Thinking 'bout THR News&Views
January 25-27, 2025
Is there a secret “endgame?”
Some people in tobacco control and public health become flustered because every policy they advocate for seems to be fought vigorously by consumers and industry—even those who claim to want to see an end to the death and disease caused by smoking. I can see why that would be frustrating, and feel like people aren’t being honest about their intentions.
I don’t think some people see that the suspicions about the honesty of intentions flow both ways.
Can anyone define for me what “Tobacco Control” means in 2025? What is the goal? Where’s the agreement that shows me that goal? Who do I trust? Who should I support, and who should I push back against?
Nothing so far has been “good enough.” If it’s not going to end until legal nicotine use is wiped off the face of the earth, then the only choice left is to push back and delay that goal as long as possible. That is the sentiment of many who have converted from smoking to reduced-risk products.
I understand the original goal was to end the devastation caused by smoking. I think most of my readers still see that as the goal. However, some people who wear the tobacco control hat have moved past that goal and are all about addiction to nicotine outside of smoking. Are those people working just as hard to end ALL addictions? If it’s just about the loss of autonomy, then what a person is addicted to is no longer the point.
Seeing it in an article with my own eyes was upsetting this morning. One of the things I told you I feared when I shared my fears about VLNCs. “Nicotine Control” is no longer the quiet part that wasn’t said out loud. It has been acknowledged in print (alternative link).
Until next time…
PS: I have been ill for a couple of days. I don’t remember yesterday; I slept through it. This edition will be short because I don’t have the energy to spend hours researching material to include.
OTC medications that help make me more comfortable when I don’t feel well. As an autistic person, I get a double whammy by symptoms because they often contribute to sensory issues that make me feel even worse.
This one doesn’t mention nicotine, but I think it’s still relevant. How a German Thinker Explains MAGA Morality. What do you think?
Michael F. Pesko. (Thread) What are the mortality effects of FDA drug regulation? Christian Saenz and I explore this using a unique natural experiment—e-cigarettes unexpectedly escaping FDA drug regulation in 2010. The results may surprise you.
Georgetown Cancer Prevention and Control Program. “David Levy and colleagues found 1 in 5 Canadians who tried to quit smoking used a vaping product. Most used flavored products that would be prohibited by proposed
[Health Canada} restrictions. People who did and didn't quit smoking used similar products.”
Jeffrey Weiss. “…I hope that everyone who cares about the welfare of adults who smoke – including those who were strong champions of one or both of the menthol and VLNC proposed rules – will begin to shift focus to the “carrot” side of the quitting equation…”
Influencers Fueled Zyn’s Rise. Could the Attention Backfire?
GFN.TV Interviews #56 | LOST TRUST | PART 1: Origin of Public Health’s ‘Campaign of Deception’ on Vaping. Featuring: DR. MICHAEL SIEGEL, MD, MPH
Lost Trust | Part 2: Origin of Public Health’s ‘Campaign of Deception’ on Vaping | RegWatch.
.Update from the Cochrane Tobacco Addiction Group.
Vaping is not a safer alternative to cigarettes. “Evidence also shows that most e-liquids contain nicotine as well as many other harmful chemicals like those found in Pam cooking spray and fertilizers, which are harmful when inhaled.”
EDITORIAL: It's time to ban flavored vapes in Washington. “The bill would also allocate some money to the state Department of Health to build an awareness campaign around the dangers of using flavored nicotine products.”
Durham Region Health Department. “Vaping harms your lungs. Short-term effects of vaping include coughing and shortness of breath. Long-term effects include lung damage and lung disease. It’s never too late to quit.”
Not researched this time around.
Update - Tweet(s) now displaying a community note:
He Invented the Nicotine Patch; Now, He Says the FDA Can Do More to Help Smokers. “However, unintentional and intentional misperceptions about e-cigarettes are rampant, and Rose said the FDA, which regulates such products, is doing little to correct the record. The results are devastating: Surveys show that 80 percent of smokers mistakenly believe that e-cigarettes are just as harmful or even worse than traditional cigarettes. “Many smokers will not avail themselves of products that can save their lives because nobody is correcting their misperceptions of e-cigarettes,” he said. “It’s costing lives.”
What’s in ZYN, the FDA-Authorized Nicotine Pouch? Is It Harmful? “Experts explain the efficacy and potential health risks of nicotine pouches.”
Smokers unlikely to quit with just willpower, say researchers. “Two in five of all would-be quitters go it alone and try to quit without using any type of support. It is one of the most popular methods smokers use but one of the least effective.”
What will UW-Madison scientists learn from hundreds of people vaping? “Previous studies have examined the immediate and short-term effects of vaping, using basic blood tests and other relatively crude health measures, Stein said. UW-Madison’s study aims to offer a more sophisticated, comprehensive approach. Researchers plan to review CT scans of lungs, cardiopulmonary stress tests, arterial ultrasounds, breathing tests and specialized blood work.”
Vapes turn cash cow for corrupt Malaysian officials, netting US$45,000 monthly from smugglers. “The anti-corruption agency seized thousands of vape pens and arrested suspects, including customs officers, during a recent operation”
Nicotine Pouches Under Attack in Ireland. “Ireland still has a high smoking prevalence. Getting that down requires support, not stigmatisation, of harm-reduction products that are conclusively far healthier than smoking.”
Shaking my head and muttering, “what the hell?” Down with Vaping! Vive le Cigarette! “One of the best decisions I ever made was not taking up the habit in the first place. I found the whole idea repulsive, not least because I felt like I was being lied to and manipulated to pick up cigarettes as an act of rebellion when there could have been nothing more conformist. To smoke, I thought, was to veer left under the mistaken impression that “they” wanted me to veer right. In telling us to avoid vice, they were secretly, and deliberately, pushing us into its embrace. Well, I wasn’t going to fall for it!”
More news: Vapers Digest Jan 24 plus Jan 27, and Safer Solutions.
Rise in alarming trend sparks concern in Plymouth (UK). “Plymouth councillors are calling for urgent restrictions on the advertising and sale of vapes to young people - including a ban on sales in shops.”
Two teens charged in four burglaries of Lincoln vape shop. “Court documents say the teenagers broke into Lincoln Vapor near 27th Street and Cornhusker Highway four times in October and November. In total, they stole about $5,500 worth of vaping products, an arrest affidavit says.”
Supreme Court can't let vape companies profit off children. “U.S. Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi wants the Supreme Court to ensure strict regulation of flavored e-cigarette makers.”
Trump administration withdraws FDA plan to ban menthol cigarettes. “A Jan. 21 filing by the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs, a White House agency, showed the proposal has been "withdrawn.”
Legal Docket: Vaping on trial. “The Supreme Court considers teen addiction concerns and adult smoking alternatives in e-cigarette cases”
Notes:
I create these newsletters as a personal project. They are not affiliated with any current or past employers or groups I do volunteer work with. I receive no financial compensation for my efforts to create these newsletters.
My blog, Skip's Corner, has an X/Twitter account. My personal accounts are on BlueSky, LinkedIn, and X (Twitter).