Category: Harm Reduction

Speakers named
The organizers of the 2019 Global Forum on Nicotine have announced the names of 16 of the speakers who are due to take part in the conference.
The conference, whose theme is, It’s time to talk about nicotine, will be held at the Marriott Hotel, Warsaw, Poland, on June 13-15.
It is due to include plenary sessions, symposia, panel discussions, poster presentations, and satellite sessions.
In an earlier announcement, the organizers said the program committee would use selected abstracts to construct themed sessions.
The names of other speakers and the draft program are due to be posted on line shortly.
Meanwhile, the organizers said that abstracts for poster presentation could be submitted until March 31.
Abstracts should be submitted on-line, via the conference registration system at: https://gfn.net.co/programme/submit.
Registration for the conference is open.
March 18, 2019
Focus on young people
British American Tobacco has said that it will continue to work with the US Food and Drug Administration as the agency advances new policies aimed at preventing youth access to flavored tobacco products.
The FDA Commissioner Scott Gottlieb, MD, yesterday made a statement on preventing young people from obtaining such products; as described on this website yesterday under the heading Haste urged.
“We welcome the FDA … shining a spotlight on the important issue of youth access to vapor products,” a BAT spokesperson was quoted as saying in a note posted on the company’s website. “We have always been clear that youth should not use vapor products and have had stringent measures in place to address this for some time.
“In relation to today’s announcement, we share the FDA’s concerns that some flavors, such as those resembling ‘kid-friendly’ food products, may play a role in increasing youth appeal and that marketing activities should not be directed to youth. We have never marketed such vapor flavors; we have supported measures to remove vapor products intended to mimic children’s food products or otherwise designed to target youth and have procedures in place to ensure our products are only marketed to adult tobacco consumers.
“We believe flavors are important in helping adult smokers migrate away from cigarettes, and the flavors we market are directed at helping adult smokers who are looking for a potentially less harmful alternatives to cigarettes.
“We already have third-party age verification processes for online sales. We will work with our many convenience retailers to ensure that tobacco, mint and menthol, which are our top selling flavours, remain available for consumers who are looking for potentially less harmful alternatives to cigarettes. We also have plans to make our flavored products available in other age restricted locations, including in specialist vape stores. As with all our retail partners, we will work with any new partners who stock our products to ensure they have appropriate age verification mechanisms.
“In respect of the proposals on bringing forward the PMTA [FDA pre-market tobacco applications] date for flavored products, given our years of product development and scientific assessment of our vapor products, we are well-positioned to file PMTAs for our VUSE products and plan to do so ahead of the 2021 deadline.
“We will continue working with the FDA as the agency moves this proposed compliance change forward over the coming weeks. We will be submitting comments for the FDA to review and consider as the agency works to finalise the guidance document.”
March 14, 2019
Oral cancer on the rise
A Greek member of the EU Parliament has asked the Commission what it is doing to address an ‘alarming’ increase in cases of oral cancer, some of which are down to tobacco smoking and alcohol consumption.
In a preamble to two question, which are due to be answered by the Commission in writing, Lampros Fountoulis said the Piraeus Dentists’ Association had raised the alarm about the worrying increase in the incidence of oral cancer because ‘the number of cases has risen by 25 percent over the past 10 years and every year more than 300,000 new cases are reported worldwide’.
‘According to Mr Goutzanis [Lampros Goutzanis of the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens], oral cancer is difficult to treat and, when diagnosed at an advanced stage, the outcome is usually fatal,’ Fountoulis said.
‘He goes on to point out that a large number of patients only consult doctors when the disease has reached an advanced stage, adding that, unfortunately, only 31 percent of oral tumors are diagnosed at an early stage.
‘At least three-quarters of cases of oral cancer could have been avoided if patients had stopped smoking and drinking alcohol; but other factors are also responsible for the increase in the incidence of oral cancers, namely solar radiation and HPV (human papillomavirus), which is sexually transmitted*.’
Fountoulis asked the Commission:
1) ‘Is it aware of the increase in cases of oral cancer in the EU?
2) ‘What steps will it take to address this phenomenon?’
*https://www.in.gr/2019/02/04/health/anisyxitiki-ayksisi-sta-krousmata-karkinou-tou-stomatos/?fbclid=IwAR3EE-_HL4mLT3DqfbL6wKcssZqz9hg5bw6sto78hovxhaRwbqeO14udWxY; and http://www.amna.gr/health/article/331248/Anisuchitiki-auxisi-parousiazoun-ta-krousmatakarkinou-tou-stomatos
March 13, 2019
Call for end to vaping ban
The authors of a new report have recommended that vaping products should be primarily regulated in Australia as consumer goods rather than as therapeutic, medicinal or tobacco products.
The report, Legalising Vaping in Australia, was published on Saturday by the McKell Institute, and was the subject of a story posted on the website of the Australian Harm Reduction Association.
In the report’s executive summary, the authors said that ‘legalising vaping has enormous potential to improve public health, particularly for disadvantaged smokers who are disproportionately affected by smoking-related diseases’.
‘We recommend that vaping products should be primarily regulated as consumer goods rather than as a therapeutic, medicinal or tobacco product,’ they said.
‘Regulation should aim to maximise the benefit for adult smokers while reducing any potential risks to users and harm to the wider population, especially young people who have never smoked.
‘Regulation should be proportionate to the risk of vaping.
‘The authors strongly recommend that Australia’s successful tobacco control policy continues and is supplemented by two changes: first, ending the de facto ban on vaping; and second, re-introducing appropriately funded mass media campaigns and supporting counselling to increase quitting rates.’
The McKell Institute is described as an independent, not-for-profit, public policy institute dedicated to developing practical policy ideas and contributing to public debate.
The report’s co-authors are: Dr. Alex Wodak AM, Conjoint Associate Professor Colin Mendelsohn.
March 12, 2019
JUUL joins UKVIA
JUUL Labs UK has joined the UK Vaping Industry Association (UKVIA), according to a joint press note issued yesterday.
Since the UKVIA was formed by top vaping brands in 2016, it has been at the forefront of spreading the positive public health message about vaping to the UK’s smokers.
“The UKVIA is a partnership of the leading most respected vaping brands in the UK,” John Dunne (pictured), director of the UKVIA was quoted as saying.
“We only allow companies to become members if they share our ambition to set high standards for the industry and our aim to help the UK’s seven million adult smokers make a life changing switch to a safer alternative.
“Our new code of conduct confirms the standards that all of our members follow every day as they work to grow and expand the dynamic vaping industry.
“That’s why we are delighted that JUUL have decided to join the Association in recognition of our shared aims and values. We are excited to work with them to achieve the ambitious aims of the UKVIA.”
Meanwhile, Dan Thomson, JUUL Labs UK’s MD said the UKVIA’s new code of conduct had been a crucial part of JUUL’s decision to join the Association.
He made special note of the UKVIA’s Challenge 25, which was aimed at restricting youth access – a key policy that JUUL had enforced since it launched in the UK last year.
“This is alongside a wider program of responsible measures that we have implemented exceeding regulatory or legal requirements, including sanctions for any non-compliant retailers on Challenge 25; two-factor authentication for purchase online; a limited range of adult-focused flavours; marketing which is entirely focused on adult smokers over 30 years; and zero presence on social media,” he said.
“JUUL’s mission is to improve the lives of the world’s one billion adult smokers and to achieve this we are committed to having an open dialogue with government and stakeholders to promote vaping and its benefits over combustible cigarettes. Greater collaboration across the sector will provide both the wider industry and the UKVIA with a more credible voice to achieve our mission.”
March 12, 2019
Plugging into the future
Plug and Play, a global leader in technology incubators, is partnering with Japan Tobacco International to run Vapetech, a program aimed at bringing together innovators and data experts to develop technology that improves the experience and health benefits of vaping.
In a note posted on its website, JTI said this global program would operate from Silicon Valley and launch with a first batch of selected start-ups on March 11, 2019.
“At Plug and Play we are always interested to support innovation in new industries,” Saeed Amidi, the founder and CEO of Plug and Play was quoted as saying. “We believe vaping has the potential to reduce the health risks from smoking. Our goal is to identify the next generation of products and services, and by connecting them with JTI and others, we will continue to push forward innovation in this industry.”
The JTI note said that, through a global application and sourcing process, Plug and Play, supported by JTI, would each year select about 20 start-ups who would ‘develop ideas and solutions for a more enhanced vaping experience’. ‘Start-ups with new devices or technology applicable to IoT (Internet of Things), Biometrics, Data, and Lifestyle will enter a three-month program to develop their product and services and have access to investment and corporate partnerships,’ the note said.
Daniel Torras, JTI’s senior vice president, reduced-risk products, said that with the rapid rise of vaping products, the dynamics of innovation in the industry had changed drastically. “In addition to our own R&D, Vapetech will allow us to explore and develop consumer relevant features for the next generation of products and services,” he said. “It will also extend our network to new sets of entrepreneurs offering disruptive ideas to empower a future of choice in the vaping sector.”
March 8, 2019
La la la
Philip Morris New Zealand (PMNZ) is looking for a tax break on its heated-tobacco sticks, according to stories by Madison Reidy for Television New Zealand and Bonnie Flaws for Stuff.co.nz.
Flaws quoted the PMNZ GM James Williams as saying that the combustible-cigarette excise taxes applied by the Government to discourage people from smoking and recoup the costs associated with smoking were not appropriate for non-combustible products, such as its tobacco sticks, which had less impact on people’s health.
To motivate consumers to move to these alternative products it was necessary to provide them with information, access and a financial incentive.
“Unfortunately, our heated tobacco product at the moment is still treated like a combustible product,” Williams was quoted as saying. “It still carries health warnings like it’s a cigarette.”
Meanwhile, Reidy’s story quoted Williams as saying that PMNZ wanted New Zealand to become the first market free of [combustible] cigarettes.
“There is no motivation, at all, from anybody within Philip Morris to keep selling cigarettes in New Zealand,” he said.
But the National Tobacco Control Advocacy Service’s general manager Mihi Blair said the plan was just a bold public relations stunt.
“If Philip Morris was very serious about it, they would just stop it [selling cigarettes] right now,” said Blair.
“It is just swapping one addiction to another.”
Williams said the company could not pull cigarettes from shelves immediately because that would simply force smokers to buy from other manufacturers.
He said PMNZ wanted to help the government achieve its smoke-free-by-2025 goal, but that the Ministry of Health had refused to meet with him even after he had sent to the agency six binders of scientific information.
A spokesperson for the Ministry would not say if it had refused a meeting with Williams.
The Ministry was not aware of the details of PMNZ’s plan to pull cigarettes from New Zealand shelves, the spokesperson added.
March 7, 2019
Threat to e-cigs, cigars
A congresswoman in Colorado, US, Diana DeGette, is introducing legislation that, if passed, would ban electronic-cigarette flavors on a national level, according to a story by Michael Nedelman for CNN quoting a Monday announcement by DeGette’s office.
The bill was expected to be introduced to the House of Representatives yesterday.
Nedelman described flavors as being at the center of the regulatory debate, with some people saying they were an important tool in getting adults to switch from combustible cigarettes, while others wanted to ban them entirely because in their view they appealed to young people and minimized how harmful and addictive vapes were perceived to be.
“To me, there is no legitimate reason to sell any product with names such as cotton candy or tutti fruitti, unless you are trying to market it to children,” DeGette, a Democrat, said in a statement on Monday.
“Most experts agree that the kid-friendly flavors that e-cigarette manufactures are selling with these products are one of the leading causes of this spike in use among our high school and middle school students.”
If DeGette’s bill becomes law, it will ban these flavors within a year unless companies can prove to the US Food and Drug Administration that flavors are not implicated in the rise in vaping among young people.
It would require companies also to show that flavors are instrumental in getting smokers to quit combustible cigarettes and that they don’t make vapes ‘more harmful to the user’.
The bill could ban flavors in cigars on the same timeline.
March 6, 2019
Smokers get raw deal
Tobacco smoking costs the Irish state 140 times more each year than the amount spent trying to get people to give up the habit, according to a story by Sarah Burns for The Irish Times and quoting the Irish Heart Foundation.
About €11.8 million was reportedly spent in 2017 on smoking cessation measures including medications, services, the national quit-line and media campaigns, while it was estimated that costs related to the impact of smoking totaled €1.65 billion.
These figures, which were based on a reply to a parliamentary question and an assessment of the economic cost of smoking in Ireland commissioned by the Department of Health, were published by the Foundation on National No Smoking Day.
The amount spent helping people to quit was less than one percent of the almost €1.4 billion smokers paid in tobacco tax during 2017, the Foundation said.
“Nowhere near enough is being done to help the estimated 80 percent of smokers who want to quit,” said Chris Macey, the Foundation’s head of advocacy. “Tax increases have played an important role in reducing smoking rates in Ireland but could be even more effective if a higher proportion of the proceeds was spent on cessation services.”
“It isn’t fair to place a large additional tax burden on people because of their addiction to nicotine and then fail to invest properly in helping them overcome it when many are desperate to quit.”
Macey said that putting more resources into smoking cessation services would help to reduce the number of deaths from tobacco-related illness in Ireland, which he said was 16 per day.
March 6, 2019
Few youngsters vaping
Regular vaping among young people remains low in Britain and has plateaued among adults, according to a press note posted on the gov.uk website citing an independent report led by researchers at King’s College London and commissioned by Public Health England (PHE).
The report is said to be the first in a new set of three, commissioned by PHE under the Government’s Tobacco Control Plan for England. ‘It looks specifically at the use of e-cigarettes rather than health impacts, which will be the subject of a future report,’ the note said.
‘The findings show that while experimentation with e-cigarettes among young people has increased in recent years, regular use remains low. Only 1.7 percent of under-18s use e-cigarettes weekly or more, and the vast majority of those also smoke. Among young people who have never smoked, only 0.2 percent use e-cigarettes regularly.’
The note went on to say that regular e-cigarette use among adults had plateaued over recent years, and remained largely confined to smokers and ex-smokers, with ‘quitting smoking’ the main motivation for adult vapers.
Professor John Newton, Health Improvement Director at Public Health England, was quoted as saying that, in contrast to recent media reports in the US, Britain was not seeing a surge in e-cigarette use among young people.
“While more young people are experimenting with e-cigarettes, the crucial point is that regular use remains low and is very low indeed among those who have never smoked,” he said.
“We will keep a close watch on young people’s vaping and smoking habits to ensure we stay on track to achieve our ambition of a smoke-free generation.”
The note said that, despite e-cigarettes now being the most popular quit aid, just over a third of smokers had never tried one. And only four percent of quit attempts through Stop Smoking Services in England were made using e-cigarettes, despite this being an effective approach.
The report recommended that Stop Smoking Services should do more to encourage smokers that want to quit with the help of an e-cigarette.
February 28, 2019