Back from TSRC
I could fill this commentary about the travel challenges to and from Knoxville, as well as my struggles with the Uber app and loud neighbors at the hotel. However, what strikes me the most is how I can enthusiastically tell you that attending TSRC was a wonderful experience. I encountered kindness everywhere and found helpers at every turn.
No one will be surprised to hear that I was once again nervous about standing up and speaking. However, and this is a huge point for me, I did manage to make it through the morning without having a panic attack before leaving my room and heading to the conference. That’s the first time I managed that!!!!
I talked about planting seeds and building bridges. You can find my presentation here.
I enjoyed the wide variety of topics discussed at this event. I was impressed with how friendly and inclusive the attendees were.
The most challenging aspect of attending was witnessing the large number of unhoused people in Knoxville. It was a heartbreaking sight to see. When I arrived early, there were people still sleeping on the benches in front of the Knoxville Conference Center. Throughout the day, I saw people rummaging through the garbage containers by the benches in search of food.
That sight made all the challenging parts of my trip seem insignificant. No matter how hard it was to get there and back home, it pales in comparison to digging through trash for something to eat and sleeping on a downtown bench on a cold, damp, foggy morning.
While I was in Knoxville, I read Happy Birthday, Daddy by Jess Steier. Please take a few minutes to read it. Her points about communication and building bridges are so relevant, not only to our conversations about nicotine, but to how we treat each other in all aspects of our lives.
The next time you engage with someone who thinks differently from you, before you say or do anything, I beg you to ask yourself the question Jess asks when they are in this situation: “Am I building bridges or walls?”
#BeLikeJess
Until next time…
P.S.: I took a couple of weeks off from doing newsletters to attend to life, travel, and a conference. Instead, I honored a request and published the presentations I’ve given at conferences. You can find them on my Substack.
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A full guide to vape aerosols: Post 10, environmental aerosols (part 3, the "particles"). “The effects of bystander exposure to exhaled vape aerosols is a very important issue, either in drafting public policies and/or in the acceptance and advancement of Tobacco Harm Reduction. Given its visual similarity with smoking and the common content of nicotine, there is a powerful inertia among tobacco controllers, regulators, health professionals (and even the general public) to automatically extend to vaping usage in public spaces the same regulations that apply to smoking. Is this justified?”
Is Vaping E-Cigarettes a Gateway to Smoking, and Does Vaping Predict Smoking? “This talk was originally presented live at the 2025 annual meeting of the European chapter of the Society for Research on Nicotine and Tobacco (SRNT-E) held at the Grand Hotel Napoca in Cluj-Napoca, Romania in September.” (video)
How the myth that nicotine causes cancer is hurting public health. (Alternative link) - “Researchers worry that popular misconceptions about nicotine are keeping smokers away from products that pose less risk.”
Dr. Tom Frieden - She didn’t die from disease. She died from silence. From assumptions. From bullsh*t. (While he isn’t talking about nicotine, could this apply to our space? What is killing people who use nicotine?)
The following have visible Community Notes on X (Twitter). Anyone can now vote on them.
Real America's Voice (RAV) - MAKARY: VAPING IS THE NEXT OPIOID CRISIS “For years, the medical establishment downplayed opioids—until it was too late. Now they’re asleep again on vaping. CDC says 5% of kids use vapes... This is the next epidemic, and we’re ignoring it.”
Should vaping be easier or harder to access? Emeritus professor of public health at the University of Auckland, Ruth Bonita, joins Emile Donovan to discuss.
Carol Oszczakiewicz Clements - #tears! I know what she’s going through.
BEHIND THE FEAR | Dr. Mark Tyndall Challenges Myths About Vaping | RegWatch. “Vaping has long been under attack, smeared by myths and fear-driven campaigns. But now, one of North America’s leading public health physicians has stepped forward with a powerful rebuttal.”
Jeffrey Willett - “Excited to announce the launch of the Network for Principled Nicotine…The Network is for anyone who wants to strengthen policy and communication approaches to accelerate the end to smoking. We're here to support engagement with policymakers and reporters.”
Cheryl Olson - “What quit-smoking advice do US government and military websites offer? Outdated, uncredited, inconsistent guidance. The CDC’s Tips From Former Smokers site, under “Find Safe Substitutes for Cigarettes,” lists straws, cinnamon sticks and toothpicks…” (Includes notes and slides from her TSRC presentation.)
Dr. Moira Gilchrist - (Thread) “A point-by-point response to American Lung Associations statement on FDA’s fast-track pilot program.”
Michael Siegel - “France is banning tobacco-free nicotine pouches, but allowing deadly tobacco-containing cigarettes to remain on the market untouched. And anti-smoking groups are applauding this?”
Protecting kids vs. returning to cigarettes: Readers weigh in on Wisconsin's new vape law. "This is how I have been trying to quit smoking, and it WAS helping me after smoking for 41 years! Now I am back to smoking again because I can't get the vapes that were helping me," Olivia, 52, Wisconsin
LETTER: Cigarettes are everywhere, nicotine pouches hidden: How am I suppose to stay off the butts? “Cigarettes are everywhere. In gas stations, corner stores and vending machines. You can drive through half the outports in Newfoundland and Labrador and never worry about not finding a pack. Nicotine pouches on the other hand, are nowhere. Maybe at pharmacy counters if they happen to stock the right kind, and if you make it there before closing, and if you’re lucky enough they’re not sold out.”
Taxed Compassion. “Yet, in early September, a manifesto signed by 83 public health experts cracked, if only for a moment, this choreography of silence. Their warning sent uneasy ripples through Brussels: taxing e-cigarettes, heated tobacco, oral nicotine pouches, and combustible cigarettes with the same rigor is not a step forward in prevention. On the contrary, it risks deterring smokers from switching to less harmful alternatives and enshrining fiscal orthodoxy over public health reasons.”
Rapid switch from smoking to vaping is helping close NZ’s big health inequalities. “Smoking remains concentrated among Māori, Pasifika, those living in deprived communities, people with mental health disorders, and middle-aged and older adults. These are the groups who have reduced life expectancy because of smoking.”
The Original Sins of Public Health: Vaccines, Vapes, and the Battle for Trust. “Public health is built on trust—and shattered by its betrayal. When parents doubt vaccines or smokers question safer alternatives, science stumbles not because of what evidence shows, but because of what people believe. Two “original sins” of misinformation explain how we got here: a fraudulent vaccine study and Big Tobacco’s decades of denial. Both still haunt us.”
Fighting for nicotine pouches in the EU - but the opposition is massive. “For us, it is very important that consumers have their voices heard. I myself have quit smoking with the help of nicotine pouches and my commitment is based on that experience. We were in Sweden to 'go to the source', so to speak, and meet non-smokers who want to share their experiences and how they feel about the debate around nicotine pouches.”
Expanding Access To Safer Alternatives Is Key To Reducing Global Smoking Deaths. “Reducing the global burden of smoking-related disease requires more than bans and restrictions. It demands empowering adults with accurate information and meaningful access to safer alternatives. Tobacco harm reduction is rooted in the principle of informed choice and without transparency, accessibility, and education, millions will continue to face preventable harm from combustible and deadly oral tobacco products.”
Chubby’s X3: Rethinking Pouch Packaging. “The X3 single-compartment pouch container, introduced in 2025, is marketed as the first of its kind to combine a user-friendly design with certified child resistance. At its core is a “three-way push-down-and-turn closure system,” which Aboabdo claims is far more practical than the “align-the-arrows” cans that dominate the market.”
We’ve Submitted Our Response to the THIRD TVPA Review. “We are calling for real change. Canada needs a modern, evidence-based approach: a Safer Nicotine Act that regulates reduced-risk products fairly, transparently, and in line with science. Canadians deserve access to accurate information, safer options, and policies that put public health above politics.”
Toward the development of e-cigarettes as smoking-cessation therapeutics. “Bringing an e-cigarette therapeutic to market would provide assurance that they are safe and effective interventions. Having FDA approval could also facilitate reimbursement by health insurance payors, thus expanding access. Moreover, smoking cessation is such a high priority area for the FDA that applicants may be eligible for review under its expedited programs, making it a potentially attractive drug development pathway.”
Oral health and smoke-free products: the first study evaluating the quality of clinical reporting. “An analysis conducted on the results from a recently published review by CoEHAR experts, for the first time, assessed the quality of reporting on oral adverse events related to the use of smoke-free products. The findings highlight that many trials present fragmented and incomplete information, undermining the ability to reliably evaluate the tolerability of these products.”
Doctors’ confusion about nicotine risks could be costing lives, study finds. “According to a survey of 1,565 medical professionals conducted by Povaddo Research, 47 per cent of doctors, nurses, and other frontline providers believe nicotine itself is carcinogenic. Among those who treat a large number of smokers, this figure jumps to 59 per cent.”
Wisconsin vape shop fights to survive after state ban cuts sales. “Syed is part of WiscoFAST, an industry group that filed a lawsuit challenging the ban. Earlier this month, a judge denied their injunction, meaning the shelves will remain empty. The group plans to file an appeal in a higher court.”
Vaporizing Censorship at the Oregon Supreme Court. “Paul Bates faced a real pickle: the products at his Oregon vape shop were perfectly legal to sell, but for baffling reasons, the government barred him from accurately describing them to his customers. With the help of the Goldwater Institute, Paul fought the unconstitutional restrictions in court—and won. But the case isn’t over yet.”
Philip Morris, ‘Zyn’ maker Swedish Match defeat lawsuit over nicotine pouch prices. (Alternative link) “Novak wrote that the plaintiffs offered “no concrete factual allegations regarding changes in pricing or a decrease in innovation.” Swedish Match’s share of the market remained unchanged after the Philip Morris acquisition, the judge said.” More information: MEMORANDUM ORDER (Granting Defendants’ Motion to Dismiss) and Docket Overview.
Breeze Smoke, LLC v. Speed Wholesale, Inc., et al.. “For the reasons stated above, the Court (1) GRANTS the motion for default judgment with respect to Plaintiff’s claims of trademark infringement, trade dress infringement, and unfair competitionunder the Lanham Act and unfair competition and unjust enrichment under the Michigan common law; (2) GRANTS Plaintiff’s motion for a permanent injunction; (3) and awards damages as follows: pursuant to 15 U.S.C. §1117(a), Plaintiff is awarded attorney fees of $93,924and trebled actual damages of $450,000.”
Montgomery County Circuit Judge Monet Gaines blocks enforcement of new Alabama vape law. “This ruling marks an important step in our ongoing fight to protect small businesses from unfair and overreaching laws and regulations. While this is a temporary measure, it provides some critical relief for the many local vape retailers and distributors in Alabama working hard to serve adult consumers and stay afloat in a challenging environment.”
What New York’s Cigarette Litter Says About Tobacco Control. “Welcome to New York City, the cigarette tax evasion capital of the East Coast. A new study of littered cigarette packs on the streets and sidewalks found that of 252 collected, just 17 percent had the official New York City tax stamp—down from 39.3 percent in 2011 and 23.7 percent in 2015.”
High school vape sensors trigger 'thousands' of false alarms at MCPS schools. “The Montgomery County Council approved two million dollars to install HALO vape sensors in every high school bathroom. After one month with the sensors, multiple administrators are reporting issues. It's unclear if the sensors are successfully reducing vaping on campus.”
Youth Appeal in Tobacco Advertising: Evolving Tactics Targeting Those Under the Legal Age of Sale. “Influencer and celebrity endorsements, rebellious themes, and youth restriction messaging were significantly associated with increased ad liking and curiosity, especially for e-cigarettes. Cigarette ads featuring flavors and celebrity endorsements also showed higher receptivity. Interestingly, youth restriction messages—often intended to deter—were linked to increased interest, potentially due to perceived exclusivity. Flavors were associated with appeal for cigarettes, potentially reflecting changing norms in product marketing.”
Final thoughts…
All the kindness shown me by airport and flight staff, and by Arielle, Brian, Laura Leigh, Dave, Cheryl, Elaine, Gal, Vicki, Beth, Lillian, and many others.
Notes:
I create these newsletters as a personal project. They are not affiliated with any current or past employers or groups with which I volunteer. I receive no financial compensation for my efforts to create these newsletters. Thank you to those who have offered to fund this project and compensate me for my time and effort. This is my gift to those interested in nicotine. Community service is important to me. Volunteering is something I have done since I was a child.
My blog, Skip's Corner, has an X/Twitter account.
My personal accounts are on BlueSky, LinkedIn, and X (Twitter).