Author: Bill Tarling

“The UK E-Cigarette Research Forum (UKECRF) is an initiative developed by Cancer Research UK in partnership with Public Health England (PHE) and the UK Centre for Tobacco and Alcohol Studies (UKCTAS). Among other things, it brings together genuine experts to look at research related to vaping. The UKECRF suggested that people interested in vape research might wish to look at the following studies from the end of 2019:”

• includes extensive lists of categorized research topics and studies

ARTICLE LINK:

UKECRF Research Roundup

“News of spice and cannabis problems in UK and the USA comes as billionaire Presidential runner Michael Bloomberg promises to ban all vaping if he becomes POTUS. But, in Spain, the head of Bellvitge Preventive Medicine defends vaping. Also, Linda Bauld and Suzi Gage point out it’s still safer than smoking. Set against the prevailing American wind of scientific illiteracy, Josep Maria Ramón, head of the Preventive Medicine service at Bellvitge Hospital in Barcelona, spoke out in favour of vaping and tobacco harm reduction. “In the UK, vaping has been credited with contributing to recent reductions in smoking. Studies published in 2019 showed that e-cigarettes help smokers quit and can benefit cardiovascular health. Even in the US, recent research suggests any rise in youth vaping has coincided with sharp declines in young people smoking.””

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Michael Bloomberg promises to ban all vaping – Bellvitge Preventive Medicine defends vaping – Linda Bauld and Suzi Gage point out it’s still safer than smoking

“A federal antitrust probe is reportedly stalling tobacco titan Altria’s $12.8 billion tie-up with Juul more than a year after the investment was announced. The Marlboro maker and the e-cigarette giant have delayed completing parts of their deal while the Federal Trade Commission reviews Altria’s control of store shelves. The Virginia-based company can’t count Juul’s earnings toward its own, pick Juul board representatives or turn its nonvoting shares into voting shares until the FTC wraps up its review, according to the Journal. The feds are reportedly focusing on Altria’s efforts to buy retail shelf space for its e-cigarettes even as it planned to close up that business and invest in Juul, the paper reported. Altria agreed to give shelf space to Juul as part of the investment deal.”

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Antitrust probe stalling Altria’s $12.8B deal with Juul

“Geneva has finally joined most other Swiss cantons in banning the sale of cigarettes to minors. Parliamentarians on Friday also voted to ban the sale of e-cigarettes to young people. They have adopted a draft law that called for cigarettes and related products to be put in the same category as alcohol. The change results in the introduction of a ban on the sale of cigarettes to children under 18 and e-cigarettes.”

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Geneva parliament votes to ban cigarette sales to minors

“Effective immediately, retailers must not sell tobacco products to anyone under the age of 21. FDA recognizes that both the agency and some retailers will need to update current practices to implement this new law as FDA will need time to do outreach and education to retailers and update the Agency’s programmatic work to reflect this change in law. During this period of transition, the FDA expects retailers to follow the law and take measures to ensure an individual purchasing a tobacco product is 21 or older, including manually checking IDs when needed. However, during this ramp-up period, FDA will continue to only use minors under the age of 18 in its compliance check program. FDA will be updating our website and other materials, including our regulations, in the near future to reflect the change in law.”

ARTICLE LINK:

Newly Signed Legislation Raises Federal Minimum Age of Sale of Tobacco Products to 21

“Rep. Jerry Knirk, D-Freedom, wants New Hampshire to go further and ban the sale of all flavored vaping products, except tobacco flavors. New Hampshire vape shop owners came out in force Wednesday against a proposal to ban flavored products, arguing it would force them out of business and harm the health of adult customers who will return to smoking. House lawmakers also are considering a bill that would put a moratorium on the sale of e-cigarettes “until the commissioner of the department of health and human services determines that they are not a cause of illness or death.””

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Vape Shop Owners Protest New Hampshire Flavor Ban Proposal

“As Michael Siegel — a public health Professor at Boston University — says “there is overwhelming evidence that smoking is more hazardous than vaping. One of the most compelling lines of evidence is a series of studies showing that when smokers switch to e-cigarettes, they experience immediate and dramatic improvement in both their respiratory and cardiovascular health, measured both subjectively and objectively.” Cancer rates are at an all-time low partially due to the introduction of vaping and subsequent reduction in smoking. Therefore it is important that we support those wanting to vape as a tool to quit smoking.”

ARTICLE LINK:

Vaping is much safer than smoking, regardless of the opinion of some public health “experts”

“Associate Health Minister Jenny Salesa said at the time the Smoke-free Environments Act – which regulates tobacco in New Zealand – would be “amended next year” [in 2019] – but the year passed with no update. Salesa has dropped some clues about what the public can expect from the legislation. In 2018, she said there would be “𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗴𝗲𝘀 𝘁𝗼 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘄𝗮𝘆 𝘃𝗮𝗽𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗱𝘂𝗰𝘁𝘀 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗱𝗶𝘀𝗽𝗹𝗮𝘆𝗲𝗱 𝗶𝗻 𝗿𝗲𝘁𝗮𝗶𝗹 𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗿𝗲𝘀” and that this will be “similar to retail advertising of tobacco products”. Salesa also said the new laws would “put a stop to vaping and similar smokeless tobacco products in places such as bars, restaurants and workplaces – as we already do with cigarettes”. The minister told Newshub in September the Government is 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝘀𝗶𝗱𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗯𝗮𝗻𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗺𝗼𝘀𝘁 𝗳𝗹𝗮𝘃𝗼𝘂𝗿𝘀 𝗼𝗳 𝘃𝗮𝗽𝗲 𝗹𝗶𝗾𝘂𝗶𝗱 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗼𝗻𝗹𝘆 𝗮𝗹𝗹𝗼𝘄𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗵𝗿𝗲𝗲 𝗳𝗹𝗮𝘃𝗼𝘂𝗿𝘀 𝘁𝗼 𝗯𝗲 𝘀𝗼𝗹𝗱. The drop in smoking fits with the Government’s goal of becoming smoke-free by 2025, bolstered by another hike in tobacco tax in January pushing up a 25-pack of cigarettes to the $40 mark. It’s hoped vaping could help more people quit.”

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New vaping laws were promised in 2018 – so where are they?

“This has left local business owners questioning the city-mandated tobacco license they’re required to purchase to sell tobacco within the city of Cincinnati. The license costs $500 per business. “We already pay a $1,000 fee to the state of Ohio, to be in the business that we’re in,” said Jim Clark, owner of Straus Tobbacconist, a specialty tobacco shop Downtown. “And that’s a lot.”

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‘Tobacco 21’ license comes at a hefty cost for local business owners

“Democratic presidential candidate Michael Bloomberg vowed Wednesday to ban all flavored e-cigarettes and move to reduce tobacco use and nicotine exposure. Bloomberg released a new television ad faulting the Trump administration’s e-cigarette policy. He said he would direct the Food and Drug Administration to prohibit the sale of all flavored e-cigarettes and all menthol-flavored tobacco products, raise the federal cigarette tax by $1 per pack and increase taxes on other products like cigars and chewing tobacco.”

ARTICLE LINK:

Bloomberg Vows to Ban Flavored E-Cigarettes in Anti-Tobacco Push