Author: Taco Tuinstra

  • New Insights into Youth Vaping

    New Insights into Youth Vaping

    Photo: Daisy Daisy

    A new study has provided an in-depth look into the rising trend of disposable vape use among young people in the U.K.

    Led by the University of East Anglia and published in Addiction, the research reveals that young people see smoking and vaping as interchangeable, but are far more aware of the potential harms of vaping than they are of the dangers of smoking.

    The findings also suggest that banning disposable vape products or increasing their prices could lead young people to revert to smoking tobacco.

    Many of the young people questioned also believed that if disposable vapes were banned, they would be able to continue using them by stockpiling or purchasing illegally.

    “Youth use of disposable vapes has surged in recent years in the U.K.,” said lead researcher Caitlin Notley, a professor of addiction sciences at UEA’s Norwich Medical School, in a statement.

    “Despite this increase, little was previously known about the motivations behind this trend and the experiences of young people who use these products.

    “This study aimed to explore these aspects, providing valuable insights into the factors influencing youth vaping behavior.”

    The study recruited 29 young people aged between 16 and 20 and a range of methods were used to probe their motivations, experiences and perceptions of using disposable vapes.

    Each approach was chosen to best suit the needs of the participant—from individual interviews with researchers, to recorded conversations in friendship pairs using prompt cards without a researcher present, to small group interviews designed to support those with special educational needs.

    The key findings include:

    • Individual motivations: Participants highlighted key characteristics of disposable vapes that appealed to them, such as affordability, ease of access, and the attractive designs, colors, names, and flavors.
    • Behavior patterns: Many young people engaged in both vaping and tobacco smoking, viewing these behaviors as interchangeable based on the context. There was a common misconception about the relative harms of vaping compared to smoking.
    • Social and emotional factors: Experimentation with vapes was prevalent, and many young people used vapes to manage stress and anxiety. Vaping was also identified as a social activity, widely accepted among peer groups. Notably, participants were more informed about the potential harms of vaping than those associated with smoking.
    • Regulation: Strict regulatory measures, such as banning disposable vape products or increasing their prices, could lead young people to revert to smoking tobacco. Many of the young people believed that if disposable vapes were banned, they would be able to continue using them by stockpiling or purchasing illegally.

    “Disposable vapes are particularly attractive and accessible to young people in the U.K, contributing to the normalization of vaping within this demographic,” said co-author Ian Pope, from UEA’s Norwich Medical School. “Despite recognizing the potential health risks, young people continue to engage in both vaping and smoking, often interchangeably.

    “The widespread availability of underage vape sales and availability of illicit vapes further exacerbates this issue.”

    The researchers say the study suggests that young people’s use of disposable vapes could be reduced by tighter enforcement of age of sale and restricting packaging and marketing.

    However, they also say the evidence suggests these sorts of interventions have the potential for significant unintended consequences, including increased use of illicit vapes and increased tobacco use amongst young people.

    “Therefore any interventions to combat use of disposables may need to be accompanied by policy interventions to reduce access to illicit vapes and tobacco and increase awareness of the relative harms of tobacco compared to vapes,” said Notley.

    The research was conducted in partnership with the Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital and the Nicotine, Tobacco and Vaping Research Group at London South Bank University.

    The study was funded by the Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital Foundation Trust through the National Institute for Health and Care Research’s Research Capability Fund.

  • Disappointing Quit Rates in Philippine Program

    Disappointing Quit Rates in Philippine Program

    Image: Teppi

    Only one-fifth of individuals enrolled in the Philippine government’s cessation program in 2023 were able to fully quit smoking or vaping, reports the Inquirer, citing a doctor from the Lung Center of the Philippines (LCP).

    Of the 144 participants in 2023, only 29 successfully quit, according to Jessica Catalan-Legarda, a doctor in the LCP’s pulmonology department,

    Those who did not continue with the program voluntarily dropped out, to which the LCP responded with contact tracing and follow-up calls.

    “These voluntary quitters usually go back to smoking and vaping, and based on studies, it takes around seven to eight attempts to successfully quit smoking or vaping,” Catalan-Legarda was quoted as saying.

    Successful quitters tended to be between 22 and 44 years of age and have a comparatively high educational background, according to Catalan-Legarda.

  • Pouches Scrutinized

    Pouches Scrutinized

    Photo: ir1ska

    Scientists at Georgetown University’s Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center have synthesized evidence from 62 studies related to the use of oral nicotine pouches to better understand their potential impact on public health. The findings have been published in Nicotine and Tobacco Research.

    Oral nicotine pouches are rapidly increasing in popularity. While they may present a less harmful nicotine alternative for cigarette users, there is considerable concern about them becoming a new form of nicotine dependence, especially in youth who don’t use tobacco or nicotine,” said the study’s corresponding author, Nargiz Travis, in a statement.

    The investigator’s analysis was based on 45 academic and 17 industry-funded studies, mostly from the U.S. Sales of the products have been concentrated in Scandinavia and the U.S., mainly because of the established smokeless tobacco market in these regions.

    In the U.S., the researchers found, based on nationally representative surveys, that through 2023, oral nicotine pouches were currently used by 1.5 percent of all youth while lifetime use by young people was under 2.5 percent.

    In terms of awareness of the products, between 35 percent and 42 percent of U.S. adolescents and young adults have heard of oral nicotine pouches, and 9 percent to 21 percent of tobacco-naive (nontobacco users) youth surveyed were not opposed to trying them. U.S. adult usage estimates varied widely across surveys; in 2023, 0.8 percent to 3 percent of Americans currently used the products while 3 percent to 16 percent used them at some point in time. In view of rising nicotine pouch sales trends in 2024, their use in the U.S. population has likely increased.

    Because oral nicotine pouches do not contain tobacco leaves, they are often marketed as tobacco-free, but we found that descriptor may confuse the understanding of the source of nicotine and may be associated with the perception that they are not as harmful as other tobacco products.

    Nargiz Travis, project director for the Center for the Assessment of Tobacco Regulations at Georgetown Lombardi

    The investigators’ findings suggest fewer harmful chemical compounds are present in the pouches and occur at lower levels than in cigarettes and smokeless tobacco, with the exception of formaldehyde. However, an analysis of 37 oral nicotine pouches of different brands, nicotine strengths and flavors yielded a wide range of total nicotine content from 0.89 mg to 6.73 mg per pouch.

    “Because oral nicotine pouches do not contain tobacco leaves, they are often marketed as tobacco-free, but we found that descriptor may confuse the understanding of the source of nicotine and may be associated with the perception that they are not as harmful as other tobacco products,” says Travis.

    “In the U.S., oral nicotine pouches are currently neither authorized by the FDA for marketing as a modified-risk product nor approved as a cessation product. It is important to know that nicotine is an addictive chemical with harmful health effects, regardless of whether it is synthetic, meaning tobacco-free, or derived from tobacco.

    One of the studies included in the authors’ analysis was a U.S. survey of young adults 18 years to 34 years of age, many of whom used cigarettes and e-cigarettes. The survey found that among those who had tried nicotine pouches, curiosity about the product (28 percent), flavors (26 percent) and the ability to use in places where other tobacco products are prohibited (26 percent) were among the main reasons for trying the pouches. The availability of flavors (31 percent) was the main motive for use in another U.S. sample of adult current nicotine pouch users.

    Leading brands of the products are currently owned by major tobacco companies. The authors note that a substantial investment in marketing by the companies suggests that oral nicotine pouches are becoming increasingly important to the tobacco industry.

    “As more evidence on oral nicotine patches becomes available, and more importantly, more independent studies become published, it will be essential to conduct further analyses comparing the findings of industry versus non-industry sponsored research and critically assess the quality and risk of bias of such studies,” said Travis.

  • Breast Milk Nutrients from Tobacco-like Plant

    Breast Milk Nutrients from Tobacco-like Plant

    Photo: Africa Studio

    Researchers at the University of California, Berkely, have genetically engineered a close relative of the tobacco plant to create nutrients found in human breast milk, reports The Guardian.

    While many challenges remain in implementation and commercialization, the study demonstrated that the genetically modified Nicotiana benthamiana could produce complex sugars called human milk oligosaccharides (HMOs) that boost healthy gut bacteria and have benefits for the infant immune system.

    “We made all three major groups of human milk oligosaccharides,” said Patrick Shih, a plant and microbial biologist who led the work. “To my knowledge, no one has ever demonstrated that you could make all three of these groups simultaneously in a single organism.”

    According to the team behind the work, the technology could pave the way for infant formula milk that more closely replicates health benefits of breastfeeding.

  • Industry Cheers Tax on Acetate Tow

    Industry Cheers Tax on Acetate Tow

    Photo: Tobacco Reporter archive

    Legally operating tobacco companies have welcomed Pakistan’s plan to impose a federal excise duty (FED) on acetate tow, reports The Express Tribune.

    While presenting the federal budget in the National Assembly on June 12, 2024, Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb proposed imposing an FED of PKR44,000 ($158) per kg on acetate tow, a basic raw material used in manufacturing filters.

    Aurangzeb said the recommended FED would burden only the informal sector. Because Pakistan does not produce acetate tow, cigarette manufacturers import the material from other countries.

    During his presentation, the minister lamented the widespread availability of illicit, smuggled and tax-evaded cigarettes in Pakistan.

    The market share of illicit cigarettes has grown to 63 percent at present from around 40 percent a few years ago. While at least 24 cigarette manufacturers operate in Pakistan, less than a handful are registered with the government. The two leading formal tobacco companies alone pay 98 percent of the total tax collected from the cigarette industry. Some politicians are reportedly involved in the manufacture of undocumented cigarettes.

    One official said the government could potentially collect PKR550 billion from cigarette manufacturers if it succeeds in bringing the out-of-tax-net makers into the tax net.

    Earlier governments imposed heavy taxes on cigarettes to discourage people from smoking. However, instead of decreasing cigarettes sales, the strategy mostly diverted smokers to non-tax-paid cigarettes.

    Cigarette manufacturers have been urging the government to crack down on illicit cigarette sales and more forcefully enforce the country’s track-and-trace system. They say that half-hearted implementation has badly hit the formal sector while providing an opportunity for illicit cigarette manufacturers to thrive.

  • South Africa Urged to Beef Up Tobacco Laws

    South Africa Urged to Beef Up Tobacco Laws

    Photo: poco_bw

    Nearly one third of South Africans smoke, according to the 2021 Global Adult Tobacco Survey (GATS) South Africa report, which was released by the Department of Health on June 13, 2024.

    The study found that 21.2 percent of adults in South Africa smoke daily, while 4.6 percent smoke occasionally. Daily smokers light up an average of 8.5 cigarettes per day.

    The data also revealed that a higher percentage of men (41.7 percent) are currently using tobacco compared to women (17.9 percent).

    Meanwhile, 2.2 percent of survey respondents said they were currently using e-cigarettes, of which 3.8 percent are men and 0.7 percent are women.

     Of those using e-cigarettes, 70.3 percent cited enjoyment, 67.5 percent cited flavor, 45.1 percent perceived it as less harmful than tobacco, while 43.5 percent said their use was influenced by friends or family members who use e-cigarettes.

    The study also found that 3.1 percent of adults reported smoking hookah pipe.

    Data also shows that 74.4 percent of adults who visited public places were exposed to second-hand smoke.

    The Department of Health’s Deputy Director of General Primary Healthcare, Jeanette Hunter urged the government to adopt new measures to discourage tobacco use, including stronger tobacco taxes, smoke-free laws, graphic health warnings and bans on advertising.

    “Effective strategies to reduce tobacco use, including putting in place more comprehensive laws that are compliant with the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control, should be implemented to protect more people from exposure to SHS, and provide cessation services to help more people who smoke to quit,” Egbe was quoted as saying by the South African Government News Agency.

  • Warnings Over Liquids in Medicine Bottles

    Warnings Over Liquids in Medicine Bottles

    Image: FDA

    The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has warned six online retailers for selling unauthorized e-liquid products from the Bad Drip brand that imitate prescription drug bottles. The retailers were also warned for selling unauthorized flavored, disposable e-cigarettes, including those under the brand names Funky Republic and HQD.

    “It boggles the mind that someone thought it was a good idea to package a tobacco product to look like a prescription drug bottle,” said FDA Center for Tobacco Products Director Brian King in a statement. “There’s no place for this gratuitous and blatantly dangerous packaging, and FDA is committed to taking action against the illegal sale of these products.”

    In addition to selling e-liquids that imitate prescription drug bottles, each of these retailers was warned for selling unauthorized disposable e-cigarettes that appeal to youth—including flavors such as apple watermelon and mint.

    According to the 2023 National Youth Tobacco Survey, among U.S. middle and high school students who used e-cigarettes, 89.4 percent reported using flavored products and 60.7 percent reported using disposable products.

  • ‘Carcinogens Among Permitted Additives’

    ‘Carcinogens Among Permitted Additives’

    Photo: New Africa

    Canada’s proposed list of permitted vapor product additives includes dangerous ingredients, according to Imperial Tobacco Canada (ITCAN).

    “To put it bluntly, the list contains at least one known substance that could cause cancer,” said ITCAN Vice President, Corporate and Regulatory Affairs Eric Gagnon in a statement.

    According to ITCAN, several ingredients on the flavor ban proposal list of permitted ingredients are substances that its parent company, British American Tobacco, categorically avoids in its vaping products.

    The company says BAT’s toxicological risk assessment prevents the use of substances classified as having carcinogenic, mutagenic or reprotoxic (CMR) properties, as per the Globally Harmonized System for classification and labelling of substances.

    “It is shocking that the government would include a proven and classified CMR substance in its lists of permitted additives for vaping products,” ITCAN wrote on its website. “The effect of a regulation that formally permits such ingredients is simply an encouragement to manufacturers—particularly smaller producers with limited access to scientific literature—to use an inherently unsafe substance in a product that is designed to be inhaled into the lungs.”

    Gagnon cited isophorone as an example. “This substance is classified by the European Union as cancer-causing and acutely toxic. It is also banned by Canadian food and drug regulations from use in human cosmetics,” he said.

    “We encourage Health Canada to reconsider the list and consult with experts to determine the best way forward.”

  • Health Canada Recalls Zyn Pouches

    Health Canada Recalls Zyn Pouches

    Image: Swedish Match/ HstrongART

    Health Canada recalled eight types of Zyn nicotine pouches on June 12, saying they were sold without market authorization, reports Global News.

    They affected variants are flavored apple mint, bellini, black cherry, citrus, cool mint, espresso, original and spearmint. The pouches had 1.5 or three milligrams of nicotine in them.

    Philip Morris International, which manufactures Zyn products, said it does not sell in Canada and applauds Health Canada for taking action.

    “The products at issue are being sold by unauthorized parties,” a spokesperson for PMI’s Rothmans Benson & Hedges affiliate was quoted as saying by the Global News.

    “RBH works with law enforcement to stop illicit trade and we are supportive of government efforts on this front.”

    Health Canada has approved only one nicotine pouch for sale—Imperial Tobacco Canada’s Zonnic brand.  

    The introduction of nicotine pouches in Canada has run into opposition from health activists.

    Experts say these products are appealing to children, who face the risk of becoming addicted to nicotine.

    In March, Health Minister Mark Holland said that he was “seeking authority” to restrict such products “so they are solely for the purposes of cessation.”

     

  • Labour Committed to Generational Ban

    Labour Committed to Generational Ban

    Photo: sezerozger

    Britain’s opposition Labour Party, which is favored to win the July 4 national elections, has reiterated its commitment to the generational tobacco ban proposed by Tory Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, reports Reuters.  

    The plan would make it illegal to sell tobacco products to anyone born on or after Jan. 1, 2009, after they turn 18. It would also provide powers to address vaping among young people.

    The generational tobacco ban passed its first parliamentary hurdle in April but was put on hold after Sunak called a national election.

    Labour leader Keir Starmer, whose party is far ahead in opinion polls ahead of the vote, published its planned policies on June 13, vowing to provide political and economic stability, and to improve health outcomes.

    “We must take preventative public health measures to tackle the biggest killers and support people to live longer, healthier lives. That starts with smoking,” the manifesto document said.

    “Labour will ensure the next generation can never legally buy cigarettes … Labour will ban vapes from being branded and advertised to appeal to children to stop the next generation from becoming hooked on nicotine.”