New research shows switching to vaping benefits heart. Heads up Multnomah, OR! FDA warns company about selling defunct product. Additional proof bans don’t work and more!
Scroll to the bottom of this post for a link to the audio/video versions of this post!
CALL TO ACTION // National – Menthol Ban
Starting on May 4, 2022, the FDA is accepting comments on two proposed rules banning the use of flavors other than tobacco in combustible tobacco products.
Whether you’re supporting the rule or opposed, one thing we can all agree on is that people who smoke need safer alternatives to cigarettes — mentholated or not!
While the FDA is moving ahead with banning more tobacco products, it is failing to authorize a meaningful variety of e-liquids and devices that are responsible for recent accelerated declines in smoking.
In addition to sharing your views on banning menthol cigarettes and other flavored combustible products, take this opportunity to urge FDA to ensure that people have access to safer forms of nicotine delivery that are enjoyable and affordable–like vaping, nicotine pouches, and smokeless tobacco products.
TAKE ACTION: FDA Menthol Ban – Submit Your Comments
HEADS UP // MULTNOMAH COUNTY, OR
Health officials are apparently eager to repeat Nixon’s failed War on Drugs and–like Nixon–are using false pretenses to do it. Flavor bans won’t protect ANY children. They’ll just keep people of all ages SMOKING. (Note: Watch for future updates on citizen input opportunities!)
"Multnomah County residents will be able to provide input on the proposed ban on a county webpage that will be made available int he near future."https://t.co/nctfbUvPSw
— StefanDidak (@StefanDidak) August 18, 2022
READ MORE: Multnomah County Renews Effort to Ban Flavored Nicotine Products
RESEARCH // Smoking Cessation
New study finds that “initiating e-cigarette use to reduce cigarette consumption resulted in reduced cigarette dependence and low e-cigarette dependence,” suggesting that lawmakers’ and anti-harm reduction groups’ demands for flavor and synthetic nicotine bans to “prevent a new generation of nicotine addicts” are not only premature, but definitely not science-based.
.@penn_state College of Medicine researchers, @Jessica_Yingst and @JonathanFoulds, found that e-cigarette use may help people decrease dependence on combustible #cigarettes without increasing overall nicotine dependence. Read more about the study: https://t.co/kM1jmcHyqM
— Penn State Health (@PennStHershey) August 15, 2022
READ MORE: E-cigarette use to reduce cigarette smoking may not increase nicotine dependence
RESEARCH // Bans Don’t Work
New research confirms FDA’s focus on banning “flavored vaping products by well-known mass-market brands like Juul and Vuse—and open-system products sold in vape shops and online—has simply created a parallel gray market of little-known disposable brands.”
Reported for Vaping360 by CASAA director Jim McDonald.
I always like the analysis that @whycherrywhy provides because it's usually absent from MSM coverage.
A question re "disposable use among school-age youth grew from 2.4 percent in 2019 to 26.5 percent in 2020":
Among school-age youth or youth vapers?
— Phil (@phil_w888) August 17, 2022
READ MORE: Disposables: The $2 Billion U.S. Vape Market Ignored by FDA
RESEARCH // Vaping Switch Benefits Heart
Vaping researcher and expert Dr. Konstantinos Farsalinos tweeted that this is yet another study that “clearly shows the potential cardiovascular benefits of quitting smoking with e-cigarettes. Significant improvement in arterial function, a major prognostic indicator for future cardiovascular disease, was observed.”
Another study clearly shows the potential cardiovascular benefits of quitting smoking with e-cigarettes.
Significant improvement in arterial function, a major prognostic indicator for future cardiovascular disease, was observed.https://t.co/N6OHHuj7jL— K. Farsalinos (@FarsalinosK) August 18, 2022
TESTIMONIALS // Anecdote # 13,479
Natalie’s story is not only another example of “accidental quitting,” but also shows how vaping can help adults break smoking habits without increasing nicotine dependency!
What’s YOUR real story? Submit your testimonial today!
GO TO: Submit Your Testimonial
ADVOCACY // Strength in Numbers
Grassroots power is in the membership numbers. If you don’t have money, you need numbers.
Safer nicotine consumers, shops & companies, please spread the word. Tell your friends, family & customers to join CASAA and give consumers the power to be heard!
READ MORE: Join CASAA
TOBACCO CONTROL // Warning Against Safer Alternatives
The EU and Asia still have some of the world’s highest smoking rates, but anti-harm reduction folks are “warning” them about disruptive, low risk alternatives that replace smoking. If female and new nicotine users can’t buy safer products, what do the anti-harm reduction folks think they’ll buy instead?🤷♂️
TOBACCO CONTROL // Continuing Misinformation
Despite declining youth vaping, “experts” in Utah continue to misinform the public. In this case, an educator claiming that vaping “is the same as smoking” and a pulmonary specialist surprised vaping is down because “she keeps seeing patients with EVALI.”
Vaping is "same as smoking" and a doc is "surprised" vaping is down b/c of EVALI–which has nothing to do with NICOTINE vapes??
But this is truly delusional:
“All of the trend is downward…but WE'RE NOT REALLY SATISFIED UNTIL IT'S ALL THE WAY DOWN."https://t.co/afulldbfzn— Kristin Noll-Marsh (@Noll_Marsh) August 18, 2022
READ MORE: New data shows fewer Utah teens are vaping
REGULATION // Creating Illicit Markets
When a lucrative illicit market quickly appears after you’ve created a law, you have to ask yourself if that law was such a good idea in the first place. Especially when the products you’ve banned actually could be saving lives…
The vape trade group, @TheIBVTA, told the UK Parliament to keep the 20mg/ml nicotine cap. @NNAlliance responded, arguing there is no basis for this limit, it would be anti-competitive and would work against consumer and public health interests.https://t.co/bPelv29JGv
— Clive Bates (@Clive_Bates) June 25, 2021
READ MORE: £40,000 of illicit vape products seized in West Yorkshire
FDA // Exercise in Futility
The ALREADY DISCONTINUED gummies contained far less nicotine than FDA-approved gum/lozenges, but Comm’r Califf still called the product a “public health crisis waiting to happen” in a self-congratulatory tweet about the warning FDA sent to the company.
Reported for Vaping360 by CASAA director Jim McDonald.
“The FDA has taken down a product that 23 people in the U.S. use regularly,” tweeted Gregory Conley of the AVMA. Fits into tobacco control’s long & storied history of being distracted by bright & shiny new objects, all while cigarettes continue to be sold”https://t.co/l6U65GERXo
— Lance Churchill (@LanceChurchill) August 18, 2022
READ MORE: FDA Deals Death Blow to the Nicotine Gummy Market
CASAA MEDIA // Spotify
CASAA’s podcast is now on Spotify! Please give us a follow here:
CASAA IN ACTION // Twitter Spaces
On this week’s Twitter Space we talk with journalist Alex Norcia about his investigation into the inner workings of FDA and what he’s uncovered so far via FOIA requests. You won’t want to miss this episode – now available on CASAA’s YouTube channel, too!
Join us this Wednesday as we talk with @Alex_Norcia about his investigation into the inner workings of FDA and what he’s uncovered so far via FOIA requests.https://t.co/QyDZpXJ2NI
— CASAA (@CASAAmedia) August 15, 2022
CASAA IN ACTION // CASAA Live
NOTE: CASAA Live will be on hiatus for the summer and will be returning in September. In the meantime, replay audio from the CASAA Twitter Spaces will be broadcast on our YouTube channel in the same Saturday timeslot.
If you missed the most recent CASAA Live show, check out the replay now! 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!
*This Twitter Space was originally recorded on April 27, 2022.
CASAA Live is proud to present this replay of our conversation with Dr. Marewa Glover, director of the Centre of Research Excellence in New Zealand. She is a behavioral scientist with over 30 years of experience in public health and over 100 scientific papers. Dr. Glover is well known for her compassionate insight, advocacy on tobacco harm reduction for people who smoke and–despite the great risk to her career and reputation–calling out Tobacco Control for its harmful policies and priorities.
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:
Social Media Thumbnail Photo by Elsa Olofsson on Unsplash