Thinking 'bout THR Newsletter
Thinking 'bout THR Newsletter
October 18-31, 2024
I’m back!
My vacation is officially over. While that makes me sad in some ways, I am also happy to return to the comfort of my routine.
I have much to say about this trip and will comment soon on all the highlights. But for now, I will focus on getting a newsletter out, as it has been a couple of weeks since I have done so.
I will leave you with a few impressions of my experience until I can write more.
On this trip, I met so many thought leaders and change-makers! Thank you to everyone who took the time to speak with me. I enjoyed meeting you all.
I came home impressed with the variety of perspectives I heard and how respectful everyone was to each other.
The number of people thrilled to see consumer participation at the events and who said they hope to see more of them filled my heart with joy.
The organizers of the FDLI and NTSC events should be proud of what they accomplished! These were excellent events; I hope to attend them again.
This was my fifth trip to Washington, D.C. I enjoyed the conferences and events I attended there. Networking with others in the nicotine space is always a rewarding learning experience. The atmosphere at FDLI was warm and friendly.
However, I never feel entirely comfortable in DC. Maybe it's because the air smells of politics, and I don’t like politics. A stranger walking down the sidewalk rarely smiles and says “hi” there. Most people are staring at a phone while they walk. It is a turbulent place.
I take great pride in my Minnesota roots and our famous “Minnesota Nice.” I got a healthy dose of “Charleston Charm” while in South Carolina, and I’m serious when I tell my fellow Minnesotans we need to up our game if we’re going to keep up!
The people of Charleston were kind and friendly everywhere I went. From the time I got off the plane until I got on the plane to go home, there were smiles and welcoming people everywhere! The hotel and restaurant staff, the NTSC and the MUSC campus folks, strangers walking down the sidewalk, UBER drivers, and more all had excellent hospitality skills.
The TSA folks at the airport should make “Keeping you safe with a smile” their motto. I started missing Charleston before my plane ever left the ground.
I would like to give a special thank you to my support team. For those who don’t know, I have a medical team and a team of friends who ensure I am physically, mentally, and emotionally safe/okay as I navigate life, including traveling. They are a considerable help in managing anxiety, depression, and autistic challenges.
This trip blessed me with a few honorary members of my support team who stepped up unasked and provided support (I’m looking at you, Mike Cummings, Annie Kleykamp, Brian Erkkila, and others).
The help and support of those around me contributed to the success of my latest “grand adventure.” I’m already looking forward to the next one!
Until next time….
PS: This newsletter includes updates to events and opportunities (including consumer surveys). Those who view these newsletters via e-mail might have to click the “clipped” message at the bottom to see the entire newsletter.
KCL Nicotine Research Group - “Congrats to Ann McNeill for being shortlisted for Nature's John Maddox Prize! This prize recognises researchers who stand up for science and evidence-based policy. Ann was nominated for her work on tobacco harm reduction.”
Pinney Associates, Inc. - “We are pleased to share the news of two promotions. Arielle Selya, PhD has been promoted to Senior Scientist. In the four years since joining Pinney Associates, Arielle has supported clients seeking to define and address complex issues around consumer behavior and use of reduced-risk consumer products. Floe Foxon has been promoted to Scientist and Data Analyst. Floe joined Pinney Associates as a data analyst in 2020, applying his expertise in data management and modeling.”
Food and Drug Administration, et al., Petitioners v. R.J. Reynolds Vapor Co., et al. SET FOR ARGUMENT on Tuesday, January 21, 2025.
Johnny Copper LLC v. U.S. Food and Drug Administration, et al. October 12, 2024 - AGENCY PETITION / APPLICATION DOCKETED. Filed by Petitioner Johnny Copper LLC.
Jeffrey Weiss - “I think that those of us involved in the policy conversation around tobacco harm reduction should always bear in mind two figures in public health history – Joseph Lister and Ignac Semmelweis…The challenge is not just to be right on the science. It is to approach persuasion in a constructive and respectful manner. Personal attacks and name-calling are never going to be helpful, regardless of the stakes.”
Gertrude Nonterah - Science communication: “Don't throw around complex equations and million-dollar words. Otherwise, you are talking to yourself. And the 25 other people in your field.”
Associations of Close Social Connections With Smoking and Vaping: A Population Study in England. “People were much more likely to vape and to use e-cigarettes to quit smoking if they had close social connections who vaped.”
Use, perceptions, and effectiveness of e-cigarettes for smoking cessation among older adults in England: a population study, 2014–2024. “Over the past decade, smoking prevalence has remained stable among older adults while decreasing among the rest of the adult population in England. Older adults are more unsure about the relative harms of e-cigarettes and less likely to use them to support attempts to quit smoking, despite evidence that they are effective for smoking cessation in this population.”
I apologize for the articles not shared over the last two weeks. I tend to be more comfortable in the online world, and one of my goals during my vacation was to be in the moment more and online less. That means I have not seen very many articles lately! I sat through all the conferences without my computer sitting in front of me. That is a rare occurrence. ~ Skip
Winning The Tobacco Endgame. “Embracing these six moves would allow public health to strategically align around a shared priority to minimize then eliminate combustible tobacco product use. Once the threat of combustible tobacco is minimized, there will undoubtedly remain important public health concerns with non-combustible products. However, more rapidly and more equitably minimizing combustible tobacco use is an essential basic step to realizing a public health victory during the tobacco endgame.”
Personalized and adaptive interventions for smoking cessation: Emerging trends and determinants of efficacy. “This article explores mechanisms of efficacy and limitations of established cessation therapies, identifies emerging products expanding the range of personalized options, and describes an opportunity for further improving outcomes through evidence-based adaptive approaches.”
San Antonio votes to ban indoor vaping starting in January. “Vaping fiends can still get away with inhaling in restaurants, bars and movie theaters until Jan. 1.” (Was the word “fiends” necessary in this article? I find it stigmatizing! ~ Skip)
Poland vape and e-liquid tax hike gets green light. “Under the new bill, the excise tax on e-cigarette liquids will rise sharply, by 75 percent in 2025, followed by 50 percent in 2026 and 25 percent in 2027.”
“Never Seen Anything Work Like This”—Pioneer on NZ’s Vaping Story. “Dr. Marewa Glover has dedicated her life to helping people stop smoking in New Zealand.”
Why the Demise of Youth Smoking Is an Overlooked Public Health Triumph. “…youth smoking in the United States is at an all-time low. Yet very little is written about this. Why? Professor Kenneth Warner, of the University of Michigan’s School of Public Health, asks that very question…”
New proposal to ban flavored tobacco in the works in Denver. “The last attempt got vetoed, but Mayor Mike Johnston may be open to a ban on flavored vapes.”
I’ll end the News & Views section with this one. It has nothing to do with nicotine products. Or… perhaps it does. You decide! Dreaming of a Bigger Ban on Competition for Obesity Drugs.
The events listed below focus on nicotine. Some do not support reduced-risk products. Some have covered nicotine in the past but may not cover that topic every year.
November - COPD Awareness Month, Lung Cancer Awareness Month
*NEW* Nov 6, 2024, (Virtual) 9:00 AM CT - When all other forms of promotion are regulated, “Our packaging is our marketing"
Nov 6-8, 2024, Harrisburg, PA, 2024 James E. Anderson Pennsylvania Conference on Juvenile Justice. One of the workshops, Restorative Solutions: Rethinking Youth Tobacco, Nicotine, and Vaping Dependency
Nov 12, 2024, San Francisco, CA, US (In-person) 9 AM - 5 PM PT Free - Introduction to Causal Research Methods. Note: Registration Deadline September 25, 2024.
Nov 12, 2024, San Francisco, CA, US (In-person) 9 AM - 5 PM PT Free - Introduction to Difference-in-Differences. Note: Registration Deadline September 25, 2024.
Nov 13-14, 2024, Accra, Ghana - Africa Conference on Tobacco Control.
Nov 14-15, 2024, UK - SSA Annual Conference. Professor Ann McNeill will give the Society Lecture at the SSA’s Annual Conference. The title of the talk is, ‘Tobacco harm reduction – controversies and potential resolutions’.
Nov 14-16, 2024, Ontario, Canada - CSAM-SMCA 2024 Scientific Conference.
*NEW* Nov 15, 2024, 1:00 PM CT (Virtual) - Tobacco Online Policy Seminar (TOPS) - “Flavored E-cigarette Sales Restrictions and Young Adult Tobacco Use in the United States”
Nov 18-20, 2024, Olomouc, Czech Republic, (In-person) - Czech Annual Cancer Research Meeting. Note: Keynote talks: Prof. David Khayat on Cancer Risk Factors: The Role of Tobacco Harm Reduction.
*NEW* Nov 20, 2024 (Virtual) 12 PM ET - Are Cigarettes and E-Cigarettes Substitutes or Compliments, and Does it Matter?
Nov 20, 2024, National Harbor, MD, US 9:00 AM - 5:00 PM ET (In-Person) FREE - Introduction to Causal Research Methods. Note: Registration Deadline September 25, 2024.
Nov 21-23, 2024, National Harbor, MD, US Association for Public Policy Analysis & Management - Fall Research Conference. (APPAM)
Nov 21, 2024, Great American Smokeout
*NEW* Nov 22, 2024, (Virtual) 9:30 AM BST - Behavioural Research UK: Public engagement in research and policy.
December 5, 2024, UK (Virtual and In-person), E-Cigarette Summit UK
*NEW* Dec 6, 2024, 1:00 PM CT (Virtual) - Tobacco Online Policy Seminar (TOPS) - “Estimating the Cross-Tax Elasticity of Tobacco Demand with Respect to Cannabis Taxation in the US: Using Nielsen Retail Scanner Data”
Dec 30, 2024, World Safer Nicotine Day #WSND #WSND24
Scroll Down for 2025 and 2026 Events
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. This is a good resource for information on conferences about addiction/behavior.
Wanted: Consumers, please respond to these surveys.
Help Wanted:
Wanted: Conference/Seminar/Webinar Submissions…
Oct 21, 2024, Silver Spring, MD, US, 9 am - 4:30 pm EDT (In-person and virtual - free) - Advancing Smoking Cessation: FDA and NIH Priorities. The deadline to submit written comments to the docket is Nov 21, 2024.
Call for Papers/Abstracts
Mental Health, Stigma and Addictive Behaviors. A special issue of the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health. Deadline for manuscript submissions: 15 November 2024
Empirical modeling. Submission deadline: 28 November 2024
*NEW* The changing media landscape and tobacco-related content. The submission deadline for abstracts is 29 November 2024.
Generating stronger evidence to inform policy and practice: natural experiments on built environments, health behaviours and chronic diseases. Submission deadline: November 30, 2024
A Means to an ENDS: The Uncertainty of ENDS Use and Cardiovascular Disease From Human Research to Basic Science Mechanisms. Submission deadline: 31 December 2024
Cancer Causes and Control. A special issue of the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health. Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 December 2024
Factors Associated with Successful Smoking Cessation. A special issue of the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health. Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 December 2024
Scroll down for 2025 opportunities
Call for Papers / Abstracts
E-cigarettes and Vaping Products: Health Effects and Toxicological Impacts. A special issue of the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health. Deadline for manuscript submissions: 21 January 2025
Tenth International Congress on Peer Review and Scientific Publication. Call for abstracts opens Dec 1, 2024. Deadline for submissions is Janurary 31, 2025.
Thinking Outside the Box to Reduce Health Inequities in Perinatal Tobacco and Nicotine Exposure: A Nicotine & Tobacco Research Themed Issue Nicotine & Tobacco Research intends to publish a themed issue on Prenatal Tobacco and Nicotine Exposure. The guest editors for this issue will be Dr. Natacha De Genna, Dr. Laura Stroud, and Prof. Yael Bar-Zeev. Submission deadline: February 1, 2025.
LGBTQ+ Health. Submission deadline: 04 March 2025
14th Workshop on the Economics of Risky Behavior Call for Submissions. Submission deadline: 10 March 2025 (Event)
Consumer behaviour. Submission deadline: 25 March 2025
Wearable devices. Submission deadline: 27 March 2025
The Tobacco Endgame in Low- And Middle-Income Countries and Indigenous Communities: Evidence Syntheses and Systematic Reviews. Submission deadline: 25 May 2025
STRONGER Scholars: A Research Education Program to Reduce Tobacco-Related Cancer Disparities and Improve Health Equity. A special issue of the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health. Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 December 2025
*NEW* Jan 10, 2025, 1:00 PM CT (Virtual) - Tobacco Online Policy Seminar (TOPS) - “Very Low Nicotine Content Cigarettes in the Context of Non-Combusted Nicotine Products”
Jan 15-19, 2025 Seattle, WA, US - Society for Social Work and Research.
*NEW* Jan 24, 2025, 1:00 PM CT (Virtual) - Tobacco Online Policy Seminar (TOPS) - “Flavorants and Addiction: An Empirical Analysis of Cigarette Bans and Taxation”
Jan 27-28, 2025, Las Vegas, NV, US - E-Vapor and Tobacco Law Symposium.
*NEW* Feb 7, 2025, 1:00 PM CT (Virtual) - Tobacco Online Policy Seminar (TOPS) - “Financial Incentives for Smoking Cessation – A Cochrane Review”
Feb 13-15, 2025, Boston, MA, US - 2025 AAAS ANNUAL MEETING. AMERICAN ASSOCIATION FOR THE ADVANCEMENT OF SCIENCE
*NEW* Feb 21, 2025, 1:00 PM CT (Virtual) - Tobacco Online Policy Seminar (TOPS) - “Impact of Advertising on Smoking Cessation: Role of Direct-to-Consumer Prescription Drug Advertising”
Mar 5, 2025 York, UK (In-person & Virtual SCAH - Smoking Cessation and Health Conference.
*NEW* Mar 7, 2025, 1:00 PM CT (Virtual) - Tobacco Online Policy Seminar (TOPS) - “Harm Reduction for Addictive Consumption: When Does it Improve Health and When Does it Backfire?”
Mar 12-15, 2025 New Orleans, LA, US - SRNT 31st Annual Meeting
*NEW* Mar 21, 2025, 1:00 PM CT (Virtual) - Tobacco Online Policy Seminar (TOPS) - “Estimating the Effect of E-cigarette Nicotine Restrictions on E-cigarette and Cigarette Sales in Canada”
Mar 27-29, 2025 - Phoenix, AZ, US - 31st Nicotine Dependence Center Conference 2025: The Evolving Tobacco Landscape and Implications for Policy and Practice.
*NEW* Apr 4, 2025, 1:00 PM CT (Virtual) - Tobacco Online Policy Seminar (TOPS) - “The Intergenerational Effects of Cigarette Taxes on Smoking”
April 15-17, 2025, Arlington, VA, US - American Tobacco & Nicotine Forum (ATNF), formerly the TMA Annual Meeting & Conference (I’m not aware of a link available to the event yet)
Apr 27-30, 2025 - Bogotá, Colombia - 28th edition of the Harm Reduction Conference (HR25)
June 11-12, 2025, Madrid, Spain - 14th Workshop on the Economics of Risky Behavior.
June 2025, Bangor, Maine, US - 2025 Tobacco Treatment and Prevention Conference.
Aug 26-28, 2025 Chicago, IL, US - The National Conference on Tobacco or Health (NCTOH) (Link is to the announcement, not event info)
Sep 3-5, 2025 Chicago, IL, US - e 10th International Congress on Peer Review and Scientific Publication.
Sep 10-12, 2025 Romania - SRNT-E Conference.
Nov 13-15,2025 Hyatt Seattle, WA, US - Association for Public Policy Analysis & Management - Fall Research Conference. (APPAM)
Nov 17, 2025 (all week) Geneva - FCTC COP11
Nov 17, 2025 (all week) Geneva - GoodCOP/BadCOP - Taxpayers Protection Alliance
Nov 24, 2025 (all week) Geneva - FCTC MOP4
Mar 4-6, 2026 Baltimore, MD, US - SRNT 32nd Annual Meeting.
Sep 6-9 2026, Cape Town, South Africa - 18th World Conference on Public Health.
Nov 5-7, 2026, Boston, MA, US - Association for Public Policy Analysis & Management - Fall Research Conference. (APPAM)
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 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.