Vape News Headlines:
Vaping Considerably Safer – Heat Not Burn Latest – PMI Shares Slump – FDA Talks Tough – Sydney Bans Vaping – Wrecked Court case – The Right To Vape – Does A Bear Shit And Juul In The Woods?
Top Academic Says “Vaping Is Considerably Safer Than Smoking”
He’s reiterating what is quickly becoming the consensus of health experts around the world but in a superb interview Dr. Riccardo Polosa also calls for a major overhaul of the Tobacco Products Directive – the infamous TPD.
Speaking to the eureporter he blew away the myths of passive vaping – said over the next decade over 6 million premature deaths could be thwarted and slammed the so called ‘gateway effect’.
Incidentally Dr Polosa is the guy who famously held up a piece of burned toast during the recent Science and Technology Committee leaving UK MPs in no doubt the safety of e-cigarettes.
Here’s just a few of the quotes he gives in the interview:
Clinical findings on e-cigarette users who have been using these products long-term do not show any early sign of damage to the lung. Also, our work in patients with respiratory conditions shows that e-cigarettes can help reduce cigarette consumption, are very well tolerated and can improve respiratory outcomes in patients with asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disorder (COPD) that have switched to regular vaping.
I am confident that, under normal conditions of use, these products are unlikely to raise significant health concerns.
Existing tobacco control policies to reduce cigarette use have been only modestly effective and integration with a strategy of switching cigarette smokers to e-cigarette use to accelerate tobacco control progress should be now considered. Recent estimates indicate that replacement of tobacco cigarette by e-cigarette use over a 10-year period may prevent 6.6 million premature deaths, in the US alone.
No Evidence Of Passive Vaping
Unlike second-hand tobacco smoke, there is no direct evidence that passive exposure to vaping may cause significant harm to bystanders.
My opinion is that TPD is in need of corrective measures.
Like I said a superb interview and well worth a read!
Heat Not Burn – The Debate Continues
Social media and the blogosphere has been lit up following our interview with Sarah Jakes the chair of the NNA and her some may say controversial comments on the subject of Heat Not Burn products – specifically the PMI brand iQOS.
The key issue for many was the simple question should HNB products be sold in vape shops.
If you haven’t read her answers I suggest you do so now – and do check out the comments and feel free to add your own.
Ina nutshell Sarah says if vape shops want to sell HNB products then they should.
This has led to many high profile vapers calling the charity’s stance into question – whilst tobacco harm reduction advocates have welcomed it!
Within hours of the interview going live popular UK YouTube vape reviewer – Vaping With Vic – announced he was removing himself as a Associate of the tobacco harm reduction charity saying:
So, the NNA has spoken on HNB products and for all intents and purposes has come out on the side of Vape Shops selling tobacco products in their shops.
I wish the NNA all the best in their future endeavours….as from today I am no longer an associate member of them and I am now done with advocacy in the UK.
We’ll have more on this seemingly divisive issue next week.
Phillip Morris Inc Tobacco Shares Plummet
Last week saw the biggest drop EVER in Phillip Morris Incs share value falling by a whopping 16%.
Market insiders say this is due to a downturn in sales of the iQOS Heat Not Burn Product [see above] in Japan.
PMI Chief Financial Officer Martin King said:
We’ve looked at trends of other new products and new successful launches in other situations, and there’s almost always periods where you get surging adoption, and then it plateaus a bit as you enter some new consumer dynamics and categories.
And then it tends to resume some growth rates. And we think we’re at one of those points.
It was just an issue of whether this torrid pace of growth would continue uninterrupted or whether we would hit some points at which we need to adjust a bit and approach consumers in a little bit different manner.
What that ‘different manner’ could be is open to debate [see above lol].
FDA Talks Touch Of Vape Enforcement
As the current hysteria over the Juul pod device continues to rage in the States the FDA plans a tough crackdown on underage sales of vape devices.
Last week FDA Commissioner Scott Gottlieb said:
We are going to take some vigorous enforcement steps to try to [curb] what we see is inappropriate use by youth…We can’t just addict a whole generation of young people onto nicotine.
As to what those steps will be he didn’t say – so watch this space!
Vaping Banned Outdoors In Sydney Australia
As from July vaping in all public places in Sydney – including outdoors where smoking is not allowed will be banned.
The Smoke-free Environment Amendment Bill 2018 is the latest in banning orders and follows other Australian states with similar legislation.
Those caught ignoring the ban could face fines of up to $550.
The legislation comes in a week that saw a number of Australian politicians calling for the current ban on nicotine based e-liquids to be lifted.
North Sydney federal Liberal MP told the Aussie media that vaping could save:
…thousands of lives if long-term smokers turn to them as an alternative to tobacco.
I took the view that e-cigarettes are an important part of a harm minimisation approach.
E-cigarettes are not a 100 per cent safe product but they do much less harm than smoking cigarettes.
While there is debate about how much less harm they do most studies point to their being significantly less likely health impacts from vaping. E-cigarettes provide an option for those hard core smokers who have tried and failed to quit.
Mr Zimmerman is chair of the Use and Marketing of Electronic Cigarettes and Personal Vaporisers inquiry which recently decided NOT to lift the current ban.
Sticky End For Get Wrecked Court Case
A US e-liquid company has been ordered to stop selling juices that ‘mimmick’ well known chewing gum and candy products.
As we reported back in June 2017 Wrigley had taken legal action against another e-liquid firm Chi-Town Vapers – a case that was also held in favour of Wrigley.
This case against Wrecked Juices LLC stated the descriptions of two of their juices – Pink Starburst and Skeetlez was too similar to their candy brands.
Last week Illinois Judge John Z. Lee agreed with Wrigley and ordered Wrecked to stop selling them – pay Wrigley’s court costs and send the remaining e-liquids to them for destruction [or to be wrecked I guess].
The Right To Vape – Great Comment Piece
Not so much news but this comment piece from the Evening Standard writer Sam Leith had me chuckling.
It also had me nodding my head and smiling ruefully – how many times have we as vapers faced the ‘busybody’ or ‘jobsworth’ telling us where can and can’t vape?
Anyway the line:
It’s a hot debate, the right to vape, but I’d rather you stubbed out your prissy disapproval of my pretend fag…
Had be grinning – it a great read!
and finally…Bathroom Doors Removed Because of the Juul!
As I keep mentioning the hysteria levels in the US over the Juul vape device are going into overload on an almost daily basis.
However just when you thought things couldn’t get any weirder along comes the case of the missing bathroom doors at a US school!
Broadneck High School principal Jim Todd decided to remove the doors to make sure the kids were peeing and not Juuling!
Mr Todd said:
It’s unfortunate that it came to that.
However one of the kids affected said:
It’s inconvenient and embarrassing.
Oh my…hahaha…er…ha!
BTW given the school’s mascot is a grizzly called Bruin – one could ask the question does a bear and a student now have to Juul and shit in the woods to get some privacy?
But I won’t… 😉
*Shuffles Papers*
