Heads up on vaping flavor bans. Calls to Action updates. Take the annual eCigIntelligence vaping consumer survey. Vaping research. Nicotine tax passes House. New CASAA apparel and more!
Scroll to the bottom of this post for a link to the audio/video versions of this post!
CALL TO ACTION UPDATE // National Nicotine Tax
The House has passed the Build Back Better bill, which includes the outrageously high and dangerous nicotine tax. Our last chance to have it removed is now in the Senate. Please contact your senators ASAP and urge them to oppose this tax!
If you don’t speak up, who will? Even if you don’t smoke or vape, it’s likely that someone you know does and they need your support. Take action TODAY (it only takes a few minutes!) Please TAKE ACTION NOW even if you already did it before!
TAKE ACTION: Stop an Excessive Federal Tax on Safer Nicotine Products
CALL TO ACTION UPDATE // Portland, Maine Flavor Ban
A 3-0 vote by the committee has moved the proposal to consideration by the full council. The council likely will vote on it late next month or early next year. If it passes, it probably would go into effect in June. See link for more info and TAKE ACTION!
TAKE ACTION: Portland, Maine – Stop a Flavor Ban!
CALL TO ACTION UPDATE // Tempe, Arizona Flavor Ban
Tempe City Council is moving forward with a ban on flavored tobacco/nicotine products (including synthetic). Staff are being directed to research the proposal further, so it will likely come back up in early 2022. Stay alert!
TAKE ACTION: Tempe, AZ – Stop a Flavor Ban!
CALL TO ACTION UPDATE // Denver, Colorado Flavor Ban
Final council vote on the irrational and irresponsible FLAVOR BAN is expected to take place on Monday, December 6th. TAKE ACTION NOW!
TAKE ACTION: Denver, CO Stop a Flavor Ban!
HEADS UP! // Nobles County, Minnesota Flavor Ban
County board is considering a vapor product flavor ban, but seems open to alternatives to a full ban. If you live in the area, contact your county board members to let them know how you feel about it!
READ MORE: Nobles County considers banning sales of flavored vape cartridges, drug paraphernalia
HEADS UP! // Redwood, California Flavor Ban
The city council voted 6-1 at a meeting Monday in favor of a flavor ban, which includes low risk vapor products helping adults quit smoking. The ban would go into effect next April, after a 2nd reading by the council in December.
READ MORE: Flavored Tobacco Products To Be Banned In Redwood City
RESEARCH // eCigIntelligence Consumer Survey
It’s that time of year again! CASAA works cooperatively with eCigIntelligence to develop consumer survey questions that aid us in our advocacy efforts and help take the pulse of the vaping community. Please click the link to take the survey!
TAKE THE SURVEY: USA Vape Consumer Survey 2021
SUPPORTING ADVOCACY // CASAA Store
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, plus there are still Black Friday deals on all items!
SHOP NOW: CASAA Apparel and Swag Store
OPINION // ‘Build Back Deader’ with Democrats’ vape tax
Data from other states show youth vaping rates have declined since 2018. What’s more, youth tobacco use remains at historic lows, suggesting the vape-to-cigarette gateway effect is overstated at best.
The trade-off here is turning away a few young e-cigarette users while keeping perhaps millions of adults stuck on cigarettes, the deadliest consumer product ever bought and sold by humans.”
~ Adam Sullivan
READ MORE: ‘Build Back Deader’ with Democrats’ vape tax
RESEARCH // Vaping and Erectile Dysfunction
The media was quick to exaggerate results of a cross-sectional study that maybe, possibly “linked” vaping to erectile dysfunction. Of course, they don’t know if the erectile dysfunction started before or after subjects started vaping, or if they took medications known to cause erectile dysfunction. It’s also worthy to note that this study inexplicably finds no link between cigarette smoking and erectile dysfunction–something of an outlier from numerous studies that have found a correlation.
8 yrs on twitter, 9+ working in #vaping, & today's h/l on vaping & erectile dysfunction is yet another example of bad #scicomm that'll be shared on here. The clue is in the text, but neither the study authors nor subeds could help themselves could they? #MyTwitterAnniversary pic.twitter.com/uehO8DFxMF
— Gillian Eva Golden (@gillianegolden) December 1, 2021
Male vapers, have you ever suffered from erectile dysfunction since you started vaping?
— Dale Roberts (@Dale___Roberts) December 1, 2021
READ MORE: E-Cigarettes May Be Independently Linked to Erectile Dysfunction, New Research Finds
READ STUDY: Association of E-Cigarettes With Erectile Dysfunction: The Population Assessment of Tobacco and Health Study
IN THE NEWS // FDA
Plaintiffs in the lawsuit that changed the submission deadline for Premarket Tobacco Applications (PMTAs) have asked the federal judge in that case to demand the FDA regularly report on its PMTA review process. CASAA director Jim McDonald reporting for Vaping360.
Anti-Vape Groups Ask Judge Grimm to Monitor FDA's PMTA Progress.
By Jim McDonald @whycherrywhy https://t.co/VyIdL1Vurp— Vaping360 (@Vaping360) December 3, 2021
READ MORE: Anti-Vape Groups Ask Judge Grimm to Monitor FDA’s PMTA Progress
IN THE NEWS // Exposing Media Misinformation
In fact, the vapor product causing panic attacks in a Tennessee school was found NOT to contain fentanyl, but instead of loudly correcting the deluge of alarming news stories, media doubles down on fentanyl vapes hysteria.
That's not how any of this works.
"Exposed to (unconfirmed) fentanyl from a vape pen." How? By looking at it?
"Narcan had to be administered to two officers and a nurse." Were they unconscious? If not, it was a waste of Narcan.
What a performative waste of taxpayer money. https://t.co/YbrHMZ06yo— Justin Brower (@NaturesPoisons) December 1, 2021
https://twitter.com/GhanaboyPharmd/status/1466101093604204567
READ MORE: Fentanyl-laced vape pens among teens concern after Tennessee high school incident
HARM REDUCTION // SNUS
Denmark, where smoking has declined from 23.4% in 2010 to 18.6% in 2018, seems to be following Norway and Sweden in switching to very low risk snus. Of course, this means anti-nicotine zealots must warn people against…using snus. In fact, snus is still a far lower risk to oral health–in addition to the far lower risk of heart disease, cancer and stroke–than smoking.
The Snus Revolution Podcast | Professor Brad Rodu – Made the Swedish Experience of Snus Known Worldwide. Interview by Bengt Wiberg – https://t.co/wkkO5AL5Kh pic.twitter.com/yaS2xECF3z
— NSP (@NicotineSP) August 11, 2021
"New Study Documents the Health Effects from Snus Use: Almost Zero" (Rodu – Tobacco Truth): http://bit.ly/fu2h1K
— TreeceC (@TreeceClewell) January 19, 2011
READ MORE: Danish Dental Association worried about irreversible damage caused by snus use
READ MORE: CASAA’s FAQs About Smoke-free Tobacco
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.