Thinking 'bout THR Newsletter
August 20-23, 2024
Attention Consumers!
GTNF has offered to do something extraordinary! If a consumer can’t attend the conference in person and wants to view it virtually, please contact Nancy Loucas or me to be added to the consumer advocate list for special virtual accommodations.
NTSC welcomes consumer attendance. For consumer rates (In-person or virtual), please get in touch with Mike Cummings or Gal Cohen. If you don’t know Mike or Gal, let me know, and I’ll introduce you.
Conference organizers: Please let me know if your event offers reduced or free rates for consumers (virtual and/or in-person). I would be thrilled to give you a shout-out for including their voices.
Father 'furious' after daughter strip searched by police in front of glass door. “But one day, the police, who Marlon thought would protect his daughter, added to her trauma - when she was strip searched by officers after being accused of concealing an E-cigarette…He claims by the time he got to the police station, his daughter had already been asked to strip down to her underwear. The search was conducted by female officers in front of a glass door, says Marlon, meaning she was also visible to male officers.”
Can the Theory of Youth Vaping as “Gateway” to Smoking Be Put to Bed? “Gateway concerns are still very prevalent. I think to get wider acceptance of the existing evidence, we first need to address the polarization in the field.”
Youth Use Of Tobacco And Vape Products Continue To Decline Among Maryland Middle And High School Students. “In 2022-23, 8.1% of high school students who had ever used e-cigarettes did so because of flavors, while 43.7% cited “other” reasons…”
Flavor ban removed from updated tobacco ordinance. “Thirty days prior to the public hearing on this ordinance, letters were sent to all retailers holding tobacco licenses to addresses that were filed with the Aitkin County Auditor’s office as required by statute. However, board members learned that some businesses selling these products did not receive a letter of notification.”
New Data Show that E-Cigarettes are Saving Lives and Debunk Claims by Opponents that Vaping is a Gateway to Smoking. “Since it is rare for people to start smoking as adults, the prevalence of smoking among this cohort of young people will almost certainly not rise above 6%. This is undoubtedly the greatest public health victory of my lifetime.”
The Successful Strategy Making Sweden Smokefree Still Ignored by Some. “A recent report presented to Sweden's Minister of Social Affairs and Public Health, is recommending setting restrictions on nicotine pouches in a way which would make them inaccessible also to adult users, not just teens.”
‘Cancel culture’ hinders public health gains vs. smoking. “One strategy in this culture war is to create polarization, split people, facilitate doubt, create fear, and encourage people to feel anger towards those people who have a different point of view,” Glover said at the forum in Warsaw, Poland.”
Tobacco war kingpin’s firebombings target underworld rival, hospitalise kids. “The Lunar Taskforce, which was launched in October 2023 to combat the so-called tobacco war, told The Age that 77 tobacco shops and 19 other businesses have been the target of arson attacks in the nearly 18-month-old turf war between Hamad and other syndicates.” (Thank you for the archived link, Jukka!)
On nicotine, the European Commission’s selective transparency is causing flawed policy. “Selective transparency undermines credibility and signals a troubling shift towards prioritising ideology over evidence.”
Czech Health Ministry Wants to Ban Sweet-Flavoured Electronic Cigarettes. “These regulations would apply solely to vaping products, leaving traditional cigarettes and other nicotine alternatives unaffected.”
Why go around the world to defend e-cigarettes? “And Bengt says: 'This is fantastic. You come from completely different parts of the world. And you come together around... a product, which obviously means a lot to both of you, and which you are now traveling halfway around the world to get involved in." That's pretty strong. This is a movement. It's global. It's not going to go away. It's not paid for by the tobacco industry. This is about people."
Letter: Biden’s Cancer Moonshot Is Laudable. “Second, the Administration’s health experts must do a better job of communicating with the public and medical professionals about the misperceptions surrounding these products, which have been scientifically shown to be a significantly better option than combustible cigarettes.”
Government's new $244 million vaping plan 'certain to fail' with calls for 'more education' “This is the most effective quitting aid we've got and the most popular, and we're saying to people, well, you can buy cigarettes anywhere you like, but if you want to vape you have to jump through all these hoops. And it's just not risk proportionate to the risk of the product.”
Smoker Prevalence Remains High, Government Needs A New Approach. "Indonesia can follow the example of countries that have succeeded in reducing the prevalence of smoking, such as the UK, Sweden, and even the Philippines that impose risk-based policies where alternative products such as e-cigarettes and vapes are subject to taxes that are different from conventional cigarettes, in accordance with the risks posed.”
I’ll wrap up this edition’s news and views with one from the “reading this made me uncomfortable” file: Why the young and cool are taking up smoking. “It also seems natural that people will, at some point, start to push back against the relentless attempts to sanitise every aspect of modern existence. Not everyone thinks their health is the be all and end all. A society comprised of smug fitness freaks isn’t everyone’s idea of paradise.”
The Skippy Seal of Approval Collection:
The Head Scratcher Collection:
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.
Sep 4, 2024, (Virtual) 2:00-3:00 PM ET - New Approaches to Tobacco Smoking Cessation Among People Who Use Drugs
Sep 6, 2024, (Virtual) 2:00-3:00 PM ET - TOPS Tobacco Online Policy Seminars.
Sep 7-10, 2024, San Diego, CA, US (In-person & Virtual) World Conference on Lung Cancer.
Sep 8-11, 2024, Atlanta, GA, US - 77TH TOBACCO SCIENCE RESEARCH CONFERENCE
Sep 9, 2024 (Virtual) - Mindfulness Training for Smokers *FACILITATOR TRAINING.
Sep 9, 2024 (Virtual) - Webinar Series: Clearing the Air: Steps to Going Smokefree.
Sep 11-13, 2024, SCHAUMBURG, IL, US (Industry specific) - CSP Tobacco+ Forum.
Sep 12, 2024 (Virtual) - Design and effectiveness of a vaping cessation intervention for adolescent e-cigarette users: Results from a randomized trial.
Sep 16-17, 2024 (Virtual) - 7th Summit on Tobacco Harm Reduction by SCOHRE
*NEW* Sep 17-19, 2024, Geneva, Switzerland - World Cancer Congress (Includes sessions about tobacco.)
Sep 20, 2024, (Virtual) 2:00-3:00 PM ET - TOPS Tobacco Online Policy Seminars.
Sep 20, 2024 (Virtual) - Conversations on Cancer: National Hispanic Family Cancer Awareness Week.
Sep 23, 2024, NYC, NY, US - New Approaches Conference
Sep 24-26, 2024, Athens, Greece - GTNF
Sep 25, 2024 - World Lung Day
Sep 27-Oct 1, 2024, Orlando, FL, US - American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) National Conference and Exhibition. Monday, Sept. 30: “What’s All the Buzz? New and Emerging Nicotine Products Addicting Youth,” Brian King, Ph.D., M.P.H
Sep 29, 2024 - World Heart Day
Sep 30, 2024, London - Nicotine addiction 2024: Action on smoking.
October - Healthy Lung Month
October - Health Literacy Month
Oct 3-4, 2024, Burlington, VT, US (In-person & Virtual) - Vermont Center on Behavior and Health 12th Annual Conference. 2024 Theme: "Tobacco Use: Intersections with Other Addictions, Chronic Disease, and Health Disparities."
Oct 4, 2024, (Virtual) 2:00-3:00 PM ET - TOPS Tobacco Online Policy Seminars.
Oct 13-17, 2024, Edinburgh, Scotland - CORESTA Congress 2024
Oct 14-17, 2024 (In-person) PA, US - Clearing the Air® Institute. American Nonsmokers' Rights Foundation
Oct 15, 2024, US (Virtual) - FDLI Introduction to Tobacco Law and Regulation
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. See list of Conflict of Interest Principles.
Oct 23, 2024, Washington DC, US (In-person and Virtual) - FDLI Tobacco and Nicotine Products Regulatory Science Symposium
Oct 24-25,2024, Washington DC, US (In-person and Virtual) - FDLI Tobacco and Nicotine Products Regulation and Policy Conference.
Oct 27-30, 2024, Minneapolis, MN, US - 2024 APHA Annual Meeting and Expo (Public Health). Register here.
Oct 28, 2024, Charleston, SC, US (In-Person & Virtual) 11:30 AM - 12:30 PM ET - Susan Rosenblatt lecture: Brian King
Oct 28-29, 2024, Charleston, SC, US (Virtual and In-Person) 2024 NICOTINE AND TOBACCO SCIENCE CONFERENCE
November - COPD Awareness Month
November - Lung Cancer Awareness Month
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 13-14, 2024, Accra, Ghana - Africa Conference on Tobacco Control.
Nov 14-15, 2024, UK - SSA Annual Conference. Early bird discounts until September 9, 2024
Nov 14-16, 2024, Chicago, IL, US—AMERSA Conference—Note: We won't know until the agenda is announced if nicotine will be part of this year's conference.
Nov 14-16, 2024, Ontario, Canada - CSAM-SMCA 2024 Scientific Conference.
Nov 21, 2024, Great American Smokeout
December 5, 2024, UK (Virtual and In-person), E-Cigarette Summit UK
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: Conference/Seminar Submissions…
Poster abstract submissions for the Vermont Center on Behavior and Health 12th Annual Conference. 2024 Theme: "Tobacco Use: Intersections with Other Addictions, Chronic Disease, and Health Disparities." Please send details (including title, authors, affiliations, and 250-word abstract) to Eric Thrailkill, PhD by September 1, 2024. Abstracts will be evaluated on the basis of scientific merit. They will be reviewed on rolling basis and decisions will be communicated within 14 days of submission.
TOPS Tobacco Online Policy Seminar call for papers/nominations. The submission deadline is October 7, 2024.
Call for Posters
*NEW* CSAM-SMCA 2024 Annual Scientific Conference. Submission Deadline August 30, 2024
Call for Papers
*NEW* Call for Abstract — The 2nd Africa Conference on Tobacco Control and Development. Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 August 2024.
Substance Use, Stigma and Social Harm. A special issue of the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health. Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 August 2024.
Themed issue/section on Non-Medicinal Oral Nicotine Products. Deadline for manuscript submissions: 30 September 2024
Tobacco Use in Adolescents and Youth. A special issue of the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health. Deadline for manuscript submissions: 30 September 2024
Tobacco Use, Vaping, Heating, Nicotine Dependence, Smoking Cessation, and Public Health. A special issue of the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health. Deadline for manuscript submissions: 30 September 2024
Cancer prevention. Submission Deadline: 11 October 2024
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
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
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
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
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
Jan 15-19, 2025 Seattle, WA, US - Society for Social Work and Research.
Feb 13-15, 2025, Boston, MA, US - 2025 AAAS ANNUAL MEETING. AMERICAN ASSOCIATION FOR THE ADVANCEMENT OF SCIENCE
Mar 5, 2025 York, UK (In-person & Virtual SCAH - Smoking Cessation and Health Conference.
Mar 12-15, 2025 New Orleans, LA, US - SRNT 31st Annual Meeting
Mar 27-29, 2025 - Phoenix, AZ, US - 31st Nicotine Dependence Center Conference 2025: The Evolving Tobacco Landscape and Implications for Policy and Practice.
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 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 10-12, 2025 Romania - SRNT-E Conference.
Nov 17, 2025 (all week) Geneva - FCTC COP11
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.
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.
Until next time,
Skip “#BeKind” Murray