Tag: Tholos Foundation

  • Flavor Bans Threaten Smoke-Free Ambitions

    Flavor Bans Threaten Smoke-Free Ambitions

    Image: Arcady

    The Tholos Foundation has launched three white papers exposing the risks of banning flavors in vaping products at an event in Brussels hosted by Parliament Magazine and featuring contributions from Swedish MEP Johan Nissinen. The reports cover the impact of flavor bans in the real world and best practices to educate adult smokers and restrict underage usage and analyzes the public response to the European Commission’s 2023 public consultation.

    Surveys commissioned by the Tholos Foundation and conducted by Ipsos in multiple countries have shown that a significant majority of vapers use flavors other than tobacco to help reduce and quit smoking. Notably, 83 percent of vapers in Germany stated that flavors are crucial in their decision to vape, with similar high percentages reported in Belgium, the Netherlands and Sweden. The research also showed that, in countries where flavors were banned, many vapers went back to smoking or for black market alternatives and references numerous scientific studies confirming that flavors are essential for the effectiveness of vaping products in smoking cessation.

    With European elections due to take place shortly, the Tholos Foundation believes it is imperative policymakers take heed of voters’ concerns and reject extensive restrictions on smoking alternatives.

    “The evidence is clear: Flavors in vaping products are critical to helping smokers quit,” said co-author Tim Andrews in a statement. “Banning flavors will create a black market and drive people back to smoking. Our reports offer an evidence-based approach that combines rigorous law enforcement, education and technological innovations to reduce underage experimentation while preserving the benefits for adult smokers.

    “With the European elections approaching, it is crucial for policymakers to understand the importance of harm reduction strategies. Our findings support a balanced approach that protects public health and helps smokers transition to safer alternatives.”

    The Tholos Foundation is an international nongovernmental organization, affiliated with Americans for Tax Reform, dedicated to advocating for consumers.

  • Alternatives Boost Cessation: Tholos

    Alternatives Boost Cessation: Tholos

    The Tholos Foundation, in partnership with Japan-based Pacific Alliance Institute and Sweden-based consulting firm Scantech Strategy Advisors, has released a policy paper, Safer Nicotine Works, on how Sweden and Japan have successfully reduced smoking rates by introducing safer alternative nicotine products.

    Safer Nicotine Works investigates oral nicotine and heated tobacco’s effects on smoking rates in Sweden and Japan. It follows Vaping Works, which studied four countries’ vaping experiences. The latter found that nations adopting vaping, like the United Kingdom, France, Canada, and New Zealand, experienced smoking rate reductions at double the global average.

    In Japan, the introduction of heated tobacco products has remarkably reduced male smoking rates below 30 percent for the first time, reversing previous stagnation.

    Sweden, with a smoking rate of 5.6 percent 1 is poised to be “smoke-free” within the year. The recent decline in smoking is attributed to the rise of nicotine pouches introduced in 2019.

    Tholos Foundation’s research indicates consumers in both countries led the shift to safer alternatives. Policymakers’ key role was to ensure these alternatives were accessible and viable. Data confirms that safer nicotine significantly aids smoking cessation. With safer nicotine products like vaping, heated tobacco, nicotine pouches, and snus, smoking rates are dropping rapidly.

    “Safer nicotine is, quite literally, saving lives around the world,” said Tholos Foundation Vice President Lorenzo Montanari in a statement. “The experience of Sweden and Japan, just as in the U.K., Canada, New Zealand and France, proves that when people have access to safer products, they choose them in huge numbers. We now have the tools we need to fight harmful high smoking rates: governments around the world must now support their citizens to make a better choice.”

    According to the Tholos Foundation Sweden and Japan’s success in lowering smoking rates highlights the efficacy of comprehensive tobacco control strategies. “They have regulated alternative nicotine products, prioritizing public health,” the organization wrote in a press note. “Sweden and Japan’s experiences provide key lessons for nations aiming to decrease smoking and encourage smoke-free alternatives. By enabling access to safer alternative nicotine products and implementing appropriate regulations, countries significantly improve public health outcomes and address smoking.”