Thank you kind readers!
Thinking 'bout THR Newsletter June 3-14, 2025
Older and Lonely
Did you know that it is Loneliness Awareness Week? That made me wonder if lonely people smoke more than people who don’t feel isolated.
I didn’t have time to conduct a deep dive on this, but a quick search led me to a study that caught my attention because it discusses older adults who smoke, and I’m participating in a webinar on June 26 about older adults and smoking.
The study says: “In this nationally representative study, older Americans who were socially isolated had more than twice the odds of smoking – and individuals who were severely socially isolated had more than five times the odds of smoking – compared to those who were not socially isolated.”
Until next time…
P.S.: Monday, June 2, I sent out a shorter-than-usual version of my newsletter. I felt guilty because the publication of them has been sporadic lately. Granted, two trips to DC in a month were a valid reason, but honestly, I’ve been struggling with some things, and that slows down my executive functioning. At the top of that newsletter, I explained the issue. Sometimes, depression is a *****.
I published the newsletter shortly before leaving work. After work, I went to a local park filled with large, beautiful trees. There is something about trees and bodies of water that brings peace to my soul. I was in so much turmoil that peace was greatly needed.
I didn’t get much work done at the park. I spent most of the time thinking with leaking eyes. However, life blessed me with an extra gift beyond what nature gives me. That gift was from many of you. The DMs and Emails filled with kind, thoughtful, and supportive words were so uplifting and helpful. I want to thank all of you for reaching out. It touched my heart and filled it with gratitude.
I am doing much better than I was two weeks ago.
Unknowing in Practice: The Promise of Discomfort, Failure and Uncertainty in Neurodiversity Studies. There is no mention of nicotine, but I thought some of the points made could also apply to this space. This not only highlights how the people being researched can be stigmatized, but it also addresses other vital topics in this area, such as the benefits of adversarial collaboration in research and the need to involve those with lived experience.
‘Anyone can do this’: Sleuths publish a toolkit for post-publication review. Another one not about nicotine, but I thought it would be of interest to some of the folks in this space.
The Overlooked Benefits of Nicotine for Mental and Cognitive Health. “It’s time for public health leaders and policymakers to rethink nicotine, embrace tobacco harm reduction and support vulnerable adults who rely on nicotine for therapeutic and cognitive benefits.”
The Hidden Healing Power of Nicotine. “When we hear the word 'nicotine,' most of us think about vaping, cigarettes, addiction, and lung cancer. But beneath this stigma lies an interesting paradox: nicotine, the same compound that makes tobacco so addictive, also possesses enormous therapeutic potential as a treatment for neurological and cognitive disorders.”
Nicotine Gum Gave Me My Brain Back. “Brain fog stole my focus, my memory, and my sense of self. And then I found a small study suggesting an experimental treatment.”
WHY DO VAPE STUDIES OFTEN GET THIS WRONG? | GFN SCIENCE FAQ: PART 5 - Guest: Roberto Sussman (Video)
How to Avoid Common Pitfalls in Observational E-Cigarette Health Research - Arielle Selya. (Video)
NEW PROHIBITION | Jacob Grier on Tobacco Control’s Dangerous Turn. (Video)
Hints About Smokers Quitting with E-Cigarettes in National Cancer Institute Survey. “Tragically, only 5% of “current” smokers who had never used e-cigarettes believed they would aid quitting. This is proof that the erroneous message promoted by the American Medical Association and other prohibitionists (discussed last week here) is working, when, in fact, we have population evidence that smokers are switching (here and here), and two smoking cessation trials reported in the New England Journal of Medicine in 2019 and 2024 clearly demonstrate that vapor products help smokers quit.”
Researchers Expose “Serious Flaws” in Prominent Vaping-Harms Study. “The continual battles over research relating to tobacco harm reduction intensified in May. Two papers, published on consecutive days, attacked the scientific credibility of a study that claimed the health risks of vaping are similar to many of those of combustible cigarettes.”
Jeffrey A. Singer “Policymakers must get over their nicotinophobia.” (video)
Jeffrey Weiss - “Last week saw a flurry of activity at FDA, all with the purpose of helping the Agency obtain expert feedback that will help it improve the performance of its regulatory obligations…I believe that FDA’s tobacco and nicotine regulation would benefit from a similar roundtable/expert panel approach…”
Kim "Skip" Murray - “I agree that the FDA/CTP could benefit by holding roundtable meetings. I would like to suggest adding one more type of "expert" to the list of those who should be invited to participate. The voice I see missing from almost every list I see is that of those who are most affected by the regulations and proposed changes to them - people with lived experience…”
In Good Health: The latest on vaping regulations - Guests: Sarah Todd, Jonathan Foulds, Mitch Zeller
Ep. 19 - “I Don’t Want To Call It A Conspiracy Theory, But It Is” - Guest: Nancy Loucas
System Failure | How “Kidification” Rewired Tobacco Control | RegWatch. Guest: Derek Yach
IS THIS THE KEY TO REDUCING SMOKING RATES IN MEXICO? Guest: Marcela Madrazo
THAI THR ADVOCATES FIGHT BACK AGAINST VAPE BAN. Guest: Asa Saligupta
To Bring Tobacco Harm Reduction to Prisons, We Need Outside Allies. “…Meanwhile, prisoners (like their wider communities) smoke at very high rates—often engaging in unsafe practices to get around prison smoking bans, or else resuming smoking immediately upon release. This imposes higher health care costs on the state. One policy change could help address multiple issues: giving DOC the chance to be more financially sustainable by selling specially designed nicotine vapes in commissary, as has been done on a smaller scale in some jails in the United States.”
Twenty years later can Ireland Quit like Sweden? A blueprint for a smoke-free Ireland. “At the end of this month, Ms Suely Castro, the founder of Quit Like Sweden, and Prof Karl Fagerström, a globally recognized expert in tobacco control, will visit Dublin to share their insights, and discuss how Ireland can adapt Sweden’s model to accelerate its journey to a smoke-free future. This is an opportunity not just to learn, but to act decisively against smoking-related diseases and deaths.”
Study Finds Switching to Vapes or Heated Tobacco Products Boosts Aerobic Fitness in Just Weeks. “The study, a secondary analysis of the CEASEFIRE trial, used the Chester Step Test to monitor changes in VO₂max, the gold-standard metric for aerobic fitness. Smokers who either quit entirely or substantially reduced their cigarette consumption showed rapid and clinically meaningful increases in VO₂max.”
Proposed tax on nicotine pouches would set back R.I. public health efforts. “As a licensed physician certified in the field of smoking cessation and a co-founder of a New England recovery clinic, I have spent more than 40 years treating patients who struggle with a variety of addictions including alcohol, narcotics, and nicotine. Most people with nicotine addictions are rightly focused on quitting one product in particular — cigarettes.”
Vape flavours are a vital and effective tool helping smokers make the life-saving switch, top cardiologist says. “Despite decades of tobacco control, we’re still losing more than eight million people globally each year to smoking-related illness,” Dr. Farsalinos said. “But there is hope. When smokers are supported to switch to safer, smoke-free alternatives like vaping and oral nicotine pouches, the impact is profound.”
EU should not copy France’s failed public health strategy. “…Meanwhile, it attacks quitting devices, such as vapes and nicotine pouches, with new regulations, most recently a ban on nicotine pouches. These are the most effective tools we have for helping smokers quit. If we really want to make Europe smoke-free, we must confront the world as it really is, not as we wish it to be. The fight is against tobacco, not nicotine.”
The Center for Tobacco Products: What It Has Done and What It Should Do Next. “The CTP has transformed tobacco regulation, with their policies and campaigns modestly reducing smoking rates. However, its ongoing focus on youth and cautious THR stance limits access to safer alternatives for adult smokers. Rebalancing youth protection with harm reduction could maximize the CTP’s impact, further curbing chronic illness related to smoking-related harm and resulting in immediate health gains for the nation.”
Nicotine pouches can save Nigerian smokers – Report. “According to a statement, ‘The Lives Saved Report: Nigeria & Kenya’ stated that Nigeria could save thousands of lives by giving adult smokers access to less harmful alternatives such as nicotine pouches, heated tobacco, and e-cigarettes. It urged Nigeria to adopt safer smoking practices through the health strategy of tobacco harm reduction.”
New Alabama vape law pushes business across state line. “Petersen said she has customers who drive from as far as Birmingham to buy vape products here in Ardmore.”
Global Action announces structural changes. “Global Action is assuring the long-term survival of our mission and vision. This move will enable us to honor our commitments to existing grantees and fund new grantees, such as the National Harm Reduction Coalition and Northwell Health, directly supporting adult smokers through smoking cessation programs in communities with high smoking prevalence.” Pamela Parizek, Board member and newly-elected Executive Board Chair
More news:
Court of Appeals rejects a challenge to U.S. FDA’s menthol vape denial. “The Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals rejects a challenge from SWT Global Supply Inc. to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA)’s denial of its application to market menthol-flavored e-cigarettes.”
AgencyIQ Analysis: Meet Elsa, your review team’s newest member. “While Elsa is being positioned as a game-changer in the FDA’s toolkit, there are still many open questions about her readiness, capabilities, and implications for regulatory review.”
FDA rushed out agency-wide AI tool—it’s not going well. “However, according to a report from NBC News, Elsa could have used some more time in development. FDA staff tested Elsa on Monday with questions about FDA-approved products or other public information, only to find that it provided summaries that were either completely or partially wrong.”
Final thoughts…
Monday, June 2, just before I drifted off to some much-needed sleep, I came across a video of a dog that failed its initial training and went on to become a service dog instead. I found it ironic, as earlier in the day I had struggled with my own feelings of failure and had spent some time chatting with someone who framed what I was feeling in a much more positive way. He helped me understand that what I perceive as a failure is not a vicious verdict on who I am as a person; it is instead an area of my life where there is room for growth. The video showed me that sometimes, if we’re not successful at something, it can clear our paths to something that is much more worthwhile and meaningful.
Life is strange sometimes. Strange in the most incredible way. A few logical words expressed compassionately, along with a video about a dog, gave me back some of the hope that had been eluding me just a few hours earlier.
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.
My blog, Skip's Corner, has an X/Twitter account. My personal accounts are on BlueSky, LinkedIn, and X (Twitter).