This Is HARM, Not Harm Reduction
Thinking 'bout THR Newsletter May 14-23, 2025
Adults don’t need trinkets to stop smoking.
A word to Manufacturers, Distributors, Retailers, and Consumers…
Making vapes look like a trinket harms the smoking harm reduction movement. I don’t want to hear any excuses about adults having the right to have fun, freedom of choice, consumer demand, etc.
I don’t want to hear about the goofy cannabis products or the silly things that can be found in the world of things involving alcohol. A little common sense is needed here, not examples proving that two wrongs will never make a right. We need to take responsibility for our space. The other guys have way more lobbying power than we do; they can fight their own “kid-friendly” battles.
It stings every time I smack my head into the wall of reality. I tend to naively believe that all manufacturers, distributors, and retailers are in the non-medical arena of non-combustible nicotine products because they have a desire to make the world a better place by offering people safer choices to smoking tobacco.
While that is true for most nicotine businesses, it ignores the cold, hard fact that some greedy folks will do anything to make a buck. Like all industries, the nicotine space also has bad actors that taint the reputations of everyone else. Some fail to see (or care?) how the moral panic over “kid-friendly” products adds fuel to the ban-all-vapes fire.
Adults don’t need a vape that looks like SpongeBob. I thought this must be a rare occurrence; I don’t see garbage like this in my neck of the woods very often. I’ve been talking to some vape shop owners from around the US. They tell me several distributors carry these products.
The shops I talked to don’t carry vapes that look like trinkets. They wanted to do the right thing and motivate distributors to stop carrying junk like this. Some have spoken up, but the distributors continue to carry these products. Turns out the products are popular in head shops and tobacco stores. It doesn’t matter where they are sold; it all gets blamed on “vaping” and “big tobacco” with the bold statement that these products are designed to addict the next generation to nicotine.
The vape shop owners thought maybe they could bring about change by boycotting those distributors. Turns out, most of the distributors carry these things, and it would leave the shops without enough suppliers to keep their shops open.
I hope shops continue to talk to their distributors and encourage them to stop selling novelty vapes that look like toys, sippy cups, and highlighter pens. Maybe if you point out that this helps vapes get banned, they will consider stopping. If all the retailers are prohibited from selling a product, there’s no one for the distributors to sell to. So much for the money grab!
Someone pointed out to me that these adult products are manufactured in several countries outside the US and that, culturally, they are OK in those countries. I don’t know if the cultural part is true, and I don’t care. They are on American soil, and they are not OK here.
Yes, it was pointed out to me that these products, like most vape products, are illicit in the US. I get that. It might seem weird that I’m drawing a line in the illicit product sand, but that’s precisely what I’m doing.
Vapes are helping people stop smoking and preventing them from returning to smoking. Our current kerfuffle means that not enough products that are appealing to consumers are getting marketing orders to be legally sold here. When that problem is fixed, I will be for getting rid of all illicit products. But until that happens, they are saving lives, and I am unusually tolerant of people not going by the book. There still needs to be a line that shouldn’t be crossed.
Some adults need vapes to stop smoking. They need satisfying products in flavors that pull them away from smoking. Those products need to be affordable and easy to use.
Adults don’t need trinkets such as a vape that looks like a sippy cup to stop smoking. Irresponsible products like that harm the whole nicotine space, and when you harm that space, you are harming the people who need to transition away from smoking.
I had hoped the vape shop owners I talked to were exaggerating about the number of distributors selling novelty vapes that look like other products. Surprisingly, even though I have been out of business for a few years, I could log into some of my old wholesale accounts and see how many of my former distributors carry these products.
Only one of the distributors I checked didn’t sell garbage like in the photo above. The rest of them are guilty of selling trinket novelty vapes to retailers.
The next time one of the vape fam wants to claim that the Bloomberg-funded orgs are solely responsible for needless deaths, I suggest we need to look in our own backyard first and clean up the piles of doo-doo before we start pointing our fingers anywhere else.
I’m not saying the Bloomberg-funded orgs aren’t a part of the problem - they are. I want to know why we’re giving them powerful examples of why we need more restrictive regulations and outright bans.
Why can’t we be adult enough to choose our battles wisely? Fight for flavors, folks, not a vape that looks like a bottle of booze!
Shop owners trying to do the right thing shouldn’t have to be the only THR voice speaking out against this type of needless product. Consumers must add their voices and push back against anyone selling these things. The lives of people who smoke depend on us.
Until next time…
P.S.: It was Joe Gitchell’s birthday on the same day as the E-Cigarette Summit US. Do you know what his birthday wish was? I do! All he wanted was for everyone to read How to Be a Constructive Dissenter. Wow, that didn’t cost me anything but a little time!
One month, two trips, and three conferences later, I think I’ll be back in the newsletter groove soon. I planned on talking about those trips in this newsletter. Weeks ago, I started on a “trinkets” commentary for a future newsletter. I decided to bump it up because Dr. Makary showed a vape that looked like a video game controller in his testimony on May 22.
I could finish this newsletter if X (Twitter) DMs worked properly. When I see something of interest, I DM myself the link, which is handy when composing a newsletter. However, as I'm writing this, I can’t access my DMs yet. (Friday update: DMs are live, time to get to work on the newsletter! I made all new graphics while I waited.)
Safer Solutions: Common Ground on Harm Reduction in Drugs and Tobacco. “Many similarities make a harm reduction approach important in both cases. Cigarettes can be addictive and hard to quit, and they are deadly on a massive scale. Opioids, too, can be extremely addictive, very hard to quit, and deadly. Both are highly stigmatized and hit some communities harder, including low-income individuals, minority communities, and veterans.”
Smoke-Free Over 50: An Aging Challenge. “Despite the difficulties that those over age 50 face, current research on this population is sparse. This paper uses the extant data to explore the difficulties that smokers over age 50 face and highlights the interplay of physiological, psychological, and environmental factors that underscore the need for tailored interventions for those in this age group, and to address this pressing public health burden.”
New paper (Thread on Twitter) - “Mainly a methods paper: most behavioral research uses causal inference (I'll explain), but one variable being associated w/ another doesn't mean it predicts well. We illustrate our case with the example of "gateway".”
This is a really cool new paper (Thread on Twitter) - “1) It takes the well-known association between smoking/vaping and mental health and performs a "multiverse analysis," showing how results differ based on choices made in the analysis…”
Nicotine / THR - Guides for Healthcare and Social Services Professionals. Thanks to Nancy Rigotti, MD's excellent presentation at this year’s US E-Cigarette Summit, three additional resources have been added to this list for healthcare professionals. Another one, a source shared by Riccardo Polosa to a listserv, was also added.
Long COVID – a critical disruption of cholinergic neurotransmission? “In conclusion, based on current knowledge, LDTN appears to be a promising and safe procedure to relieve LC symptoms with no expected long-term harm.”
Letter to Health Commissioner Varhelyi regarding vapes and 'popcorn lung' “ETHRA wrote to the Commissioner to correct this misinformation and to request a meeting.”
New Study Finds that Youth Vaping Served as a Substitute for Smoking But Concludes the Opposite. “So the rest of the story here is that for some reason, the paper concludes the exact opposite of what the research finds and what the authors hypothesize.” (Note: Study here, Rapid Response here, PubPeer comment here.)
Alarming VWS figures on vape addiction are based on answers from eight teenagers. A non-representative study, a careless press release, a mistake by the ANP, a correction that was not picked up by all editors. This is how 8 (eight!) young people who thought they were addicted to vaping ended up in the news as: 'Almost 40 percent of 12 to 16 year olds are addicted to vaping.'
Vaping vs. Smoking: The Misconception Gap. “The consequences of these misconceptions extend beyond simple statistics. When smokers incorrectly believe that vaping offers no harm reduction benefits compared to cigarettes, they're less likely to make the switch. This directly impacts public health initiatives like England's "swap to stop" campaign, which aims to help smokers transition away from traditional cigarettes.”
New active notes (anyone with an X account can vote on these):
Dr. Martin Makary “There are high schools in America now where kids are saying half of the kids are addicted to these vaping products. We cannot get burned again like we did on opioids.”
Darren of Plymouth “There have been no safety trials on vaping, the product went straight to market as a safe alternative to smoking tobacco. The result is more and more people, especially young people, admitted to hospital suffering from popcorn lung. Vaping is probably more dangerous than smoking... Of course it is, and it comes in all different flavours and colours.”
Cleanse Parasites .com “Do you vape? Maybe our herbal lung and sinus cleanse spray can help…”
ThatViralFeed “Experts Warn About Irreversible 'Popcorn Lung' As Vaping Risks Become Clearer: There’s symptoms everyone should be aware of…”
Updates on who is in charge:
US FDA CTP News:
FDA and CBP Seize Nearly $34 Million Worth of Illegal E-Cigarettes During Joint Operation. “FDA also sent, for the first time, import informational letters to 24 tobacco importers and entry filers responsible for importing these illegal e-cigarettes.”
FDA Educational Efforts Prevented Nearly 450,000 Youth from Starting E-Cigarette Use in One Year. “Adults who smoke should also know that different types of tobacco products exist on a spectrum of health risk, with smoked products such as cigarettes being the most harmful. Adults who fully switch from cigarettes to a lower-risk alternative tobacco product can generally reduce their health risks and exposure to toxic and cancer-causing chemicals.”
Company Faces Suit Over Tobacco Surcharges. “A former employee has filed a proposed class-action lawsuit against Marten Transport Ltd., alleging that the company’s health plan unlawfully charges smokers an additional $780 annually.”
TRADEMARK NEWS: Toys R Us sues Vape R Us alleging intentional copying of trademark. “The famous toy store, Toys R Us, has filed a lawsuit against a vaping retail company and its owner for their alleged “intentional copying” and tarnishing of its brand by using the name “Vape R Us” that includes the distinctive reverse R along with the similar coloring and lettering font. Toys R Us notes too that one variant of signage included Toys R Us’ iconic Geoffrey the Giraffe character “holding a vaping implement.” The complaint alleges trademark dilution, trademark infringement, false designation of origin, and unfair competition.”
Press release: Challenge to state’s vape law dismissed by federal court. “After a months-long court battle, the challengers to Kentucky’s vaping law voluntarily dismissed their federal lawsuit before the U.S. Court of Appeals of the Sixth Circuit.”
Robyn Gougelet - “Indefatigable Annie Kleykamp at @foodanddruglaw presenting on smoking rates amongst older adults (65+) and the potential for harm reduction. Smoking rates have been stagnant, and there’s a misperception that nothing can be done because “they know very well they should quit.”
WA House Republicans - “Senate Bill 5814 increases consumer costs by adding new business taxes and implementing a new tax on Zyn that is higher than the tax on cigarettes and chewing tobacco, despite Zyn being significantly less harmful to health.” (Bill summary)
Jeffrey Weiss - “Yet taxing e-cigarettes or other non-combustible alternatives to cigarettes – often at levels at or close to the levels applied to cigarettes – removes a powerful economic incentive for switching among low income adults. For those who do make the switch despite the lack of any reduction in their spending on nicotine, the same “smoking induced deprivation” remains.”
Pritika C. Kumar, Ph.D. - “…Over 90% of respondents called for clearer, science-based FDA guidance on reduced-risk tobacco and nicotine products….”
Tectonic Shift | Consumers Leave Tobacco Control Behind. Guest: Dr. Charles Gardner
Pack Breakers: Ep. 16 – Harm Reduction Works, It Just Does with GrimmGreen.
What if a billion cigarette smokers vaped instead? (Dr. Mark Tyndall).
Why is tobacco harm reduction such a controversial issue? “I have been working in the field of smoking prevention / cessation for over 30 years, and until a few years ago, the field was pretty consensual. Then, with the arrival of e-cigarettes and later with heated tobacco, the field increasigly became a battlefield with 2 tribes: the pros and the anti-vaping or anti tobacco harm reduction (THR). I want to believe that all the actors in this field want primarily to decrease smoking-related mortality / morbidity and to protect the young from nicotine addiction, but opinions differ sharply on whether and how the new nicotine and tobacco products can achieve these goals. So why is this issue so controversial?”
Swedish government takes a stand - challenging France's pouch ban. “The Swedish government will most likely try to stop the French ban on nicotine pouches. Kammarkollegiet, the national board of trades, has now submitted a proposal for a letter on behalf of the government, which is very similar to the one the government submitted against Spain earlier this year.”
Fake Zyn products spark probe as Reno store sells counterfeit nicotine pouches. “McKinney Specialty Labs in Virginia tested the counterfeit product and found it only contained only 4.5mg of nicotine, contrary to the 6mg advertised. Additionally, the fake product contained six methyl nicotine.”
A Health Philosopher’s Views on Tobacco Harm Reduction. “And some people get very moralistic and say these people are really dumb or irrational. But what you find when you look closer is that smoking is one of the few pleasures that they have in their life, and something that they do for themselves. So there’s this complicated sense of, This is something that is just for me and it feels good. So based on that, the idea of swapping tobacco for vaping is basically giving and keeping that same sense to people, while lessening the harm that they’re at risk of if they carried on smoking.”
Spain’s misguided vaping crackdown reflects dangerous trend as EU eyes new rules. “Bucking this trend, a number of EU countries have however highlighted the excessive nature of Spain’s measures. Italy, Romania and Croatia have notably criticized Madrid for its insufficient consideration of less restrictive regulatory approaches, with Rome and Bucharest describing proposals like the blanket flavours ban as antithetical to public health goals and the principle of proportionality. These member-states recognize that placing the same restrictions on tobacco and vaping products directly threatens smokers' journey to quit tobacco – a position backed by the scientific literature.”
Young men, former smokers most likely to try nicotine pouches, new study shows. “From what we know right now, the nicotine pouches are pretty safe. And they might even be safer than e-cigarettes,” said Palmer. “If people who smoke switched to something like a nicotine pouch, that would be a win for public health.”
Vaping News: The War on Truth. “CAPHRA’s analysis reveals that persistent anti-vaping propaganda, often promoted by influential health bodies, is drowning out mounting scientific evidence supporting tobacco harm reduction. Countries such as the UK and New Zealand, which have embraced evidence-based approaches, are seeing significant declines in smoking rates-yet, according to CAPHRA, much of the world remains gripped by outdated ideology.”
Combating Mis“zyn”formation on Nicotine Pouches. “In 2024, Sweden made history by becoming the first smoke-free country by achieving a smoking rate of less than 5 percent of the adult population. In just 15 years, the country’s smoking rate fell from 15 percent. This feat was made possible not through bans, but through consumer education and cigarette alternatives. Unlike American policymakers, the Swedes understand the importance of harm reduction.”
The Truth Is, There Is Pride In Quitting Smoking With Vapes, Snus & Pouches! “Such rhetoric, intended to inspire, instead ends up politicizing what should be a universal public health concern. Vaping and snus, when regulated and promoted responsibly, are tools that save lives. Their strategic deployment in communities with high smoking rates, including LGBTQ+ populations, is not a moral compromise. It’s science-based policy.”
From Harm Reduction to Harm Reversal? The UK’s Disposable Vape Ban Leaves Users Adrift. “This paradox highlights the growing tension between evolving consumer habits and mounting regulatory restrictions. While interest in longer-term, reusable vaping options has grown—rising from 45% to 53%—users remain hesitant to switch due to perceived complexity. Over 60% of respondents reported feeling intimidated by features like e-liquid refills and coil replacements. The transition to refillables, while environmentally beneficial and cost-effective, is not as straightforward as policymakers might assume.”
Skip Murray y la gentileza radical. “El compromiso absoluto y la determinación inquebrantable de una activista que combate la desinformación sobre la nicotina con una estrategia tan sencilla como revolucionaria: la ternura.”
More news:
SIDELINED SCIENCE | How WHO Turned Its Back on Tobacco Harm Reduction. “Dr. Derek Yach, a lead architect of the WHO’s global tobacco control treaty, reflects on how harm reduction was sidelined by institutional inertia, donor pressure, and deep-rooted distrust. He calls for renewed scientific dialogue, greater nicotine literacy, and an end to the moral panic that falsely equates nicotine with smoking. Despite resistance from the top, consumers are leading the charge by switching in the millions, to safer nicotine products worldwide.” (video)
World No Tobacco Day webinar by WHO: Unmask the appeal of tobacco and nicotine products.
World No Tobacco Day 2025 Awards – meet the winners.
Prohibition Wins Prizes! “Nothing says World No Tobacco Day like rewarding countries which have protected cigarette sales.”
Opinion: WHO Is Wrong on Flavors — It’s Time to Stand Up for Harm Reduction and Common Sense. “This year, the World Health Organization (WHO) is using World No Tobacco Day 2025 to push the go-to ‘anti flavor’ agenda on nicotine products. Huge surprise to no one. The claim is that they’re part of an industry ploy to attract children. The slogan—Bright Product. Dark Intentions. Unmasking the Appeal—is both misleading and dangerous. And the question we ask ourselves: to what end?…Public health isn’t advanced by moral panic. It’s advanced by policy that works.”
Pakistan’s Tobacco Control: Time to Break Free from FCTC Delusion and Prioritize Our People. “Pakistan’s 24M smokers deserve better. THR—via regulated access to safer alternatives—can reduce disease, ease healthcare costs, and boost economic gains. The budget is a chance to prioritize enforcement, cessation, and THR over tax-only fixes.”
EL CHIDIAC: Why does Canada follow UN guidelines in its war on smokers? “But beyond the science lies a deeper, more political problem: the FCTC’s overreach into national sovereignty. As currently structured, the FCTC acts less like a guiding treaty and more like a one-size-fits-all directive. Countries that tailor policies to suit their populations — like Japan with legalizing heat-not-burn products, and snus in Sweden — are often treated as outliers or even troublemakers by FCTC bureaucrats.”
Op-ed: Nicotine, rebellion and the fight to do better for the next generation. “If there’s a compromise to strike, let’s strike it.”
Final thoughts…
Today, I am grateful for all of you on this journey with me. Here is one of the many reasons why - and of course, it involves telling a story.
While on my way to DC, I had a 5-plus-hour wait at the MSP airport. I found a quiet place to sit by the windows, put on my noise-cancelling headphones, and watched music videos because I was struggling to regulate my emotions and didn’t want to let anxiety get the best of me. I was rocking in my chair to the music. Rocking is a stim for me, and it helps me calm myself.
The sweetest little boy tapped my arm and asked to hear the music. He broke out in song and knew all the words! He asked about the rocking, and I told him I love music and mentioned I’m autistic and rocking is a stim. He ran off to talk to his Dad. The Mom came over to me and hugged me out of the blue! She had tears in her eyes and thanked me for making it OK for her son to be himself.
I didn’t understand what she meant and thought it was about his singing. She whispered to me so he couldn’t hear her and said he knows the words to many songs. Music is his only interest in life. He’s been struggling in school, and they had him tested. The day before going to the airport, they received his diagnosis; he is autistic. They hadn’t told him yet, because they weren’t sure what to say or how to keep the conversation positive.
My living my life as “me” rocking away to something I love in public, while traveling alone to speak at a conference, was what she needed to help her see that his future will still be bright. As they left to board their plane, I sat there stunned and in tears. Happy I was helpful, and grateful to my good friends, who have helped me be brave enough to go to conferences and have helped me learn to be OK to be “me” in public, instead of what I think people want me to be.
Together, we helped those parents start a new journey for their little boy, and I am hopeful he will be spared from some of the awful experiences I grew up with because I wasn’t diagnosed, accepted, or supported.
Notes:
I create these newsletters as a personal project. They are not affiliated with any current or past employers or groups with which I volunteer. 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).