Thinking 'bout THR Newsletter

June 13-16, 2024

Thank you, CASAA, for having me as a guest on your fundraising marathon! I loved watching all the guests. It was a nice end to three full days of watching live streams which included watching sessions at this year’s Global Forum on Nicotine (GFN).

There is an advantage to talking too much (thank you ADHD)! We ran out of time, and I didn’t get asked CASAA’s “predict the future” question at the end of my time as the other guests did. My crystal ball has been malfunctioning for years.

“Nothing About Us Without Us”

If you are able, I’d appreciate your support of CASAA. They are the voice of consumers in the United States and elsewhere and are a valued resource of information about tobacco harm reduction.

• E-CIGARETTE USE EVIDENCE-INFORMED GUIDANCE ON HARMS AND BENEFITS. “Between October 2022 and March 2024, the Innovation, Nicotine, Tobacco, Research, Education, Programming, Implementation and Digital Health (INTREPID) Lab at the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health collaborated with international subject matter experts and people with lived experience to develop evidence-informed recommendations on the relative health outcomes of e-cigarette use. This guidance resource was developed as part of a project entitled Vaping and electronic cigarette toxicity overview and recommendations (Project VECTOR), made possible through Health Canada’s Substance Use and Addictions Program (SUAP).” See also: CAMH Releases New E-cigarette Use Guidance and Recommendations.

• Quitting Strong: New Zealand’s Smoking Cessation Success Story. “Through its own progressive approach to tobacco harm reduction (THR), the ‘Land of the Long, White Cloud’ is also on the brink of becoming smoke free.”

• New Tobacco Data Standards Implementation Guide Released. “On June 10, in partnership with the Clinical Data Interchange Standards Consortium (CDISC), FDA’s Center for Tobacco Products (CTP) released the Tobacco Implementation Guide – a new resource for stakeholders to use to help facilitate tobacco product research and scientific review. The resource–which includes data standards that can help optimize scientific accuracy and review efficiency–was created by a multidisciplinary team from CTP, tobacco industry stakeholders, and CDISC, and included public/community review.”

• Electronic Cigarettes vs Varenicline for Smoking Cessation in Adults. “In this randomized, double-blinded, double-dummy, placebo-controlled trial that included 458 adults with moderate to heavy dependence on nicotine who were motivated to quit smoking traditional cigarettes, nicotine-containing ECs and varenicline were both effective in helping participants to stop smoking for up to 6 months.”

• Vapes “Designed to Kill,” Claims Org Designed to Protect World Health. “What looks cute, smells good, but is designed to kill?” asked the World Health Organization (WHO) in a June 11 tweet: “A vape!”

• Despite Lacking Science, FDA Made 10,000 Vaping Products Illegal. Now It Wants More Armed Agents To Enforce It. “It will be up to science history to try and gain insight into the reasons the federal government engaged in "Reefer Madness" narratives about marijuana, and then backed off that yet did the same to smoking cessation and harm reduction tools like vaping.”

• Nicotine is Not the Problem. “Smoking, not nicotine, leads to death. The long-term inhalation of the harmful constituents of smoke causes disease. Though many have conflated smoking and nicotine use as the same problem, there are clear differences that matter when considering the health risks associated with reduced-risk products.”

• The Deadly Tobacco Drug War Down Under. “Violent conflict is not unexpected in organized crime, but what is unusual is the drug at the center of this conflict: nicotine.”

• Vaping is just as good as Chantix at helping people quit cigarettes, new study finds. (STAT subscription required) “E-cigarettes were about as effective at helping people quit smoking as the gold-standard pharmaceutical drug, varenicline, according to a clinical trial published Monday in JAMA Internal Medicine.”

• Another Study Shows Nicotine E‑Cigarettes Help Smokers to Quit. “This is a significant study because most studies compare varenicline to placebo or e‑cigarettes to placebo. However, this was a high‐​quality comparative effectiveness study. The study was randomized and placebo‐​based, and the participants, study nurses, and researchers were all masked as to group assignment. One group received nicotine e‑cigarettes plus placebo tablets; another group received varenicline and an e‑cigarette that did not contain nicotine; the third group received a nicotine‐​free e‑cigarette and a placebo tablet.”

• The Dangers of Public Health Zealotry. “These studies should serve as a wakeup call for those public health officials who are seriously interested in improving public health rather than simply waging a crusade against Big Tobacco.”

• GFN 2024: CoEHAR multilateral approach in Warsaw. “At the GFN 2024, CoEHAR experts showed the latest results of the high profile research conducted in Catania and in affiliated labs around the world, demonstrating the versatility of their approach, which ranges from the replicability of scientific work to data on the real consumption of exclusive vapers.”

• Twitter / X Community Notes Fighting Misinformation! “Lately Twitter / X community notes have been fighting back against misinformation about vaping and THR (Tobacco Harm Reduction).”

• Replay of CASAA Marathon

• Replay of some of the sessions at GFN

Wanted: Survey Participants

• Exploring Vapers' Attitudes towards Potential Restrictions of Vaping in the UK. *NEW* Update: Now open to anyone 16 or older (Previously 16-30)

Positions Available

• Director Federal Government Affairs - Washington, DC, US - Philip Morris International

Call for Experts

• WHO Call for Experts - Technical Advisory Group on Economic and Commercial Determinants of Health 24 May 2024 - Call for experts. The Deadline for applications is 7 July 2024.

Call for Comments

• On June 5, the FDA announced the closing date for the public comment period on Swedish Match U.S.A., Inc’s applications, submitted for the renewal of existing modified risk tobacco product (MRTP) orders for their General Snus products. Public comments on these applications must be submitted to the docket by the docket by 11:59 p.m. EDT on July 5 to ensure they receive consideration by FDA. Pointers for making comments here.

Call for Papers

• ENVIRONMENTAL SUSTAINABILITY - HOW TO COME FROM BUZZWORD TO ACTION. The deadline to submit a summary of the paper is 20th June 2024.

• Prevention and Management of Multimorbidity in Older People. A special issue of the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health. Deadline for manuscript submissions: 30 June 2024

• Harm Reduction in Europe: Histories, Choices and Hopes. Submission Deadline: 30 June 2024

• 3rd Edition of Stigma, Health and Wellbeing. A special issue of the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health. Deadline for manuscript submissions: 30 June 2024

• Advances in the Challenges and Opportunities of Global Public Health. A special issue of the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health. Deadline for manuscript submissions: 30 June 2024

• Public Health Consequences of Social Isolation and Loneliness. A special issue of the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health. Deadline for manuscript submissions: 30 June 2024

• CALL FOR YOUNG RESEARCHER EDITORIALS (YRE): PUBLIC HEALTH AND HEALTHY LONGEVITY. Manuscript Submission Deadline 14 July 2024

• Maternal and Child Health. DEADLINE FOR SUBMISSIONS: July 15, 2024

• Rural Health Disparities: Contemporary Solutions for Persistent Rural Public Health Challenges. The deadline to submit an inquiry is July 19, 2024.

• A 10-year Update on Nicotine and Tobacco Research Related to Sex/Gender. The submission deadline is July 31, 2024.

• Health Effects of Electronic Nicotine Delivery Systems (ENDS): What Can Be Learned from Human and Experimental Studies? A special issue of the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health. Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 July 2024

• Health and Risk Behaviors in Adolescents and Youths. A special issue of the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health. Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 July 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.

• 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

• Generating stronger evidence to inform policy and practice: natural experiments on built environments, health behaviours and chronic diseases. Submission deadline: November 30, 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

• 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

• 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

Wanted: Conference/Seminar Submissions…

• Call for speakers. The Society for the Study of Addiction is now accepting applications for speakers at the PhD Symposium. The application deadline is July 3, 2024

• Nov 14-15, 2024, UK - SSA Annual Conference. Submissions for posters and oral presentations are due by July 3, 2024

• Sep 16-17, 2024 - 7th Summit on Tobacco Harm Reduction by SCOHRE. Call for abstracts for short oral or poster presentations. The submission deadline for abstracts is July 12, 2024.

• TOPS Tobacco Online Policy Seminar call for papers/nominations. The submission deadline is October 7, 2024.

• For global coverage of calls to action, please click here: Advocating For Tobacco Harm Reduction.

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.

• Jun 19-20, 2024, Miami, FL, US - Next Generation Nicotine Delivery USA 

• Jun 21, 2024, (Virtual) 6:00 AM CT - BR-UK: Using ontologies to advance behavioural research.

• *NEW* Jun 21, 2024, (Virtual) 8:00 AM CT - The Integral Role of Economic Research on the ENDS Marketplace: Part 2.

• Jun 26, 2024, Silver Spring, MD, US (Virtual and In-person) 9:00 AM - 4:30 PM EST - The Tobacco Products Scientific Advisory Committee meeting (TPSAC). Topic MRTP renewal for Swedish Match. The deadline for written submissions by the public is June 20, 2024.

• Jun 27-28, 2024, Minneapolis, MN, US - National Tribal Tobacco Conference 

• Jun 28, 2024, (Virtual) 2:00-3:00 PM ET - TOPS Tobacco Online Policy Seminars.

• Jul 4-5, 2024, Opatija, Croatia - 13th Workshop on the Economics of Risky Behavior. Program here.

• Jul 12, 2024, (Virtual) 10:00-11:00 AM ET - TOPS Tobacco Online Policy Seminars.

• Jul 21-23, 2024, San Marcos, TX, US - Texas Tobacco-Free Conference 

• Jun 26, 2024, (Virtual) 2:00-3:00 PM ET - TOPS Tobacco Online Policy Seminars.

• Aug 9, 2024, (Virtual) 2:00-3:00 PM ET - TOPS Tobacco Online Policy Seminars.

• Aug 18-21, 2024, Mobile, AL, US - Federation of Tax Administrators - 2024 Tobacco Annual Meeting 

• Aug 23, 2024, (Virtual) 2:00-3:00 PM ET - TOPS Tobacco Online Policy Seminars.

• 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 16-17, 2024 (Virtual) - 7th Summit on Tobacco Harm Reduction by SCOHRE

• Sep 20, 2024, (Virtual) 2:00-3:00 PM ET - TOPS Tobacco Online Policy Seminars.

• Sep 23, 2024, NYC, NY, US - New Approaches Conference 

• Sep 24-25, 2024, Athens, Greece - GTNF

• 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 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. Early bird registration ends June 30, 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. Early registration expires July 31, 2024

• 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.

• 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 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

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