Thinking 'bout THR News & Views
January 2-6, 2025
What does it take to correct misperceptions?
It is another below-zero morning. My arthritic fingers are screaming in pain. If I knew the answer to the question about misperceptions, I’d write a book, it would become a best-seller, and I’d live on a beach somewhere warmer than here.
Well, maybe not; best-sellers don’t guarantee wealth, but it was nice to dream for a minute!
During a recent phone conversation, a fellow advocate expressed frustration that many other THR advocates were discussing Popcorn Lung, a myth the person I was speaking with felt had been debunked long ago. They thought THR advocates were the only ones talking about this anymore. I disagreed but didn’t say much because I needed time to determine whether it was still a thing.
As noted in the post about January Awareness Days, January 19th is National Popcorn Day. I figured now was as good of a time as any to see who is still talking about Popcorn Lung’s connection to vaping. A quick search showed me that many involved with health are still spreading this misinformation.
I added some of those findings (not all, because I ran out of time) to the SNW’s page, “Myth: Vaping causes Popcorn Lung.” You can find mentions from the past year by searching the page for “2024.” Sadly, there are several of them. This misperception lives on.
As I searched online for items to include in today’s newsletter, I saw an article published today mentioning Popcorn Lung and vaping! What's In Your Vape covers many of the scary things we’ve heard about vaping over the years.
I also found a video published two days ago that also perpetuates the misperception that vaping causes Popcorn Lung and other health “risks,” including misinformation about nicotine.
Sigh…
Until next time…
PS: I meant to publish an updated events post yesterday, but my body staged an official protest and induced hours-long napping, which delayed my research on that topic. I’ll try to publish it tomorrow.
Thank you Lindsey Stroud for sending me these links.
Ministry criticizes Bloomberg for overlooking INGOs' corruption in Pakistan as operations are halted. “Beyond administrative violations, the ramifications of their activities could have been catastrophic. According to sources, their financial irregularities and lack of transparency posed a potential risk of Pakistan being placed back on the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) grey list. The FATF grey list, which identifies countries with strategic deficiencies in their systems to counter money laundering and terrorist financing, can severely impact a nation’s economy. Grey-listed countries often face reduced foreign investment, higher borrowing costs, and diminished global trade opportunities.”
Federal govt halts working of Tobacco-Free Kids, another int’l NGO. “ISLAMABAD: The government of Pakistan has taken strict action against two international non-governmental organizations (NGOs) over several violations.
The Ministry of Interior has ordered the suspension of activities of two NGOs — Tobacco-Free Kids and Vital Strategies — across the country.”
Tobacco-Free Kids, Indus Hospital’s alleged involvement in money laundering exposed. “…However, Daily Ausaf has learned that the central bank has not yet taken any action against those local organisations being funded by these banned INGOs.
Tobacco-Free Kids and Vital Strategies have funded several local-based NGOs including, Indus Hospital & Health Network (IHHN), Chromatic Trust, Human Development Foundation, Aurat Foundation, and Health Services Academy.”
Ziauddin Islam - “As the former Head of the Tobacco Control Project at the Ministry of National Health Services, Regulations, and Coordination (NHSRC) for over a decade, I feel compelled to express my profound concern over the recent governmental decision to halt the operations of two prominent international NGOs—Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids (CTFK) and Vital Strategies (formerly The Union)—in Pakistan.”
A trip down memory lane. Past stories on this topic:
US group 'campaign for tobacco-free kids' placed under PRC. “The Centre has placed leading US advocacy organisation, Campaign For Tobacco-Free Kids (CFTK), under prior reference category (PRC) indicating that international donations in India will have to be vetted and approved by the authorities before being utilised. The Union home ministry officials cited "lobbying" by domestic NGOs against the tobacco industry as one of the main reasons for curbs on the funding for CFTK.” (India)
FDA defends acceptance of private funds, cites measly budget support (MANILA, Philippines) “During the hearing of the House committee on good government and public accountability, lawmakers grilled the FDA on its “questionable” receipt in 2016 of grant from The International Union Against Tuberculosis and Lung Diseases, or The Union, which co-manages the Bloomberg Initiative, “in exchange for the issuance of specific and pre-defined policies directed against a legitimate industry.” (Read more here.)
In 2021, Michelle Minton did a deep dive into concerns about funding efforts in other countries.
People like you. Thank you for participating in the conversation about THR. Since starting on this platform last spring, reading your emails and comments has been a pleasure. The three articles from 2024 (in order) with the most views were:
I was over the moon excited the first time I hit 500 views in 30 days. I never thought that so many people would take the time to read my words. The year ended with 9K - 10K past 30-day views for the last couple of months! That takes my breath away and fills my eyes with happy tears. Thank you for being on this journey with me.
FDA Updates Import Alerts to Reinforce that All Unauthorized E-Cigarettes May Be Detained Without Physical Examination. “On Jan. 3, FDA announced the update of two import alerts, 98-07 and 98-06. These updates separate imported e-cigarette products from all other tobacco products and provide clearer instructions to FDA staff in the field, as well as our federal partners and the wider trade community – including importers, customs brokers, filers, and others.”
FDA Issues Final Guidance on Analytical Testing for Industry Use in Tobacco Product Applications. “The guidance explains how manufacturers can provide FDA with validated and verified data for the analytical procedures and test methods used in application submissions to the agency – including premarket tobacco product applications, substantial equivalence reports, and modified risk tobacco product applications.”
Scott Gottlieb, MD - “Looks like FDA is clearing the policy decks today, issuing 26 different guidance and other documents, many have been in development over a long period of time. Also appears that FDA will be issuing the proposed rule to reduce nicotine levels in combustible cigarettes.”
Agreeing to disagree. “In academia, we need to resist the temptation to call those who disagree with us ‘evil’. It is essential to use evidence and reason in criticising each other. If we say someone else is wrong, we have to explain why, using evidence and/or logical argument.”
Sarah Jackson - “In 1925, it was predicted that tobacco smoking would be a thing of the past by 2025. Currently, an estimated 1.3 billion people use tobacco worldwide.* It kills ~8 million people each year.*”
Floe Foxon - (Thread) “New paper: Dr Ray Niaura and I analyzed CDC survey data on methods used by US adults to stop smoking in 2022.”
Cheryl K. Olson - “Marvel at these headlines: “Experts Confused but Delighted” by “The Missing Rebound” as “Teen Drug Use Defies Expectations.” The past two weeks of news coverage of the University of Michigan’s latest Monitoring the Future survey defied expectations - by emphasizing the positive…A few publications led with clickable "bad" news.”
Jeffrey Weiss - “However it may present itself, the opportunity for reforms to WHO’s practices is significant. One area in which the WHO is ripe for change has been in its approach to tobacco harm reduction and, in particular, to nicotine vaping.”
The only ones I’ve encountered were full of misinformation, and I’m out of time to continue searching.
Study launches to test effects of vaping on cardio-pulmonary health. “The National Institutes of Health have awarded a five-year, $5.7 million grant to UW to study the long-term effects of vaping on heart and lung health.”
Misinfo:
Doctor issues urgent 'you've been lied to' warning to anyone who vapes. “Dr Karan Rajan claimed: "If you think vaping is the best way to quit smoking, you've been lied to. A single vape pod can contain around 60mg of nicotine, depending on the brand and strength. For comparison, one cigarette can deliver around 2mg of nicotine to the body."
Restricting Flavored E-Cigarettes Reduces Vaping Among Young Adults: Study. (I’m not quoting from this because it is a salad of facts dressed with misinformation. For an uninformed reader, how would they tell the difference?)
Dispelling the misinfo:
New Study Recommends that FDA Require E-Cigarette Warnings that Mislead People into Believing Smoking is Less Harmful than Vaping. “Second, I question the recommendation to proceed with these "more effective" warnings when they have the demonstrated "unintended" consequence of misleading people into believing that smoking is less harmful than vaping. And remember, once you implement such warnings, the "unintended" consequences now become "intended" consequences since they are a known result of your intervention.”
5 Vaping “Facts” You Don’t Want to Know. “Here are highlights from Dr. Blaha’s piece, followed by my corrections.”
Community Notes is a program that aims to create a better-informed world. It empowers people on X to collaboratively add helpful notes to misleading posts. As notes are voted helpful or not helpful, they are made public or removed from public view. The notes were public when I looked at the following tweets.
Andrew D. Huberman, Ph.D. - (Talks about vaping being bad and the scary stuff showing up in the lungs of people who vape)
Andrew D. Huberman, Ph.D. part 2 - (Nicotine: “Not carcinogenic unless delivered by smoking, vaping, dipping or snuffing.”)
RFK Jr. Says Drug Addicts Need Tough Love. Is He Right? “Kennedy was seen recently carrying a can of Zyn—small oral pouches containing nicotine. That’s an indication he understands the value of safer nicotine products.”
Tobacco harm reduction is the way forward. “As a neurosurgeon, I’ve spent years studying the brain’s complexities and treating the detrimental effects of conditions that could have been prevented. One of the most concerning culprits I’ve encountered is smoking…In my practice, I have come to appreciate the importance of reducing harm, especially when outright elimination is not achievable. This principle applies to smoking as well. Interestingly, the World Health Organization (WHO) supports harm reduction strategies for a variety of habits, including alcohol and drug use. However, when it comes to smoking, the same approach is often dismissed.”
American Cancer Society to push for $2 per pack cigarette tax increase in Maine. “What we do know is raising the tobacco tax is one of the most effective ways to reduce the health burden of smoking…MacDonald said the extra revenue that would be generated by a cigarette tax increase in Maine is about $48 million a year and they will advocate for increases on vaping pens and other tobacco products. In total, the new revenue could be nearly $100 million a year, she said.”
Is Africa on Track to Achieve a 30% Reduction in Tobacco Use by 2025? “A glaring gap in Africa's tobacco control strategies is the lack of emphasis on harm reduction. Despite their potential, safer nicotine products continue to face regulatory hurdles and misinformation in many African countries. Some governments have imposed outright bans or excessive taxation, pushing these products into the black market. This not only limits access for smokers seeking safer alternatives but also exposes users to unregulated, potentially hazardous products.”
Massive study of adolescent brains puts “gateway drug" theory into question. “Because the use of one substance like alcohol or nicotine is associated with the use of other drugs like cannabis, many have drawn causal links between the use of various drugs in theories like the gateway drug hypothesis.”
Substance Abuse Prevention Alliance wants action on vaping regulations. (Montana) “Their 2025 alert highlights two bills being introduced on opposite ends of a debate on whether e-cigarettes should be classified as tobacco products, as far as regulations and rules. One bill would separate tobacco from vapor and alternative nicotine products. Another bill, on the opposite side, would classify these products as tobacco, and they would be subject to the same licensing fees and regulations as regular tobacco.”
More news: Vapers Digest Jan 3 and Jan 6, UKVIA Newsletter, AVM Newsletter.
Confirming the study of legalizing e-cigarettes, emphasizing protection for children and youth. (Google translate) - “In this regard, the House of Representatives meeting in early December 2024 resolved to extend the working period of the committee for another 30 days until January 19, 2025, because there was a discussion that the spread of e-cigarettes among children was an urgent matter that needed to be resolved. The committee had to carefully and thoroughly examine the details of the report to truly benefit society.”
Food and Drug Administration v. R.J. Reynolds Vapor Co. is scheduled for argument on Jan 21, 2025. Issue: Whether a manufacturer may file a petition for review in a circuit (other than the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit) where it neither resides nor has its principal place of business, if the petition is joined by a seller of the manufacturer’s products that is located within that circuit.
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).