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Anti-vaping Research Accidentally Proves Vaping is Safer and More! Tobacco Harm Reduction News

September 8, 2023 Tobacco Harm Reduction News

CASAA Live is back! CASAA joins support for Congressional THR caucus. The role of nicotine in harm reduction. Bangladesh will punish citizens for vaping. Anti-vaping research accidentally proves vaping is safer than smoking and more!

Scroll to the bottom of this post for a link to the audio/video versions of this post!

ADVOCACY // CASAA Live Is Back!

Join CASAA CEO Alex Clark, Vice President Logan Evans and Member Coordinator Kristin Noll Marsh for the 2023 Summer Recap show tomorrow, September 9th at 4:30 PM EDT/3:30 PM CDT/1:30 PM PDT. Watch on YouTube, Facebook Live or Twitter!

ADVOCACY // Congressional Tobacco Harm Reduction Caucus

In a letter organized by The R Street Institute, a group of public policy and tobacco harm reduction organizations — including CASAA — congratulated them on the formation of the caucus and asked policy makers and influencers to “continue to invest in prevention and cessation, and get serious about exploring harm reduction” and “for a paradigm shift from well-intentioned but harmful prohibitionist policies.”

READ MORE: Commending the Formation of the Congressional Tobacco Harm Reduction Caucus

FDA // Drowning In Its Own Minutiae

FDA “is drowning in its own minutiae to the point where scientists are largely unable to step back and look at the bigger picture inhabited by people—adults who don’t need scientists to tell them whether or not menthol provides them with a benefit.”

READ MORE: The Bigger Picture

TOBACCO HARM REDUCTION // The Role of Nicotine

“In regard to tobacco harm reduction, the question is not whether nicotine has any harm but rather how harmful is nicotine relative to tobacco. Given that tobacco smoke is exceptionally harmful, anything that can reduce smoking will have health benefits to both the individual and society. Nicotine, the chemical itself, is addictive, but from a pharmacological perspective, when used as intended through properly regulated means, the balance of evidence shows that it has minimal harm. Therefore, nicotine is an excellent means for tobacco harm reduction as it can combat smoking, the largest cause of preventable deaths worldwide.” ~Grant Churchill

READ MORE: A Captivating Compound

TOBACCO HARM REDUCTION // Sweden Steps Up For Snus

Per EU4Snus on Twitter: “The Swedish government, with support of Sverigedemokraterna (Sweden Democrats,) propose a 20% decrease in snus tax starting in November 2024 and an increase of the cigarette tax with 9%. This is another example of Swedish intelligent harm reduction principles. Relative risk taxation!”

WORLD NEWS // Extreme and Ill-Designed In South Africa

“South Africans, as much as anyone, deserve the best public health legislation, and for it to be drafted in their own interests based on the circumstances of South Africa. They should not become a test bed for extreme or ideologically motivated proposals promoted by unaccountable foreign activist organisations.” ~ Clive Bates

READ MORE: South Africa’s self-harming anti-vaping legislation

WORLD NEWS // France Plans to Ban Harm Reduction

To “combat smoking,” France plans to ban products that can REDUCE smoking, because they are “giving bad habits to young people.”

That makes as much sense as banning seat belts because they give young people the bad habit of driving more recklessly.🤦‍♂️

READ MORE: France Will Soon Ban Disposable Vapes Under an Anti-Smoking Plan

WORLD NEWS // Punishing Harm Reduction In Bangladesh

Under the proposed law, anyone caught vaping (even nicotine-free) will be subject to a fine of 5,000 taka–about $46. Extremely harsh, considering the average MONTHLY wage for the low-skilled workers who are most likely to smoke is about 5,210 taka.

READ MORE: Bangladesh Poised to Be the Next Asian Country to Ban Vapes

RESEARCH // Accidentally Proving Vaping Is Safer

They studied RATS, not humans. However, it should be noted that the sperm count with cigarette smoke exposure was 9.6% lower than the control group, while vaping was just 3.5% lower. Smoking was also worse for testicle size. Researchers then misrepresent vaping as being promoted as “harmless” when it’s actually promoted as HARM REDUCTION, which their own study appears to support!

RESEARCH // Dual Use Means Still Smoking

“Despite no association with e-cigarette use alone for any outcome…”

The effects were found only with DUAL USE, which means those participants were STILL SMOKING. A more accurate headline? “Dual Use of Both Cigarettes and E-Cigarettes Has Higher Likelihood of Ocular Symptoms.”

The key finding being ignored here is that vaping alone didn’t increase ocular symptoms, which means this is another study accidentally proving that vaping is harm reduction.

READ MORE: E-Cigarette, Cigarette Users Have Higher Likelihood of Ocular Symptoms

LOCAL LEGISLATION // Flavor Ban Backfire

After the California flavor ban, “illicit flavored tobacco product sales have increased while state revenues have decreased, products not covered by the ban have entered into the marketplace and the rate of cigarette smoking remains unchanged.”

READ MORE: The fruits of prohibition: California’s tobacco flavor ban backfires

LOCAL LEGISLATION // Ban Hysteria

The citizens of Multnomah Co. will now have reduced access to life-saving products because of hysteria over an imaginary “youth vaping epidemic” that has so tragically caused . . . RECORD LOW smoking rates. Meanwhile, flavor bans have INCREASED smoking.

READ MORE: Multnomah County flavored-nicotine ban upheld in court

CASAA MEDIA // Spotify

CASAA’s podcast is on Spotify! Please give us a follow here:

CASAA IN ACTION // Twitter Spaces

The week we recap the Reagan-Udall sessions with Amanda Wheeler, Tim Andrews and CASAA CEO Alex Clark, who all presented to the panel about FDA’s issues regulating reduced-harm products. What grade would you give FDA? Also available on CASAA’s Spotify channel (above.)

CASAA IN ACTION // CASAA Live

On this episode of CASAA Live, join CASAA CEO Alex Clark and CASAA Member Coordinator Kristin Noll-Marsh as they reveal why they started vaping and discuss the importance of consumer testimonials!

If you missed the last CASAA Live episode you can catch up NOW before the show comes back on Saturday, September 9th!

TAKE ACTION // CASAA State Facebook Groups

Have you joined your CASAA State Facebook group yet? Check it out now! Click the link below, click on your state on the map, then click the “Join Now” button to go to your state’s group page. It’s as easy as that to stay updated on local happenings, meet local advocates and never miss a Call to Action in your state!

Don’t forget to also follow our official Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/CASAAmedia

FIND YOUR GROUP: CASAA State Locator

CASAA STORE // Apparel and More

Show your support by shopping our store! Our president (and brilliant website/swag designer) Danielle has added some awesome new designs to CASAA’s apparel shop!

 

VISIT: CASAA Apparel and Swag Store

CASAA MEDIA // Podcast

Catch up on past tobacco harm reduction news with Alex and Logan on the CASAA podcasts on SoundCloud every Monday and now live on YouTube and Facebook every Saturday at 3:30 PM.

SoundCloud: