New Year, New Regulations, and Big Government’s Attempts to Block Tobacco Harm Reduction

A new year and new resolutions. [...] for many smokers the beginning of a new year marks a resolution to quit smoking. This particular resolution is difficult. A 2016 study from the UK’s Royal Society for Public Health (RSPH) reported that “quitting smoking is the most difficult resolution to keep,” and that among Brits who reported making a resolution to quit smoking, “41% kept this for a month, [and] 13% [stuck] with it after a year.” A study from the University of Scranton found “only 8 percent of people who make resolutions [to quit smoking] meet their goal.”

2021-01-14
insidesources.com

Leaving No Smoker Behind – a free London South Bank University seminar

On Tuesday, 19 January 2021 between 14:00 – 16:30 GMT, London South Bank University is hosting a free online seminar titled ‘Leaving No Smoker Behind’. Smoking prevalence rates are disproportionately high amongst those who are homeless, have poor mental health and/or are dependent on substances. What can be done to change this? Speakers include Martin Dockrell (Tobacco Control Lead for Public Health England), Professor Lynne Dawkins (London South Bank University), Dr Allison Ford (University of Stirling), Dr Deborah Robson (Kings College, London), Louise Ross (National Centre for Smoking Cessation Training) and Robin Burgess (CEO of Hope and Hope Enterprises). Register for the event here 

2021-01-14
eventbrite.co.uk

The effect of e-cigarettes on smoking cessation and cigarette smoking initiation: An evidence-based rapid review and meta-analysis

The contribution made by e-cigarettes to smoking cessation continues to be controversial. Reports suggest that teenagers are becoming increasingly addicted to e-cigarettes and that e-cigarette use in adolescents is associated with subsequent cigarette smoking. [...] Low certainty evidence suggests that e-cigarettes appear to be potentially effective for smoking cessation. The use of e-cigarettes in adolescents may be associated with smoking initiation. No serious adverse events were reported.

2021-01-14
tobaccoinduceddiseases.org

WHO Doesn’t Help You Quit Smoking

New Year resolutions always include commitments to quit smoking. Most people fail not for want of trying but for want of options that can help them. Our interventions to date are not good enough. Will the World Health Organization’s (WHO) campaign to help 100 million people quit tobacco [...] make a difference? Is the WHO willing to embrace new methods and emerging scientific data to course correct and in the process save millions of lives? Unfortunately, most of the countries listed as priorities for this campaign have yet to include NRTs in their national drug formularies despite WHO having included it in the Essential Drug list way back [...]

2021-01-14
businessworld.in

CBP, FDA Seize Counterfeit, Unauthorized E-Cigarettes

U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers at the Dallas Fort Worth International Airport working in conjunction with agents from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration announced [...] that they have seized 33,681 units of e-cigarettes with a Manufacturer’s Suggested Retail Price of $719,453. “Many counterfeit, unapproved or unauthorized products are likely produced in unregulated facilities with unverified ingredients posing a serious health concern to consumers. It is especially alarming when these types of counterfeit and unauthorized products find their way into the hands of children as studies indicate,” said CBP Port Director Timothy Lemaux. [...]

2021-01-14
fda.gov

City Of Alexandria Launches Vaping Prevention Campaign To Encourage Youth To Stay Substance-Free

The City of Alexandria, in collaboration with the Substance Abuse Prevention Coalition of Alexandria (SAPCA), has launched a vaping prevention social media campaign featuring six short videos created by Alexandria teens to raise awareness of the dangers of e-cigarette use and encourage youth to stay substance-free. "E-cigarette" is an umbrella term for a variety of devices, including vape pens, that produce an inhalable aerosol containing thousands of harmful chemicals. Many e-cigarettes also contain nicotine, the addictive substance found in tobacco products.

2021-01-14
patch.com