Despite being banned, Big Tobacco is still on social media

Big Tobacco likes to stay ahead of the curve – to survive, it has to. Its fundamental problem is that one in two of its long-term users die from tobacco-related diseases. To hook a new generation into addiction, it has to try every advertising and marketing trick in its playbook. And it has to be innovative. As one ex-marketing consultant remarked: “The problem, is how do you sell death?” He said the industry did it with great open spaces, such as mountains and lakes. They did it with healthy young people and iconic images. [...]

2020-02-04
independent.co.uk

Many countries regulate e-cigarettes. South Africa should too

Opinions differ on how to regulate electronic cigarettes. But dozens of countries are taking action. In Africa, Kenya already taxes these products, and South Africa is preparing to follow. E-cigarettes don’t contain tobacco, which has harmful health effects. But they often contain highly addictive nicotine and have their own negative health risks. [...] E-cigarettes are unregulated in the country, yet their marketing and sale is proliferating on online platforms. This suggests that the number of e-cigarette consumers in South Africa is likely to grow in line with global trends.

2020-02-04
theconversation.com

JTI’s menthol cigar an attempt evade UK ban, say campaigners

Japan Tobacco, the maker of Camel cigarettes outside the US, has launched a cigarette-sized menthol cigar in the UK that campaigners say is an attempt to evade an impending ban on flavoured cigarettes. The Sterling Dual Capsule cigarillo is the same size as a normal cigarette but is classified as a cigar-type product as it is wrapped in tobacco leaf. [...] “The tobacco manufacturers pay vast sums of money to delay implementation of anti-tobacco laws and, once legislation is in place, to try to find loopholes. This is just the latest example, and the government must act quickly to put a stop to it,” said Deborah Arnott, [...]

2020-02-04
ft.com

Ontario to ban flavoured vaping products from being sold in convenience stores

The Ontario government is moving to ban most flavoured vaping products from convenience stores and gas stations and cap nicotine levels in a bid to prevent young people from using e-cigarettes. The new rules won’t apply to specialty adult-only vape shops, which require proof of age to make a purchase, and sell only vaping products. Those stores will still be able to sell a variety of flavoured products and e-cigarettes with higher nicotine content.

2020-02-04
theglobeandmail.com

Study finds vaping prevention program significantly reduces use in middle school students

In response to the youth vaping crisis, experts at The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston (UTHealth) developed CATCH My Breath, a program to prevent electronic cigarette use among fifth - 12th grade students. Research published in Public Health Reports reveals the program significantly reduces the likelihood of e-cigarette use among students who complete the curriculum. "This program was created to address the youth vaping crisis and to reverse the growing trend of e-cigarette use among adolescents," said Steven H. Kelder, [...] study's lead author.

2020-02-04
eurekalert.org

Smokers decline, vapers rise

The American Lung Association has released its annual “State of Tobacco Control” report cards, and North Carolina is one of just three states to receive Fs in all five categories. The report card’s Wednesday release coincided with other recent developments in the ongoing battle between big tobacco and the agencies trying to put an end to tobacco and nicotine use, especially the current vaping epidemic that is affecting so many young people, even here in Haywood County.

2020-02-04
themountaineer.com