The Scottish government has officially commissioned an “urgent review of the environmental impacts and management of single-use vapes.”
The review, which comes in response to emerging concerns around the negative consequences of disposable vaping devices, will inform potential policy responses, which could include a ban of the products.
The disposable smoking devices have been linked to issues including litter, plastic waste and fire risk, according to Scotland’s government.
Zero Waste Scotland will lead the review, which will consider international experience and action, including any key developments in the European Union.
Other approaches could include increasing access to responsible disposal options, improved product design, or public communications campaigns.
“Any form of littering is an unacceptable, anti-social behavior, that is damaging to the environment and the economy,” Iain Gulland, Chief Executive of Zero Waste Scotland, said. “Single-use items, like disposable vapes, are becoming an all-too-common eyesore in areas where we live, work, and socialize, and can last in our environment for years and years. Tackling our throwaway culture is a priority here at Zero Waste Scotland and we are happy to lead on this important review.”
New Zealand’s government is seeking feedback on measures to help reduce the number of young people vaping, reports a The Times Online.
According to Associate Health Minister Ayesha Verrall, vaping is becoming increasingly popular among New Zealand youth, including among youngsters who have never smoked.
“Vaping has a role to play in ensuring smokers who wish to quit smoking can do so using vaping products; however youth vaping rates are too high and we need to strike a better balance,” she was quoted as saying.
The proposed measures include proximity restrictions for all new specialist vape retailers, so they are not near schools and sports grounds; restrictions on flavor names to avoid attracting youth; and restrictions on single-use vaping products, which are cheaper and more easily accessible than other e-cigarettes.
In addition, the government wants to reduce the maximum concentration of nicotine salts in single-use products from 50mg/mL to 35mg/mL and require vaping companies to print serial or batch numbers on their products to make them traceable.
The consultation document is available on the Ministry of Health website with submissions closing at 5pm on March 15.
A 2022 article that claimed e-cigarette users faced the same cancer risk as combustible cigarette smokers has been retracted by the World Journal of Oncology.
“After publication of this article, concerns have been raised regarding the article’s methodology, source data processing including statistical analysis, and reliability of conclusions … [because] the authors failed to provide justified explanations and evidence for the inquires [sic], subsequently this article has been retracted at the request of Editor-in-Chief,” the editors state.
Many of the concerns raised by the editors who retracted the article mirror the problems with other studies that have linked vaping to smoking-related diseases.
The study failed to address the question of whether diagnoses were made before or after people started vaping, a minimum requirement for inferring causation, a common theme with vapor studies conducted by anti-nicotine researchers. In 2020, the same problem led to the retraction of a Journal of the American Heart Association article that reported an association between vaping and heart attacks by anti-nicotine activist Stanton Glantz, a professor at the University of California, San Francisco School of Medicine.
The World Journal of Oncology article—which was attributed to no fewer than 13 researchers at institutions such as the University of Missouri, Temple University Hospital, the Mayo Clinic, and the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai—has other obvious problems that should have been apparent before publication, writes Jacob Sullum with Reason magazine.
It features enough inconsistencies, writing errors, non sequiturs, and failures of reasoning to make you wonder whether peer reviewers and editors actually read it, let alone carefully evaluated its strengths and weaknesses.
In an email to Sullum, Brad Rodu, a University of Louisville professor of medicine who has been studying tobacco harm reduction for decades, says the “grossly flawed” study of vaping and cancer raises a troubling question: “How could it get through peer review?”
A new Philip Morris Limited (PML) funded study has found that UK retailers can expect “affordability” to be the deciding factor for adult smokers trying to make the switch to vaping products in 2023.
In its third consecutive year of running the survey for PML, KAM Media asked 250 UK convenience stores what factors they believe will be important for adult smokers switching to smoke-free alternatives at the start of the new year and throughout 2023, according to Better Retailing.
When asked what customers will look for when choosing a smoke-free alternative, retailers prioritized price with over half (57 percent) agreeing that customers would select the cheapest products available, followed by those products offering the best overall value for money (18 percent).
Smoke-free alternatives that offered the widest taste range available (10 percent) and those offering convenience and ease (5 percent) ranked third and fourth, respectively.
Asked what may prevent smokers from choosing a smoke-free product this year, price again was a factor with six in 10 retailers concerned that alternatives may be too expensive.
Additionally, 56 percent said that they stock heat-not-burn products.
Kate O’Dowd, head of commercial planning at PML in the UK and Ireland, said that the average price of combustible cigarettes now £12.73 per pack and data shows that retailers are stocking a range of smoke-free alternatives that are affordable.
“2023 will be the year of the multi-category, whereby retailers should offer affordable smoke-free choices that don’t compromise on taste, quality, or satisfaction for the user,” she said.
A group of researchers from The University of New Mexico (UNM) in the U.S. are leading a project that would allow vapers to reap the benefits of electronic nicotine-delivery system (ENDS) products without the potential health risks.
Nathan Jackson, an assistant professor in the Department of Mechanical Engineering, is one of the principal investigators on the project called “Droplet and Metal Particle Analysis of ENDS,” which has been selected for a pilot award through the UNM Comprehensive Cancer Center.
Jackson said that current vaping tools operate by heating liquid to high levels in order to vaporize it, which creates a chemical reaction that generates potentially toxic products such as formaldehyde and acrolein that have well-known long-term health risks for cardiovascular or respiratory diseases.
“Every vaping tool functions by heating the liquid to greater than 200 degrees celsius, which creates toxic byproducts, which then enter the aerosol droplets that are inhaled,” he said. “Our technology uses a different mechanism to create the aerosol that does not require heating, so it could potentially eliminate the harmful byproducts.”
Jackson is the inventor of an atomization technology based on silicon microfabrication called silicon-vibrating mesh atomizer (Si-VMA) that uses significantly lower heat, has the potential to eliminate ultrafine particles by producing low-span and high-efficiency uniform droplet distribution, and can potentially eliminate metal particles in the aerosol since it uses a silicon-based membrane instead of a metallic one, according to a press release.
“Our technology uses a silicon substrate, where no metal is in contact with the liquid and it uses less heat, so potentially we can reduce the health risks associated with vaping,” Jackson said. “Also, our technology can generate micro-scale droplets instead of the nano-scale droplets found in current vaping tools, so that means that droplets are less likely to enter the blood stream and cluster together, which could also result in safer aerosols.”
Co-principal investigators on the project, which is funded through June 2023, involve two researchers from the UNM Health Sciences Center: Pavan Muttil from the School of Pharmacy and Katie Zychowski from the College of Nursing.
Jackson said the market for this type of solution for a safer vaping tool is enormous, for both medical uses and recreational uses, and a safer technology could reduce potential health costs associated with vaping in the future.
Jackson said the short-duration pilot study is designed to assess the feasibility of developing safer vaping technology in the future. After the results of this study are reported, he said the group plans to pursue larger funded projects that would enable them to develop improved technology with the option of later commercialization.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration ban on flavored tobacco products, except for menthol and tobacco flavors, did not stop consumers from vaping, reports EurekAlert!, citing a study published in Tobacco Control.
The study showed that less than 5 percent of the 3,500 adult e-cigarette users surveyed quit using e-cigarettes in response to the ban. The remaining respondents switched to other forms of tobacco products or flavors of e-cigarettes that are not covered by the ban.
“An increasing body of literature shows that e-cig flavors themselves cause damage when inhaled, so it makes sense to ban flavors,” said Deborah J. Ossip, a tobacco research expert and professor in the Department of Public Health Sciences and Center for Community Health and Prevention at the University of Rochester Medical Center (URMC) who co-authored the study. “But the ban doesn’t appear to be working. People—including youth—can still get flavored products and are still using them.”
Lead study author Dongmei Li, associate professor of clinical and translational research, obstetrics and gynecology and public health sciences at URMC, stated that a big issue is that the ban did not cover products such as disposable e-cigarettes and e-cigarettes that use tanks rather than cartridges or pods.
“Other forms of flavored e-cigs, especially disposable e-cigs, have become very popular after the FDA policy,” Li said. “The FDA policy also did not ban menthol[-flavored] or tobacco-flavored products—and our study shows many people switched to menthol-flavored e-cigs after the ban. It seems many people find menthol to be a nice flavor.”
Of the survey respondents, nearly 30 percent switched to tank or disposable flavored e-cigarettes and another 30 percent switched to menthol-flavored or tobacco-flavored pods; 14 percent switched to combustible products, like cigarettes, and 5 percent switched to smokeless tobacco. Less than 5 percent quit using e-cigarettes following the ban.
The smoking rate among young Americans has fallen from 35 percent to 12 percent over the past 20 years, reports The Hill, citing to a new Gallup poll.
Data shows that the decline among those aged 18 to 29 was more than double any other age group measured, meaning young adults are the second least likely group to smoke following those aged 65 and older.
Between 2001 and 2012, the rate of young adult smokers was higher than any other age group.
Between 2019 and 2022, 7 percent of U.S. adults reported smoking e-cigarettes, and 19 percent of young adults reported e-cigarette use.
“Given these differences, young adults are more likely to vape than to smoke cigarettes while among older age groups, cigarette smoking prevails,” the report states.
It is unclear how e-cigarette use has grown in this age group in recent years as Gallup only started polling e-cigarette use in 2019. Data from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention shows an increase in youth e-cigarette use between 2011 and 2018, however.
“These data suggest that much of the decline in cigarette smoking among young adults may have been offset by vaping, indicating that young adults are still smoking products containing nicotine but through different means,” the Gallup report states.
Smoke-free technologies should complement the EU’s existing tobacco control measures, according to participants in a survey commissioned by Philip Morris International, according to Eureporter.
Carried out Nov. 10-15 by Povaddo and presented in Brussels on Nov. 17, the poll surveyed 13,000 adults spread over 13 European countries.
Among the participants, 73 percent said that industries should be incentivized to develop innovative products that are better for consumers and the environment. Sixty-nine percent said interested adult smokers should be encouraged to switch to scientifically substantiated, smoke-free alternatives by taxing these products at rates that are lower than cigarettes but high enough to deter youth and nonsmokers. Additionally, six in ten respondents agreed that government endorsement of innovative tobacco products would have a positive impact on smokers.
“We know the potential to do better for adult smokers exists, as several member states have carried out similar policy approaches in, among others, energy, cars and alcohol,” said PMI Senior Vice President for External Affairs Grégoire Verdeaux during the presentation of the survey results.
“Pragmatic policies have the power to improve people’s lives, incentivizing companies to innovate for the better and provide equitable access to technological advances, especially in a time of economic instability.”
Povaddo Research President William Stewart said he hoped the results would encourage EU and national authorities to assess the results of current policies and consider other approaches, including “sensible regulation and taxation, while creating an environment that fosters innovations.”
The latest Cochrane Review on e-cigarettes provides compelling evidence that quitting combustibles is easier with e-cigarettes. An update to the international independent think tank’s ongoing review, the latest research includes 17 additional studies that conclude that smoking cessation works significantly better with e-cigarettes than with other nicotine replacement therapy (NRT) products.
“Electronic cigarettes have generated a lot of misunderstanding in both the public health community and the popular press since their introduction over a decade ago,” lead author Jamie Hartmann-Boyce said. “For the first time, this has given us high-certainty evidence that e-cigarettes are even more effective at helping people to quit smoking than traditional nicotine replacement therapies, like patches or gums.”
The total Cochrane analysis of e-cigarettes now includes 78 studies with over 22,000 participants. The body of evidence overwhelmingly supports the current updates findings.
The just-released Cochrane review also indicates that e-cigarettes containing nicotine are more effective than e-cigarettes without nicotine or smoking cessation without aids containing nicotine. However, there is less data for these comparisons, which is why the authors rate the reliability of the evidence as only moderate.
Co-author Nicola Lindson, from the University of Oxford and managing editor of the Cochrane Tobacco Addiction Group, said that while not risk-free, e-cigarettes containing nicotine only pose a fraction of the risk of smoking.
“However, due to the lack of data on possible harmful effects from long-term use of nicotine-containing electronic cigarettes, i.e. over a period of more than two years, questions remain about the long-term effects,” Lindson said.
According to the authors, the study’s key messages include:
Nicotine e-cigarettes can help people to stop smoking for at least six months. Evidence shows they work better than nicotine replacement therapy, and probably better than e-cigarettes without nicotine.
E-cigarettes may work better than no support, or behavioral support alone, and they may not be associated with serious unwanted effects.
However, more evidence is needed, particularly about the effects of newer types of e-cigarettes that have better nicotine delivery than older types of e-cigarettes, as better nicotine delivery might help more people quit smoking.
As far back as 2016, the Cochrane Review has found e-cigarettes were more likely to help smokers quit than nicotine patches or gum, but the available body of evidence at that time was slimmer.
“This comprehensive evidence review confirms, once again, that nicotine e-cigarettes help smokers to quit smoking; and that these products are more effective than medically licensed nicotine replacement therapies,” said John Britton, emeritus professor of Epidemiology, University of Nottingham, commenting on the study. “All smokers should therefore try vaping as a means to end their dependency on smoking tobacco.”
For the first time, a standalone piece of marijuana reform legislation has been sent to the U.S. president’s desk. The “Medical Marijuana and Cannabidiol Research Expansion Act” is just one signature away from historic enactment.
Just weeks after President Joe Biden issued a mass marijuana pardon and directed a review of the drug’s scheduling status, the U.S. Senate approved a House-passed bipartisan cannabis research bill on Wednesday.
Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer said he is continuing to have “productive talks” about a broader package of cannabis reforms. He hopes to pass them before the end of Congress’ lame duck session, according to Marijuana Moments.
The bill “would eliminate the red tape that hinders cannabis research, opening the door for new innovative treatments derived from cannabis,” Schumer said ahead of the vote. “If you’re one of the millions of Americans who deals with conditions like Parkinson’s or epilepsy or post-traumatic stress, or any number of other conditions, cannabis might hold promising new options for managing these diseases.”
“We need to do the research first,” he said. “And the federal government, sadly, has been woefully behind the times on this front. This bill will help fix that.”
Numerous marijuana measures have been filed and advanced in each chamber in recent sessions, however, reform has consistently stalled before reaching the president.
The bill was filed in July and quickly moved through the House before being taken up by the Senate, which approved the legislation under unanimous consent.
