Policymakers must recognise that smoking and vaping are substitutes
“Much of the proposed framework is worthwhile and makes sense for the most dangerous products, which are cigarettes and other smoking products. Spain’s high rates of cigarette smoking should be the focus of urgent policy attention. Spain has around three times the smoking prevalence of the United Kingdom.” ~ Clive Bates
Includes links to some of the other responses that were submitted. #OneTeamOneGoal saves lives.
(There is plenty to think about in this one. Clive provides some thoughts on the art of communication. #WordsMatter) Lethal miscommunication: The FDA fails to explain the relative risks of tobacco products. “The US Food and Drug Administration published a page on the relative risks of tobacco products. It fails in that mission.”
“A rerun of the war on drugs is being played. Reefer Madness is knocking on nicotine’s door.” Reefer Madness Finds A New Home With Nicotine.
“Confronting the challenges posed by tobacco use requires placing a priority on saving lives. Despite the semantic debate about labels, tobacco harm reduction—or whatever else you want to call it—means giving adult smokers options to quit and to live longer and healthier lives. It means prioritizing real, actionable public health policy over the FDA's misleading rhetoric.” Call It Whatever You Want, but Tobacco Harm Reduction Saves Smokers’ Lives.
“Proposed new taxes on nicotine vaping products that increase with nicotine strength may have unintended negative health consequences, according to researchers at London South Bank University (LBSU).” NEW HIGH NICOTINE VAPING TAX COULD DRIVE RISKIER HABITS.
“Dr Robson, a specialist in tobacco harm reduction at King’s College London, said: “They could and might well still consider other options such as plain packaging, changing the descriptors of flavours and heftier fines for shopkeepers who are selling vapes to people under the age of 18.” Is standardised packaging an alternative to nation-wide vape ban?
“Harm reduction advocates who use social media have alerted Copwatch to quite a phenomenon occurring with posts submitted by WHO accounts on X (formerly Twitter) in 2024. Instead of getting away with sharing all manner of misinformation without consequence, as has been the case in the recent past, the Community Notes system has been challenging many of the organisation’s claims.” The WHO: Masters of misinformation.
“It only takes a small percentage of adult or youth vapers reverting to smoking, or people who smoke deciding not to switch from combustible tobacco, to dwarf any benefits the government hopes will arise.” UK Bill to Ban Tobacco Sales Clears Another Hurdle, Nearing Final Vote.
“…here’s a second in this open-ended series. As long as this kind of fake news is pushed, we’ll keep calling it out.” Calling out fake news part 2: prohibitionists getting owned by community notes.
“The road to more rapidly reducing smoking-related harms in Rwanda is fraught with obstacles—as reflected by today’s scarce availability or knowledge of tobacco harm reduction products, and the absence of meaningful regulation.” To End Smoking Harms in Rwanda, Educate Health Care Providers
“Throughout my professional and personal life, I have seen firsthand how cigarettes damage the body and shorten lives. I’ve treated patients as a physician, pursued policy solutions as a former Secretary of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), and lost my father to what I dubbed “Lucky Strike Lungs.” Opinion | Alabama could take an important step in reducing harm from tobacco
“It’s yet another example, public health experts say, of anti-tobacco panic harming efforts to make it easier to get smokers to put down their cigarettes for good.” From ‘Reefer Madness’ to ‘ZYN-Sanity?’ Public Health Pros Dismiss Tobacco Pouch Panic
“At best, raising questions about fentanyl in e-cigarettes is a waste of Califf’s time. At worst, it publicly conflated two distinct policy areas, illicit drug markets, and the nicotine vaping market, increasing public confusion and diverting attention from effective policy approaches to both arenas.” COMMENTARY Fentanyl in e-cigarettes: The making of a myth
“Our panel features esteemed experts: Dr. Konstantinos Farsalinos, a leading Cardiologist from Greece, renowned for his insights into tobacco-related health issues. Don't miss this opportunity to engage with groundbreaking research and shape the future of public health in Europe.” EU Campaign: Public Health, How Other EU Countries Can Take Inspiration From Sweden
“The more I work, the more I understand the struggles for the vaping community.” SLOVENIA'S FLAVOUR HEADACHE | Featuring Liza Katsiashvili of World Vapers' Alliance
“Throughout the interview, Martin sheds light on the latest advancements in tobacco harm reduction strategies, offering insights into how these approaches can positively impact public health. From vaping to alternative nicotine products, join us as we delve into a conversation that aims to inform and inspire action towards a safer future for smokers.” How Did The Daily Live Stream of COP10 Go?
“In the latest episode of Across the Pond, Janine Timmons, a passionate advocate, and member of Vapers for a Smoke-Free Canada, joins Lindsey and Martin to discuss the Canadian Minister of Health's proposed flavor ban.” Across the Pond - Episode 18: Janine Timmons
April Update Electronic Cigarettes for Smoking Cessation: Cochrane Living Systematic Review
“Both nicotine concentration and flavour appear to have independent, as well as interactive, effects that influence ENDS acceptability among people who use cigarettes.” (I love the people-first language in this!) Effects of liquid nicotine concentration and flavour on the acceptability of electronic nicotine delivery systems (ENDS) among people who smoke participating in a randomised controlled trial to reduce cigarette consumption.
Opportunities…
London, UK Head of Research Interpretation Application Deadline May 2
Freelance Statistical Reviewer Provide a statistical or methodological review, as appropriate, on manuscripts assigned by the BMJ Open editorial team. The application deadline is May 8, 2024.
BR-UK GO-Science Senior Policy Fellow Interviews held on 13 May and the post is available immediately.
*NEW* Eesearch staff to assist with studies on smoking, e-cigarettes, and cancer patients at MUSC (South Carolina, US). See tweet and flyer here.
Suggestion Box…
Wanted: Suggestions for SRNT-E online autumn seminars
Videos and Films…
Jun 13-15, 2024, Warsaw, Poland - GFN - Global Forum on Nicotine. Call for the following film/video submissions: #GFNfives, #ScienceLab, and film festival. The submission deadline is May 15, 2024.
October 27-30, 2024, Minneapolis, MN, US - 2024 APHA Annual Meeting and Expo. While APHA welcomes films from all disciplines of public health, films related to the APHA 2024 theme “Rebuilding Trust in Public Health and Science” are highly encouraged. The submission deadline is May 10. Submit a film or volunteer to be a film peer-reviewer.
Conference Submissions…
Sep 8-11, 2024, Atlanta, GA, US - 77TH TOBACCO SCIENCE RESEARCH CONFERENCE. Call for abstracts. The submission deadline is May 17, 2024.
*NEW* Sep 16-17, 2024 (Virtual) - 7th Summit on Tobacco Harm Reduction by SCOHRE. Call for speakers. The submission deadline for speakers is May 15, 2024. Call for abstracts for short oral or poster presentations. The submission deadline for abstracts is July 12, 2024.
October 13-17, 2024, Edinburgh, Scotland - CORESTA Congress 2024. Call for abstracts for poster and oral presentations. The submission deadline is May 17, 2024.
Oct 23-25, 2024, Broadbeach, Australia - Oceania Tobacco Control Conference 2024. Note: not THR-friendly. See list of Conflict of Interest Principles. The submission deadline is April 26, 2024, for abstracts for Long Oral, Poster, Rapid-fire, and Workshop presentations.
AMERSA Conference Nov 14-16, 2024 - Notes: This conference doesn't always have content about nicotine. The conference requires the use of person-first language. Submission Deadline: May 1, 2024, for the following: abstracts, workshops, and conference awards (travel and registration fees).
Nov 14-15, 2024, UK - SSA Annual Conference. Submissions for posters and oral presentations are due by July 3, 2024
Education / Certification…
May 20-21, 2024 - Virtual (all day) - Rutgers-Tobacco Dependence Program’s TTS (Tobacco Treatment Specialist) Training (Note: Approximately 18 hours of self-paced online modules due before the group training)
Petitions…
EU: “At the end of this year, we will submit the petition to the EU Parliament’s PETI committee.” Every Life Counts
Spain: “However, even though there are thousands of vapers in Spain, we are NOT listened to. Although our experience with Vaping shows that it is an effective tool against smoking, those responsible for health in our country refuse to listen to us.” I Vape I DO NOT Smoke! NO to discrimination against vapers!
Argentina: “For all of the above, we ask the new executive of the Argentine Republic to repeal the ban. Less harmful nicotine products have the necessary characteristics to allow millions of people dependent on nicotine to consume it in a less harmful way, which would result in enormous benefits for their health, the public health of the country and the finances of the State.” Open letter to the President of the Argentine Nation
Tobacco harm reduction means different things to different people. Some may wish to achieve a nicotine-free society. Others may wish to squash the tobacco industry. Some prefer that people who choose to use nicotine use it in a form that has less risk than smoking tobacco. What we all have in common is a desire to reduce/eliminate smoking-related diseases and premature deaths. The events listed below focus on nicotine. Some events may not be supportive of reduced-risk products. Some have covered nicotine in the past but may not cover that topic every year.
*NEW* May 7, 2024, 18:00-19:30 CEST, Stockholm, Sweden (In-person & Virtual) No Smoke Less Harm Report Launch
May 10, 2024, 2:00 PM ET (TOPS VIRTUAL) - Guillermo Paraje, Universidad Adolfo Ibáñez “The Impact of WHO FCTC on the Number of Smokers: An Analysis using ITSA with Synthetic Control Groups”
*Updated Information* May 13, 2024, Washington DC, US, 3:00-5:30 PM ACCELERATING ACTION TO END SMOKING: MINIMIZING RISK AND SAVING LIVES
May 14, 2024, Washington, DC, US - ECigarette Summit
May 15-16, 2024, Washington, DC, US (In-person and virtual) - FDLI Annual Conference
May 17-22, 2024, San Diego, CA, US - American Thoracic Society Conference. Note: COI statement.
May 20-22, 2024 - (Virtual) - ToPCon - Commercial Tobacco Prevention Conference
*NEW* May 22, 2024 (Virtual) 8:00 AM - 12:45 PM - GTNF InFocus 2024 Nicotine
*NEW* May 24, 2024 (Virtual) - BR- UK: Using behavioural theory to inform quantitative models for policy decision making- With speakers Professor Jamie Brown, Professor Robin Purshouse, Dr Hazel Squires, Professor Robert West
May 30, 2024 - (Virtual) 3:00-4:00 PM - CAsToR A Conversation about the Use of Computational Models in Tobacco Regulation.
May 30-31, 2024 - Brisbane, AU - 2024 SRNT-Oceania Chapter Conference (30th) and Tobacco Endgame Centre of Research Excellence Annual Symposium (31st) Online Registration Link (for both)
Jun 4-5, 2024, Portland, ME, US - Tobacco Treatment and Prevention Conference
Jun 13-15, 2024, Warsaw, Poland - GFN - Global Forum on Nicotine - Registration open! (Pre-Conference activities Jun 12)
Jun 16-19, 2024, San Diego, CA, US - 2024 ASHEcon Conference (Health Economists).
Jun 19-20, 2024, Miami, FL, US - Next Generation Nicotine Delivery USA
Jun 27-28, 2024, Minneapolis, MN, US - National Tribal Tobacco Conference
Jul 4-5, 2024, Opatija, Croatia - 13th Workshop on the Economics of Risky Behavior. Program here.
Jul 21-23, 2024, San Marcos, TX, US - Texas Tobacco-Free Conference
Aug 18-21, 2024, Mobile, AL, US - Federation of Tax Administrators - 2024 Tobacco Annual Meeting
Sep 7-10, 2024, San Diego, CA, US (In-person & Virtual) World Conference on Lung Cancer. Early Bird registration ends June 7, 2024
Sep 8-11, 2024, Atlanta, GA, US - 77TH TOBACCO SCIENCE RESEARCH CONFERENCE
Sep 16-17, 2024 (Virtual) - 7th Summit on Tobacco Harm Reduction by SCOHRE
Sep 23, 2024, NYC, NY, US - New Approaches Conference
Sep 24-25, 2024, Athens, Greece - GTNF (Event link not yet available)
Oct 13-17, 2024, Edinburgh, Scotland - CORESTA Congress 2024
Oct 23-25, 2024, Lisbon, Portugal - LISBON ADDICTIONS European Conference on Addictive Behaviours and Dependencies.
Oct 23-25, 2024, Broadbeach, Australia - Oceania Tobacco Control Conference 2024. Early bird registration ends June 30, 2024. Note: not THR-friendly. See list of Conflict of Interest Principles
Oct 27-30, 2024, Minneapolis, MN, US - 2024 APHA Annual Meeting and Expo (Public Health). Registration opens in June.
Oct 28-29, 2024, Charleston, SC, US (Virtual and In-Person) 2024 NICOTINE AND TOBACCO SCIENCE CONFERENCE
Nov 14-15, 2024, UK - SSA Annual Conference. Early bird discounts until September 9, 2024
Nov 14-16, 2024, Chicago, IL, US—AMERSA Conference—Registration opens in June. Note: We won't know until the agenda is announced if nicotine will be part of this year's conference.
December 5, 2024, UK (Virtual and In-person), E-Cigarette Summit UK
Check out the public Google calendar of THR-related events created and maintained by Clive Bates. Also, check out the event calendar from Ecig Intelligence. Their listings include consumer/trade shows and expos that I don't include in this newsletter.
Global coverage of calls to action: Advocating For Tobacco Harm Reduction
Jan 15-19, 2025 Seattle, WA, US - Society for Social Work and Research.
Mar 12-15, 2025 New Orleans, LA, US - SRNT 31st Annual Meeting
Aug 26-28, 2025 Chicago, IL, US - The National Conference on Tobacco or Health (NCTOH) (Link is to announcement, not event info)
Sep 10-12, 2025 Romania - SRNT-E Conference
Mar 4-6, 2026 Baltimore, MD, US - SRNT 32nd Annual Meeting
Notes:
Deadlines are in bold type. Additions to the seeking participants and events sections since the last edition will be denoted by "*NEW*"
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 believe that everyone deserves a seat at the table. If you’re interested in nicotine with a focus on THR, this newsletter is for you.
Until next time,
Skip “#BeKind” Murray
