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Manufacturing a Vaping Panic and More! – Tobacco Harm Reduction News

Manufacturing a vaping and heat-not-burn panic, Bloomberg-funded WHO report controversy, Dr. Brad Rodu talks about anti-vaping propaganda, exposing anti-vaping research and propaganda and more!

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

RESEARCH // Exposing Anti-Vaping Bias

Using obfuscatory language (ie. “associated with,” “link between,” “predicts initiation,” “increases odds of,” and “association between,”) a study from the anti-vaping group Truth Initiative disingenuously implies that they’ve provided evidence that vaping is a “gateway” to smoking flavored cigars, little cigars and cigarellos. However, the study really only confirms previous findings that youth who are open to trying vaping may also try other tobacco products. Because the study does not disprove that those who went on to smoke would likely have smoked, even if they’d never vaped, only correlation–not causation–is shown.

READ MORE: A longitudinal analysis of e-cigarette use and cigar, little cigar or cigarillo initiation among youth and youth adults: 2017–2019

RESEARCH // Publishing Propaganda

Researchers admit that the stated goal of their study is to “raise the alarm” over heat-not-burn products as a health threat to teens. However, with less than 1% of students reporting ever using heat-not-burn products, sounding the alarm is not only premature, but it’s unlikely there’s any cause for concern.

“Flavors” are allegedly why teens vape, but tobacco-flavored heat-not-burn products are allegedly going to lure teens in just by looking “white and clear and clean and very modern” and “the design is kind of slick.” Therefore, it seems researchers are just grasping at the most feeble of straws on this one. It’s also important to note that the FDA marketing approval for IQOS requires the manufacturer to show that the product will “benefit public health,” including having low risk of youth uptake.

READ MORE: Heated tobacco products: The next generation of smoke-free alternatives targeting teens

RESEARCH // Teen Vaping Prevention?

Yale has introduced a high tech, virtual reality game version of the 1980’s failed “Just Say No” campaign.  It’s certain to work now, right?

The concept: How to be a “nerd” and just say no to vaping…but still get the “cool” older kids to like you.

Truly cringeworthy.

READ MORE:  Virtual Reality Game Is an Effective Tool for Vaping Prevention Among Teens

RESEARCH // Manufacturing Public Panic

Michelle Minton does a deeper dive into the ABC News “raise the alarm about heat-not-burn teen use” story (the study mentioned above.) In analyzing the study, she mainly finds evidence of just another moral panic “epidemic” in the making.

READ MORE:  Tobacco Control’s Latest Self-Fulfilling Prophecy

COMMENTARY // Governments Not Learning From History

R Street’s Mazen Saleh and Chelsea Boyd write about the “pitfalls and consequences” of  the Washington D.C. flavor prohibition for the National Review.

If the war on drugs has taught us anything, it is that product bans do not prevent use….Indeed, bans merely disproportionally impact minority communities,

READ MORE:  Washington, D.C.’s Foolish Flavored-Tobacco Ban

PUBLIC HEALTH // Anti-Vaping is Anti-Public Health

CASAA director Jim McDonald reports in Vaping360 on the Bloomberg-funded World Health Organization report bemoaning the fact that 84 countries “still have no bans or regulations.” Meanwhile, the report dangerously disregards the clearly positive impact vaping has had on public health where it has been embraced as a harm reduction tool. “It’s the usual set of complaints and lies about vaping, and a reupping of the evergreen list of excuses for the WHO’s own feeble anti-smoking progress,” writes McDonald.

READ MORE:  Bloomberg-Funded WHO Report Doubles Down Against Vaping

PUBLIC HEALTH // Promoting Vaping to Teens

Dr. Brad Rodu shines a light on what CASAA has said for years–tobacco control dramatically and irresponsibly increased vaping curiosity and experimentation with campaigns promoting how popular vaping was with teens, the availability of “kid-friendly” flavors and the ease of hiding devices from parents and teachers. Put simply, it’s becoming obvious to many experts that anti-vaping propaganda did more to lure teens into vaping than any industry marketing ever could.

DO MORE:  The Vape Industry Can’t Advertise to Kids, But Anti-Tobacco Crusaders Are Doing It For Them

PUBLIC HEALTH // Exposing Anti-Vaping Propaganda

Seemingly worried that the teen vaping fad will keep declining into 2021, Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids representative made the rounds in local news reports this week, continuing to spread misinformation and incite more people into a moral panic over vaping.

DO MORE:  E-cigarette use among kids dropped in 2020; Advocates worry it could go back up

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 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.

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