Author: Bill Tarling

“The government’s Tobacco Control Plan for England tasked Public Health England (PHE) to update its 2015 vaping evidence review every year until 2022. The sixth report was released on Thursday and looks at the prevalence of vaping among young people and adults. It also reviews research literature on vaping among pregnant women and people with mental health conditions.”

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PHE Update Vaping Evidence

“Students caught vaping nicotine or possessing any tobacco product on school grounds could get fines and community service under an ordinance proposed in Flushing Township. Underage nicotine use is already illegal under state law, but the Flushing Township Police Department sought the local ordinance so that local authorities work more closely with students to deter vaping or tobacco use. For violations of the proposed local ordinance, students would be subject to a civil infraction with a fine of no more than $50 for a first offense and no more than $100 for a second offence. The court may also order the student to participate in a health promotion and risk-reduction program. The individual could also be given up to 16 hours of community service for a first offense and up to 32 hours for a second offense.”

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Ordinance proposes to help Flushing youth kick the vaping habit

“Experts have written to the European Respiratory Journal (ERS), challenging the ERS policy on vaping and tobacco harm reduction and calling for it to adopt a rational approach. The ERS has recently declared that tobacco harm reduction is a failing strategy and “lacks evidence to justify the approach”. The letter was submitted to the ERS by Nicholas Hopkinson (Imperial College) and is co-signed by John Britton (UK Centre for Tobacco & Alcohol Studies), Jacob George (University of Edinburgh), Linda Bauld (University of Stirling), Sanjay Agrawal (University of Leicester), John Moxham (King’s College), Deborah Arnott (ASH), and Ann McNeill (King’s College). The experts note: “The stated policy of the European Respiratory Society is to strive ‘constantly to promote strong and evidence-based policies to reduce the burden of tobacco related diseases’.”

They say: “In our view, the recent ERS Tobacco Control Committee statement on tobacco harm reduction [linked to at the bottom of the article], though well-intentioned, appears to be based on a number of false premises and draws its conclusions from a partial account of available data. It also presents a false dichotomy between the provision of ‘conventional’ tobacco control and harm reduction approaches. We therefore respond, in turn, to the seven arguments presented against the adoption of harm reduction in the Committee’s statement.”

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Call For A Rational Approach

“The Pennsylvania Alliance to Control Tobacco (PACT)  introduced a new program help Pennsylvania campuses become tobacco-free and improve policies when it comes to e-cigarettes.”

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PACT launches new program to help college campuses go tobacco-free

“A well-known New Zealand vaping advocate has returned from the Philippines resolute that the World Health Organisation’s (WHO) steadfast position of tobacco control, not harm reduction, is costing considerable lives globally. Nancy Loucas, Executive Director for CAPHRA (Coalition of Asia-Pacific Tobacco Harm Reduction Advocates), says the meeting of the Ninth Session of Parties (CoP9) of WHO’s Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC) at The Hague in November is once again set to exclude the likes of CAPHRA. Ms Loucas says WHO ignored a 2018 letter sent to them by 72 tobacco harm scientific experts who stated: ‘That it is time for tobacco control to embrace tobacco harm reduction’. Ahead of WHO’s biannual meeting for tobacco controllers later this year, CAPHRA has committed to launching an Asia-wide education and information campaign, #SmokeFree4Life, about the benefits of electronic cigarettes, heat-not-burn tobacco, snus and other smoke-free nicotine products. The Asia-Pacific advocates will also urge health authorities attending to raise the rights of smokers who want to switch to less harmful smoke-free alternatives.”

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Kiwi vaping advocate takes on WHO’s tobacco stance

“The UCP government announced the levy — that will impact both THC and nicotine vaping products — in its 2020-2021 budget unveiled last week, as a way to discourage use among minors. But some of those in the province’s legal cannabis sector say it adds another layer of taxes on vaping products that will encourage consumers to turn to a much cheaper illicit market or stay loyal to black market suppliers.”

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Provincial vape tax gift to black market

“The age to purchase tobacco and vaping products on P.E.I. increased to 21 on Sunday, and vaping products can now only be sold in specialty tobacco shops in the province. But the P.E.I. government still has not told those retailers when it will proceed with a planned prohibition on some vaping flavours, or specified which flavours will be included in the ban. A private member’s bill introduced by PC MLA Cory Deagle passed unanimously in the P.E.I. legislature in November 2019 and became law March 1. That law includes a provision to ban flavoured vaping products, much as P.E.I. banned the sale of flavoured tobacco products. But extending the ban to vape products will require cabinet make changes to provincial regulations, which hasn’t happened yet. Draft regulations which would achieve that were quietly posted on the province’s website in February, but without any official announcement as to when or whether the province intends to implement the regulations.”

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Age to purchase vapes goes up, but still no date set to limit flavours

“Moves to ban vaping advertising not only go against freedoms of expression but will reduce the chance of adult smokers being free of deadly tobacco, says Jonathan Devery, spokesperson for the Vaping Trade Association of New Zealand (VTANZ). His comments follow the release of a report by Attorney-General, David Parker, to Parliament that states parts of the Smokefree Environments and Regulated Products (Vaping) Amendment Bill banning the advertising or promotion of vaping products were ‘inconsistent with the right to freedom of expression’ under the Bill of Rights Act. In his report, Mr Parker says while some restrictions on advertising were likely justifiable, a blanket prohibition was not a ‘proportionate response, given the lack of evidence for (vaping) being harmful’. On the contrary, vaping is significantly safer than smoking, he stated.”

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Attorney-General Agrees Vaping Ad Ban Too Much

“City council will vote Monday night on whether to ban smoking altogether in city parks, plazas and multi-use pathways, including at the popular Shipyards District near Lonsdale Quay and along the waterfront North Shore Spirit Trail. The city currently bans smoking within 7.5 metres of buildings and public buildings, walkways, playgrounds and beaches. The proposal also includes an amendment to more than triple fines for smoking violations, from $70 to $240. Council will also be considering a proposed ban on vaping advertisement on city-owned sites and property, including transit shelters, bike racks and benches.”

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City of North Vancouver considering widespread public smoking ban

“Tobacco legislation and regulation is constantly under review at the local, state and federal levels. In this monthly roundup, Convenience Store News highlights the latest proposals and approved changes happening across the United States.”

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Tackling Tobacco: February 2020 Legislative & Regulatory Roundup