Category: Harm Reduction

  • A for climate change

    A for climate change

    Philip Morris International says it has been highlighted as a global leader on corporate climate action by the environmental-impact non-profit organization CDP [formerly the Carbon Disclosure Project], achieving a place on the CDP Climate Change A List for the fifth consecutive year.

    In a note posted on its website yesterday, the company said it was the only tobacco company to have scored an A and that it had been recognized for cutting emissions, mitigating climate risks and developing the low-carbon economy, based on its 2018 disclosure to CDP.

    “Climate change is one of [the] major concerns for humanity, and companies can make a difference,” said PMI CEO André Calantzopoulos. “Just like we are leading our industry’s transformation toward a smoke-free future, we are focused on bettering every part of our business and supply chain to become a leader in sustainable business practices.”

    The company said its efforts to reduce the environmental footprint of its operations were focused on sustainable design in new facilities, energy efficiency in manufacturing processes, greener purchasing of electricity and fuels ‘as well as greening of our fleet’. ‘Additionally, the environmental efforts go beyond the factory gates: Most GHG [greenhouse gas] emissions related to the tobacco supply chain come from the curing process for Virginia flue-cured tobacco, one of the main tobacco types the company purchases,’ it said. ‘PMI aims to lower GHG emissions in the curing process by 70 percent by 2020 (vs. 2010). To achieve this, PMI works with contracted farmers and leaf tobacco suppliers to improve curing-barn efficiency (combustion efficiency, ventilation and controls), as well as eliminate the use of coal and non-sustainable wood. The CDP A-list recognition underscores that the company is on track to achieve its target.’

    Meanwhile, Paul Simpson, the CEO of CDP offered congratulations to all the companies that made it onto the A List this year. “As the severity of environmental risks to business becomes ever more apparent, these are the companies that are positioning themselves to provide solutions, seize new market opportunities and thrive in the transition to a sustainable economy,” he was quoted as saying.

    “We need to urgently scale up environmental action at all levels in order to meet the goals of the Paris Agreement and the Sustainable Development Goals. It’s clear that the business world is an essential player in this transition, and the A List companies are set to make a substantial contribution to those goals.”

    More information about PMI’s sustainable practices are available here.

  • Joint approach to health

    Joint approach to health

    With the right discussion and oversight, corporations can be reliable partners in helping governments deal with some of today’s public health issues, according to a note posted on Philip Morris International’s website.

    The company says that it has looked at the dynamics between consumers, corporations and authorities across a range of global public health issues through the lens of a new report, Public Health—Much Harder than Rocket Science, which is based on a recent global survey conducted by IPSOS.

    ‘Consumers all over the world want their governments to do better at solving major public health issues, according to the IPSOS survey of 31,000 respondents across 31 countries commissioned by PMI,’ the note says.

    ‘In the survey, respondents were asked how important they believed it is for governments to dedicate time and resources to nine global health issues: air pollution, mental health, STDs [sexually-transmitted diseases], healthier food products, opioid abuse, smoking and alcohol abuse, unwanted pregnancies and obesity.

    ‘When asked about the role of technology and innovation in addressing these issues, 91 per cent of respondents believed technology and innovation had an important role to play. ‘However, respondents did not evaluate government performance highly; … 56 per cent believed the authorities had done a poor job of ensuring access to the latest innovations and advancements that can improve public health.

    ‘Introduced by PMI in Davos, Public Health—Much Harder than Rocket Science, reviews further the discussions surrounding these important public health issues and the interplays between public vs. private impact and human behavior. It concludes that a collaborative approach is possible: Corporations themselves may well be able to help address some of the public health issues relating to their products. And, authorities would be well advised to tap into corporate resources and use their ingenuity and self-interest to create compelling solutions. With the right discussion and oversight, corporations can be reliable partners in helping governments deal with some of today’s public health issues.’

    “Given the scale of these public health challenges, it’s unrealistic to expect advice and exhortations from health authorities alone to make the difference,” argues Marian Salzman, senior vice president, global communications at PMI. “To truly help large numbers of people make the changes they want and need will take a combination of evidence-based public policy initiatives, new technologies and new products.

    “The public deserve – and are asking – to hear about better possibilities, regardless of where they have come from.”

    More information is at: PMI.com.

    All the data can be viewed at: https://www.pmi.com/media-center/news/public-supports-alternatives-to-cigarettes.

  • Tobacco business attacked

    Tobacco business attacked

    An oncologist of Melbourne, Australia, is on a mission to break the links between the tobacco and global-finance industries, according to an interview conducted by Madeleine Morris at abc.net.au.

    Morris, in introducing the oncologist, Dr. Bronwyn King, who is also the CEO of Tobacco Free Portfolios, said that the global finance industry still worked hand-in-glove with the tobacco industry. Big insurers insured it, big banks lent to it, and many superannuation funds invested their members’ money in it.

    In fact, King was prompted to act when, 10 years ago, her financial adviser told her that her superannuation fund – along with most others – invested in cigarette companies.

    “If we invented the finance system today, banks wouldn’t automatically lend money to tobacco companies, and super funds or global pension funds wouldn’t invest in tobacco companies and insurers wouldn’t insure them,” King was quoted as saying. “We simply have to undo what has been established as a status quo…

    “Seven million people across the world have died as a result of tobacco in the past year alone. Just imagine if a brand-new industry was launched today and, by the end of next June, that industry’s products had killed seven million people.” [The interview appeared to be dated January 22; so it wasn’t clear why it was implied that ‘next June’ was a year away.]

    Morris said that, during the past year King had been around the world six times; and to New York and Paris five times each. “She’s on a mission to convince major financial institutions to drop their investments in cigarette companies,” said Morris.

    The extracts from the interview are not included in chronological order above. The interview, as presented, is here.

  • A question of lung cancer

    A question of lung cancer

    A Romanian member of the EU Parliament has asked the Commission if it is considering providing member states with guidance to ensure that all cancer patients have timely access to innovative treatments.

    In a question preamble that appeared under the heading, Tackling lung cancer in Europe, Doru-Claudian Frunzulică said researchers at the European Cancer Forum had found that effective prevention policies and timely access to innovative treatments could improve the effectiveness of cancer care.

    ‘Even though there have been improvements in the last 15 years, some member states still have high mortality rates,’ he said. ‘As declared at the Forum, cancer is not just a medical issue, but also a social one.’

    He then asked: ‘Is the Commission considering providing guidance to member states on how to tackle societal challenges in order to fill the existing gaps in cancer healthcare across Europe, and ensure that all patients have timely access to innovative treatments?’

    The Commission is due to answer in writing.

  • Health under threat globally

    Health under threat globally

    The rise in noncommunicable diseases has been driven by five major risk factors: tobacco use, physical inactivity, the harmful use of alcohol, unhealthy diets and air pollution, according to the World Health Organization.

    In publishing its 13th General Programme of Work, the WHO said the world was facing multiple health challenges. ‘These range from outbreaks of vaccine-preventable diseases like measles and diphtheria, increasing reports of drug-resistant pathogens, growing rates of obesity and physical inactivity to the health impacts of environmental pollution and climate change and multiple humanitarian crises,’ it said in a statement.

    ‘To address these and other threats, 2019 sees the start of the World Health Organization’s new five-year strategic plan – the 13th General Programme of Work. This plan focuses on a triple billion target:  ensuring one billion more people benefit from access to universal health coverage, one billion more people are protected from health emergencies and one billion more people enjoy better health and well-being. Reaching this goal will require addressing the threats to health from a variety of angles.’

    In its announcement, the WHO listed the following 10 issues as being among those that will demand its attention and that of its partners during 2019: ‘air pollution and climate change; noncommunicable diseases; global influenza pandemic; fragile and vulnerable settings; antimicrobial resistance; Ebola and other high-threat pathogens; weak primary health care; vaccine hesitancy; dengue; and HIV’.

    In addressing the question of noncommunicable diseases, the WHO said that diseases such as diabetes, cancer and heart disease, were collectively responsible for more than 70 percent of all deaths worldwide, accounting for 41 million people. This included 15 million people ‘dying prematurely’, aged between 30 and 69.

    ‘Over 85 percent of these premature deaths are in low- and middle-income countries,’ the WHO said. ‘The rise of these diseases has been driven by five major risk factors: tobacco use, physical inactivity, the harmful use of alcohol, unhealthy diets and air pollution. These risk factors also exacerbate mental health issues, that may originate from an early age: half of all mental illness begins by the age of 14, but most cases go undetected and untreated – suicide is the second leading cause of death among 15-19-year-olds.

    ‘Among many things, this year WHO will work with governments to help them meet the global target of reducing physical inactivity by 15 percent by 2030 – through such actions as implementing the ACTIVE policy toolkit to help get more people being active every day.’

    But it would seem that air pollution is the big threat. The WHO said that nine out of ten people breathed polluted air every day. ‘In 2019, air pollution is considered by WHO as the greatest environmental risk to health,’ it said. ‘Microscopic pollutants in the air can penetrate respiratory and circulatory systems, damaging the lungs, heart and brain, killing seven million people prematurely every year from diseases such as cancer, stroke, heart and lung disease. Around 90 percent of these deaths are in low- and middle-income countries, with high volumes of emissions from industry, transport and agriculture, as well as dirty cookstoves and fuels in homes.

    ‘The primary cause of air pollution (burning fossil fuels) is also a major contributor to climate change, which impacts people’s health in different ways. Between 2030 and 2050, climate change is expected to cause 250,000 additional deaths per year, from malnutrition, malaria, diarrhoea and heat stress.

    ‘In October 2018, WHO held its first-ever Global Conference on Air Pollution and Health in Geneva. Countries and organizations made more than 70 commitments to improve air quality. This year, the United Nations Climate Summit in September will aim to strengthen climate action and ambition worldwide. Even if all the commitments made by countries for the Paris Agreement are achieved, the world is still on a course to warm by more than 3°C this century.’

  • Smoking ‘amnesty’ in UK

    Smoking ‘amnesty’ in UK

    The UK Vaping Industry Association (UKVIA) yesterday issued what it described as the 10 top motivational facts to help new vapers stick to their New Year resolution to quit smoking.

    Yesterday marked the sixth anniversary of ‘National Cigarette Amnesty Day’, which was designed to help UK smokers switch to vaping during January.

    In a press note, the UKVIA said that smoking was one of the main causes of preventable deaths in the UK, and that it was one of the most challenging addictions to beat. ‘According to Public Health England, at least half a million smokers are trying to quit this January and vaping is one of the most effective aids to help them do so,’ the Association said. ‘Evidence shows that people trying to quit cigarettes are 50 percent more successful when using vaping devices.’

    “Research has shown the first 28 days are the toughest, but if you can get past these without going back to a cigarette, then you are five times more likely to quit smoking for good,” said Doug Mutter, board member of the UKVIA.

    The top 10 motivational facts to help new vapers stick to their New Year resolution to quit smoking are:

    1. Vaping is at least 95 percent less harmful than smoking [Public Health England 2018];
    2. Second-hand vapor does not harm those around you [Cancer Research UK, 2016];
    3. Vaping doubles the chance of you successfully quitting smoking [Public Health England, 2018];
    4. More than three million smokers have already used vaping to quit or reduce their smoking [Action on Smoking and Health, 2018];
    5. Vaping helps 20,000 people quit smoking every year [Cancer Research UK, 2018];
    6. The average vaper spends £800 less a year on her habit than does a smoker [the UK Government’s Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency, 2014];
    7. A smoker turned vaper saves the UK £74,000 [Action on Smoking and Health, 2018];
    8. Smoking costs the NHS £2.5 billion a year [Action on Smoking and Health, 2017];
    9. Vaping helps save our communities smoking costs of £760 million a year [Royal Society for Public Health, 2018];
    10. Vaping shops are saving our high streets across the UK [Action on Smoking and Health, 2017].
  • Retail restrictions sought

    Retail restrictions sought

    A leading New Zealand-owned and operated vaping company, Alt, is supporting calls for tobacco to be removed from all dairies, according to a story at Voxy.co.nz.

    Alt New Zealand’s director, Jonathan Devery reportedly said that such a move would bring considerable health and security benefits.

    Devery said that dairy owners needn’t worry about losing income because ongoing hikes in tobacco tax and dwindling smoking rates were already contributing to lower retailer revenue.

    At the same time, vaping products, which were much better for society, were proving increasingly profitable for dairy owners.

    In recent days, dairy owners have reportedly raised concerns that a New Year rise in tobacco tax had put them at greater risk of theft.

    Meanwhile, the Maori public health organization Hapai Te Hauora has called on tobacco’s availability to be limited, noting that smokers trying to give up are more likely to relapse if a cigarette stockist is only a short distance away.

    Devery agrees. Although ramping up excise taxes would help toward achieving New Zealand’s Smoke Free 2025 goal, the Government needed to consider the availability of tobacco. Getting cigarettes out of corner dairies would be a great start.

    Additionally, Devery said that if the smoke-free goal was to be achieved, vaping products had to be readily available and advertised in a regulated and responsible manner.

    Alt was said to be looking forward to the Government this year amending the Smokefree Environments Act 1990, which, among other things, would help distinguish the considerably-safer vaping products from smoking products.

  • Smugglers move with times

    Smugglers move with times

    Customs authorities in China’s Zhejiang Province have arrested 27 suspects allegedly involved in smuggling heat-not-burn devices and consumable sticks with a value of more than 400 million yuan (US$58.4 million), according to a Xinhua news agency story.
    Customs representatives speaking in the city of Ningbo on Monday said that more than 470,000 cartons of sticks had been confiscated in the latest operation.
    Earlier, 30,000 cartons of sticks and 500 tobacco-heating devices had been seized while taking down three cross-border smuggling gangs.
    A suspect surnamed Li was said to have confessed that his accomplice had bought sticks and devices in Japan to smuggle them into China.
    Li alone was said to have smuggled more than 100,000 cartons before his arrest.
    Investigators were said also to have identified nearly 300 other smugglers.
    The Xinhua story said that ‘electronic cigarettes’ could not be sold in China legally. However, it said, smugglers resorted to online platforms and instant messaging applications to sell them disguised as other products.
    The story referred to the smuggled products throughout as ‘electronic cigarettes’, but it seems likely that they were in fact heated-tobacco products given that reference was made in the story specifically to ‘tobacco heating devices’ and ‘cartons of cigarettes’.
    The story seems to be questionable also in claiming that electronic cigarettes cannot be sold in China, though, again, the question of legality could refer to heat-not-burn products. According to the recent report, No fire, no smoke: Global state of tobacco harm reduction, electronic cigarettes can be sold legally in China.

  • Indoor air of concern

    Indoor air of concern

    The EU Commission has said that it does not intend to launch any new initiatives on indoor air quality during its current mandate.

    The Commission was answering a question from the French member of the EU Parliament, Rachida Dati.

    In a preamble to her question, Dati said that, in a communication of May 17, 2018, the Commission had made a detailed report on air quality in the EU, the measures already in place and the areas for improvement. However, there had been no mention of the situation regarding indoor air quality in the EU.

    ‘The issue of indoor air quality is still neglected in comparison to outdoor air quality, although indoor air can often be more polluted,’ she said. ‘This is the result of many factors, such as prolonged exposure to harmful products or persistent humidity.

    ‘The deterioration in the quality of indoor air has become a public health concern. Symptoms may range from allergies to more severe conditions, such as cancers resulting from prolonged exposure to these pollutants. ‘This issue is all the more important as we spend more than 80 percent of our time in enclosed spaces.

    ‘Does the Commission intend to take initiatives and propose concrete measures to tackle this public health problem?’ Dati asked.

    In reply, the Commission said that in relation to specific chemicals with a detrimental effect on indoor air quality, the REACH (Registration, Evaluation, Authorisation and Restriction of Chemicals) Regulation could prohibit the placing on the market and use of chemicals that posed an unacceptable risk to human health. ‘Some substances have already been banned such as the ammonium salts released from cellulose wadding insulation materials used in buildings and four phthalates due to risk to consumers through inhalation of air and dust in indoor environments,’ it said.

    ‘The presence of formaldehyde in a range of textile products has also been restricted under REACH. In addition, in 2017 the Commission has requested the European Chemicals Agency to assess the risk of formaldehyde released from articles and mixtures for consumer uses, with a view to restrict uses of formaldehyde that may pose a risk.

    ‘The Council Recommendation on smoke-free environments has provisions for protecting the public from exposure to second-hand tobacco smoke, particularly to reduce exposure amongst children and adolescents. The Commission published a staff-working document on implementation of the Recommendation in 2013 and continues monitoring the implementation, functioning and impacts of measures outlined in the Recommendation.

    ‘The Commission does not intend to launch any new initiatives regarding indoor air quality during the current mandate.’

  • ‘There is no epidemic’

    ‘There is no epidemic’

    ‘There is no epidemic in [US] teen vaping,’ according to a story by Michelle Minton published at insidesources.com.

    Minton pointed out that the latest survey data [on which claims of an epidemic are based in part] from the US Centers for Disease Control (CDC) dealt only with any electronic-cigarette use during the past month.

    Previous data, she said, had shown that fewer than six percent of teens (including 18-year olds, who can legally purchase e-cigarettes) vaped habitually (20-30 days a month).

    That meant that more than 94 percent of teens were not vaping regularly.

    Furthermore, Minton said, CDC data did not indicate how many of these teenage vapers were using nicotine, an important point given that previous research had found most of them were not.

    The data didn’t indicate either what percentage of teen e-cigarette users had never smoked, a number previous research put at less than one percent.

    More important, the latest CDC data revealed nothing about underage smoking, which was the single most important data point in evaluating the harms or benefits of teenage vaping.

    Since the introduction of e-cigarettes to the US market, adolescent use of cigarettes had more than halved, from 15.8 percent in 2011 to 7.6 percent in 2017.

    ‘Rather than e-cigarettes acting as a gateway to smoking, as is assumed by government and advocacy groups, this indicates that teenage e-cigarette use is more likely diverting would-be smokers toward a less harmful means of nicotine consumption and potentially away from nicotine consumption altogether,’ Minton said.

    Minton’s piece looks too at why government agencies and certain health activists focus more on scaring people about the unknown risks of e-cigarettes than helping them understand the relative risks of vaping compared to smoking.