could-also-be-better
Vaper Trails: New nicotine products and the innovation principle
A new paper by the Institute of Economic Affairs warns that the misuse of the precautionary principle, in relation to tobacco harm reduction products, could pose a significant threat to public health.
Read more here:
https://iea.org.uk/publications/vaper-trails-new-nicotine-products-and-the-innovation-principle/
Vaping helps smokers quit, who would have known!
An Australian population level study has revealed that vaping is the most effective means of quitting smoking, increasing the odds of success by 68% - 124% compared to not using a vaping product.
Read more here:
https://colinmendelsohn.com.au/australia/
A balanced scientific debate on tobacco harm reduction is urgently needed according to Dr Colin Mendelsohn:
https://colinmendelsohn.com.au/balance/
Smoke Without Fire? The Truth About Vaping Safety
James Dunworth provides a comprehensive, up to date review of the safety of vaping.
Read more here:
https://www.ecigarettedirect.co.uk/ashtray-blog/2022/04/is-vaping-safe.html
Something to watch:
Introduction to tobacco harm reduction
Dr Colin Mendelsohn answers some of the key questions around tobacco harm reduction in this 30 minute presentation.
Watch the video here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9VSc06Cgxvk
The state of US vaping
According to industry analyst Michelle Minton, the future for nicotine vaping in the United States looks pretty brutal.
Watch the video here:
https://regulatorwatch.com/brent_stafford/pretty-brutal-state-of-u-s-vaping-2022-regwatch/
ETHRA’s monthly roundup of news: Scandinavian plans to ban - Dutch delay on flavour restrictions - Positives for nicotine pouches - Vape tax rollback - NNA letters & recommendations - ETHRA contributes to BECA - Good news about smoking is bad news for anti-smoking groups - Flawed science challenged. Read on for more.
Contents:
Heated tobacco products flavour ban
At the 18th meeting of the group of experts on tobacco policy the European Commission proposed a delegated act which would see heated tobacco products treated the same as combustible tobacco. If approved it would mean a ban on flavoured HTPs, and the products would have to carry the same health warnings as combustible tobacco.
See the meeting details here:
https://ec.europa.eu/transparency/expert-groups-register/screen/meetings/consult?lang=en&meetingId=38075&fromExpertGroups=true
A ban of flavoured heated tobacco products would negatively impact 600,000 consumers in Poland alone:
https://niezalezna.pl/433571-komisja-europejska-idzie-na-wojne-z-wkladami-do-podgrzewaczy-tytoniu
DG SANTE
Europe’s Beating Cancer Plan has been added to the organisation chart for DG SANTE. Note that the chart includes an adviser for stakeholder relations.
Access the chart here:
https://ec.europa.eu/info/sites/default/files/organisation_charts/organisation-chart-dg-sante_en.pdf
The Advocates Voice Shorts series
Over the next two months the Advocates Voice (TAV) will run a series of fortnightly seminars to bring tobacco harm reduction advocates together and advance safer nicotine products globally. Each seminar will start with a short video presentation followed by a live Q&A.
Watch the promotional video here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4H9CdRGv0zk
Check out the first episode in the series:
The Advocates Voice - The Art of Self Care
Watch TAV shorts here:
https://www.youtube.com/c/CAPHRAAsiaPacific/featured
Denmark
Denmark’s Ministry of Health has announced plans to ban the sale of all tobacco and nicotine containing products to anyone born after 2010.
Read more here:
https://snusforumet.se/en/danish-nicotine-ban-under-fire-discrimination-and-desperate-symbolism/
Finland
Snus smuggling has become big business for criminals according to Finnish customs authorities. Statistics just released show that customs seized more than 9000 kilos of snus last year compared to just 30 kilos in 2011.
Read more here:
https://yle.fi/news/3-12347060
France
Sixteen experts have called on the government to support vaping. The call is in response to the HCSP (Haut Conseil de la santé publique) updated Opinion which stated that vaping should not be recommended to smokers who wish to quit.
Read more here:
https://vapolitique.blogspot.com/2022/03/seize-specialistes-comparent-le-rapport.html
Germany
Newly released data from the German Smoking Behaviour Survey (DEBRA) has found that youth vaping has fallen to 0.5%. Of those young people who vape only 0.6% were never smokers.
Read more at the links:
https://bvra.info/aktuell/e-zigarette-fuer-jugendliche-weiter-uninteressant/
Access the DEBRA study:
https://www.debra-study.info/
More from Germany
The independent German Federal Institute for Risk Assessment (BfR) has recently published an updated opinion on the health risks of nicotine pouches. The Opinion acknowledges that switching from smoking to nicotine pouches represents a reduction in risk for smokers.
Read more here:
https://pouchpatrol.com/harm-reduction/nicotine-pouches-recognized-as-a-potential-reduced-risk-product-by-the-bfr/
Read the opinion here:
https://www.bfr.bund.de/cm/349/health-risk-assessment-of-nicotine-pouches.pdf
Iceland
The Minister of Health, Willum Þór Þórsson, has proposed an amendment to the law on e-cigarettes and refills which would ban flavours in nicotine products such as vapes and nicotine pouches.
Read more here:
https://www.icelandreview.com/news/nicotine-products-to-be-banned-within-educational-institutions/
Italy
Positive news for Italian vapers. Tax rates will return to 2021 levels on 1 April, after the 2022 increase was repealed. Tax on nicotine e-liquids will decrease from €0.175/ml to €0.13, non-nicotine e-liquids will decrease from €0.13/ml to €0.08.
Read more here:
https://vaping360.com/vape-news/113815/italy-will-reduce-e-liquid-tax-april-1st/
Netherlands
The Dutch flavour ban has been postponed by 6 months because RIVM (National Institute for Public Health and the Environment) put several carcinogenic ingredients on the allowed list of flavourings. Also on the approved list are several oil-soluble flavourings.
Read more here:
https://www.esigbond.nl/2022/03/24/flavour-ban-on-e-cigarettes-postponed-for-six-months/
Spain
A study conducted by Sigma Dos, on behalf of the Union of Vaping Promoters and Entrepreneurs (UPEV), has found that 76% of current vapers have completely quit smoking.
Read more here:
https://www.sigmados.com/el-76-de-los-vapeadores-ha-abandonado-el-tabaco-por-completo/
Sweden
The presentation of the Sweden flavour ban bill has been delayed until 31 March. Consumers are being urged to get involved with the various campaigns which have been launched to save flavours.
Read more here:
https://www.vejpkollen.se/2022/03/smakforbud-forsenat-vejpare-demonstrerade-utanfor-riksdagen/
https://www.vejpkollen.se/2022/03/sa-ska-vejparna-radda-sina-smaker-flera-kampanjer-igang/
UK
The New Nicotine Alliance has made a submission to the Independent Review of tobacco policy in England. In it they outline 20 policy proposals which address smoking and health disparities.
Read more here:
https://nnalliance.org/images/Khan_review_-_NNA_-_4_March_2022_-_Final.pdf
More from the NNA
The NNA wrote to the Minister for Brexit Opportunities and Government Efficiency with suggestions which would make life easier for millions of UK vapers, and also help the government in its goal of achieving smokefree status by 2030.
Read more here
https://nnalliance.org/blog/366-the-nna-responds-to-jacob-rees-moggs-call-for-eu-regulations-to-be-abolished
More from the UK
The Local Government Association (LGA), which represents councils in England and Wales, has urged the government to cut the rate of VAT on vaping products from 20% to 5%. The move would incentivise smokers to transition to low-risk alternatives to smoking.
Read more here:
https://www.itv.com/news/2022-03-08/government-urged-to-cut-vat-on-vaping-products-to-5
ETHRA contribution to BECA
In February 2021 the Special Committee on Beating Cancer held a public consultation on the Impact of COVID19 on cancer prevention, health services, cancer patients and research. The key recommendations have now been published in an overview report of the outcomes, work & activities of the Special Committee on Beating Cancer. ETHRA is listed as a contributor (pages 319 & 334).
“Furthermore, most respondents emphasised the escalated use of combustible tobacco products and posed their concerns regarding the health effects. In light of the imposed lockdowns and quarantines, some organisations highlighted the limited access to noncombustible tobacco products and/or other nicotine products in multiple European countries”
Read ETHRA's submission here:
https://ethra.co/submissions/68-special-committee-on-beating-cancer-beca-consultation
See the BECA activity report here:
https://www.europarl.europa.eu/cmsdata/246543/BECA_Compendium_final_lr.pdf
When the good news about smoking is bad news for anti-smoking groups
March saw the publication of the much anticipated National Youth Tobacco Survey in the USA. The headline news was that frequent smoking among high school students has almost disappeared, at just 0.4%. However, rather than celebrate this win for public health, anti-tobacco groups took the opportunity to attack tobacco harm reduction products.
Read more here:
https://medium.com/the-great-vape-debate/when-the-good-news-about-smoking-is-bad-news-for-anti-smoking-groups-f68522a67f1c
CoEHAR
A team of international researchers examined the most frequently cited vaping studies and found that the majority were methodologically flawed. Tobacco control research is in need of serious and urgent reform.
Relative risk study, reviewed
A review of a recent study which claimed that vaping could be a third as harmful as smoking has led to calls for the paper to be retracted.
Read more here:
Review of: Improving on estimates of the potential relative harm to health from using modern ENDS (vaping) compared to tobacco smoking
Cigarettes sales rise in US states that banned vaping
Banning low-risk alternatives to smoking leads to an increase in cigarette sales - shock report finds.
Read more here:
https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1571970/cigarettes-sales-rise-in-us-states-that-banned-vaping-us-study
Read the study here:
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35260317/
Gateway debunked, again
A study examining vaping among young adults in England has found no evidence of a gateway from vaping to smoking.
Read more here:
https://medicalxpress.com/news/2022-03-young-people-e-cigarette-substantial-gateway.html
Something to watch:
Society for Research on Nicotine and Tobacco
Videos from the recent SRNT conference in Baltimore are available to watch. Of particular interest are the videos from Cris Delnevo and Kevin Fenton
Watch all the videos here:
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLDHUc__idSQkHwN6MScIl0amhODjGer6x
ETHRA’s monthly roundup of news: European Parliament adopts BECA report - Javed Khan wants to hear from you! - Consultation opens in Scotland - DG SANTE meet THR advocates - Survey findings published. Read on for more.
On Wednesday 16 February 2022, the European Parliament voted to adopt the final report of the Special Committee on Beating Cancer (BECA). The report makes a range of recommendations to strengthen Europe’s fight against cancer and is structured around 4 main areas: prevention, screening, equitable access to care, and patient support. The vote followed a plenary debate where the full European Parliament debated the report and tabled amendments. The report was adopted by an overwhelming majority of 652 in favour, 15 against and 27 abstentions (see page 2).
Read more: EU recognises tobacco harm reduction with the adoption of the BECA report