Another study finds no evidence of gateway effect from vaping. CASAA CEO Alex Clark is on the go. FDA rejects more life-saving products. Dr. Gerry Stimson is optimistic about Tobacco Harm Reduction. Calls to Action and more!
Scroll to the bottom of this post for a link to the audio/video versions of this post!
CALL TO ACTION // ALABAMA SALES BAN!
HB 319/SB 271 would expand the definition of “electronic nicotine delivery system” to include ZERO NICOTINE e-liquids. This is effectively a de facto ban because FDA doesn’t regulate zero nicotine e-liquids!
TAKE ACTION: Alabama – Stop a Sales Ban!
CALL TO ACTION // VERMONT FLAVOR BAN!
S.18 would ban the sale of any flavored nicotine product (non-pharma) regardless of FDA authorization or having received a modified risk order. This has passed the Senate and is now in the House!
TAKE ACTION: Vermont – Stop a Flavor Ban!
RESEARCH // No “Gateway” Evidence. Again.
Poor Tobacco Control. Their “gateway theory” just keeps getting pummeled.
“Regardless of baseline e-cigarette use, few adolescents were likely to report continued smoking after initiation.”
The analysis included 8671 PATH participants 12 to 17 years of age who had never used cigarettes prior to October 2015, some of whom began vaping between October 2015 and October 2016.
Vaping behavior has little effect on whether adolescents in the US who have never smoked cigarettes will begin smoking cigarettes, or whether adolescents who do begin smoking cigarettes continue to smoke. Study in @JAMANetworkOpen. #pulmtwitterhttps://t.co/Iodhih3dGT pic.twitter.com/DSAAT1VoOM
— Pulmonology Advisor (@PulmAdvisor) May 9, 2023
READ MORE: Vaping in Adolescents May Have Little Effect on Subsequent Cigarette Smoking
RESEARCH // You Forgot to Ask…
Researchers: If you could only have tobacco flavors, would you stop vaping?
Adolescents & Young Adults: Umm…yeah? Probably. Sure.
Researchers: Cool.
Adolescents & Young Adults: Don’t you want to know if I was smoking before and would start smoking again without vape flavors?
Researchers: What do you mean?
The researchers in this study asked adolescents and young adults if they’d keep vaping if A) only “tobacco” and menthol flavors were available, and B) if only “tobacco” flavors were available. Considering the vast majority of vapers in these age groups only vape occasionally, it’s not surprising that most said they wouldn’t continue to vape under those options.
However, they didn’t bother to ask if any of the subjects had smoked before vaping, or if they’d go back to smoking if more pleasant vape flavors weren’t available. Apparently, as long as they don’t vape, the researchers are cool with it.
READ MORE: Adolescent and Young Adult Response to Hypothetical E-Liquid Flavor Restrictions
CASAA IN ACTION // Upcoming Events
Next week, CASAA CEO Alex Clark will be in D.C. next week for the 2023 e-Cigarette Summit on Tuesday, May 16th AND participating in a discussion on Tobacco Harm Reduction hosted by the Taxpayers Protection Alliance on Wednesday, May 17th.
The Taxpayers Protection Alliance event is free to attend or watch later.
I'll be in D.C. next week for #EcigSummit (5/16) AND a discussion on Tobacco #harmReduction hosted by @Protectaxpayers (5/17).
TPA event is free to attend or watch later – https://t.co/CDYhlsVTTo pic.twitter.com/HYzrjcOiPl
— Alex Clark (@Hello_Alex) May 11, 2023
Find Out More: Tobacco Harm Reduction: The People and Policies Shaping a Smoke Free Future
Find Out More: e-Cigarette Summit 2023
CASAA IN ACTION // CASAA Live
Guest Clive Bates left the audience with a goldmine of shareable clips this past Saturday. If you missed it, the replay is available now!
COMMENTARY // Tobacco Harm Reduction Optimism
This is a great commentary in Filter Magazine by Professor Gerry Stimson, who is a public health social scientist, emeritus professor at Imperial College London, and honorary professor at London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine. He his formerly co-editor-in-chief of the International Journal of Drug Policy, director of the Centre for Research on Drugs and Health Behaviour of Imperial College London.
Making drug use and sex safer was both contentious and a struggle. But even that did not face the organized, well-funded opposition endured by proponents of making nicotine use safer.”
“We believed then—and still do—that progress on tobacco harm reduction requires getting everyone around the table. This means consumers—the people actually using safer nicotine products—as well as policymakers, regulators, scientists and manufacturers.”
“Consumers have always been central to GFN. They are the people who are doing harm reduction. Yet at many conferences, their perspectives and experiences hardly get a mention, let alone a place on the program.”
“The last decade has seen gradual growth in consumer advocacy in this space, although it remains fragile and underfunded.”
READ MORE: Why I’m Still Fiercely Optimistic About Tobacco Harm Reduction
REGULATION // FDA Rejects More Life-Saving Products
“FDA evaluates PMTAs based on a public health standard that considers the risks and benefits of the product on the population as a whole. As part of reviewing these companies’ PMTAs, FDA considered whether the products in the applications showed an added benefit to adult smokers, as compared to tobacco-flavored e-liquid and e-cigarette products, that could outweigh the known and substantial risk of flavored e-liquid and e-cigarette products to youth.” ~FDA Statement
The FDA is well aware that numerous surveys show that adults also prefer flavors, so they don’t need every e-liquid company to provide individual studies showing the benefit of non-tobacco flavors. They also know that flavors were a key factor in getting people to use nicotine replacement products. It’s called common sense.
We’d like the FDA to please demonstrate how preventing teens (who would otherwise be smoking) from vaping, while keeping their parents and other adults smoking, “benefits the population” at all.
The FDA does its part to demolish small vape companies, preventing them from providing smart harm reducing alternatives to former smokers.
This is a shameful day for American innovation and genuine scientific advancement. https://t.co/0tgBZyMGbT
— Yaël⚜️ (@YaelOss) May 12, 2023
READ MORE: FDA Issues Marketing Denial Orders for Approximately 6,500 Flavored E-cigarette Products
CASAA TESTIMONIAL PROJECT
Anecdote #13,519:
Tom’s story is an example of why it’s so important that safer alternatives are NOT subjected to taxes to create “parity” with deadly cigarettes. He may never have switched if vaping hadn’t been cheaper than smoking!
Share YOUR story at the link below!
Submit Your Testimonial: CASAA Testimonial Project
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 (@CASAAmedia) October 26, 2022
CASAA IN ACTION // CASAA Live
CASAA Live is on alternating Saturdays at 4:30 PM ET/3:30 PM CT/2:30 PM MT/1:30 PM PT on Facebook, YouTube and Twitter!
If you missed the last CASAA Live episode you can catch up NOW before the next show!
On this past week’s episode, join CASAA CEO Alex Clark and CASAA vice president Logan Evans as we discuss rethinking the future of nicotine, vaping and tobacco harm reduction — with special guest, Clive Bates!
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: