HEADS UP - NEWS - UPDATES! (When we know, you'll know!)

[kristin]

We must keep calling out misleading news stories such as this one by WAFF48 in Alabama. They not only falsely claim EVALI is "infectious," but also fail to mention it was linked to vitamin E acetate in illicit THC vapes NOT to any ingredients in nicotine e-cigs. It’s unconscionable that CDC has allowed this misinformation to continue years later!

EVALI: Harmful ingredients in e-cigarettes cause permanent lung damage.

Learn how use of vape products can cause permanent damage.

www.waff.com

 

[kristin]

Patients face rising stigma when diagnosed with lung cancer and smoking-related diseases that is associated with poorer psychosocial outcomes, including distress and isolation, delayed help-seeking, and concerns about the quality of care.

Stigmatization of smoking-related diseases is a barrier to care, and the problem may be on the rise

The stigma that patients face when diagnosed with lung cancer is associated with poorer psychosocial outcomes, including distress and isolation, delayed help-seeking, and concerns about the quality of care, according to research presented today at the International Association for the Study of...

medicalxpress.com

 

[kristin]

Quick fact check of yet another article filled with misinformation and lies:
- vaping is NOT "marketed as healthy" or "safe."
- Current scientific evidence DOES support vaping helps people quit smoking. They should look at studies beyond 2021.
- Adolescents are NOT "likely to transition from vaping to smoking cigarettes."
- e-Cigarettes have NOT "been found to hurt heart and lung health" NOR have they contributed "to the hospitalization of 3,000 people in 2019." That was EVALI linked to illicit THC vapes.

When it comes to tobacco, truly healthy alternatives are a myth | Guest Commentary

Guest Commentary: With a Fiscal Responsibility Amendment in the Constitution, citizens could determine how much government they want and are willing to pay.

santamariatimes.com

 

[kristin]

This study does NOT show "whether stress caused an increase in vaping, or whether vaping increased experiences of stress, or if another factor led to an increase in both."

However, according to the NIH website, "Stress is a well-known risk factor in the development of addiction." So…maybe someone would tell these researchers that “well-known” fact and they shouldn’t be trying to blame the vaping?

Young people who vape more likely to report chronic stress

Young people who have used e-cigarettes are more than twice as likely to report experiencing chronic stress, according to research presented at the European Respiratory Society International Congress in Milan, Italy.

www.eurekalert.org

 

[kristin]

"Based on the evidence that nicotine e‑cigarettes are an effective tobacco harm reduction tool, it is not unreasonable to ask if the DC Department of Health’s anti‐vaping campaign should be classified as DISINFORMATION."

https://www.cato.org/blog/dc-department-health-embarks-disinformation-campaign-snuff-out-tobacco-harm-reduction

 

[kristin]

Note the new endgame language: "CRACKDOWN ON tobacco and nicotine ADDICTION." This is very stigmatizing to consumers of these products rather than addressing the actual health risks that come from use – which are nearly all from SMOKING. Whatever happened to the noble and far more realistic goal of "reducing disease and premature death due to SMOKING?"

 

[kristin]

University at Buffalo researchers compared abstinence rates between 2 groups using data from 1,329 pregnant women through the U.S. Pregnancy Risk Assessment Monitoring System (2016 - 2020). They found those using e-cigarettes before pregnancy were MORE LIKELY TO ABSTAIN FROM SMOKING later in pregnancy.

People who used e-cigarettes before pregnancy were more likely to stop smoking than those using nicotine replacement therapy

Researchers have found that people using e-cigarettes before pregnancy were more likely than those using nicotine replacement therapy to abstain from smoking later in pregnancy.

www.buffalo.edu

 

[kristin]

Cochrane Report:
E-cigs, varenicline and cytisine were most likely to help people quit smoking. For every 100 people, e-cigs led the pack with up to 19 likely to quit smoking by using them; cytisine with up to 18 likely to quit and varenicline with up to 16 likely to quit. Only 6 in 100 people are likely to quit when using no medicine/e-cigs or placebo.

How effective are medications and e-cigarettes for quitting smoking, and what works best?

www.cochrane.org

 

[kristin]

COP10 delegates from the US (really EVERY country) should show the same backbone as the UK delegation and tell the WHO where they can stuff their anti-THR policies -- especially regarding banning adult access to affordable and appealing #vaping products!

WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control

Department of Health and Social Care written question – answered 11 September 2023

www.theyworkforyou.com

 

[kristin]

This article by Dr. Poulikidis Hackensack Meridian Health is about as BAD as it gets. He gives readers the FALSE IMPRESSION that nicotine e-cigs cause EVALI (without mentioning the true cause: illicit THC vapes,) then states there’s a “link” between vaping and popcorn lung, lipoid pneumonia and primary spontaneous pneumothorax (collapsed lungs.)

However, the “links” he speaks of are so weak that they may as well be non-existent. There have been no reported cases of popcorn lung from vaping, nor have any of the cases of vapers with lipoid pneumonia or primary spontaneous pneumothorax been CONFIRMED to have been caused by the vaping. In fact, lipoid pneumonia is linked to inhaling fats/oils not found in vapor products and the cases of primary spontaneous pneumothorax occurred in young people who were already at high risk for the condition (ie. tall and thin) even if they weren’t vaping!

Signs Vaping May Be Causing You Long Term Damage | HMH NJ

Because e-cigarettes don’t produce smoke like cigarettes do, some people think they’re safe. But using e-cigarettes (vaping) has been shown to also damage the lungs. Here are the signs to look out for.

www.hackensackmeridianhealth.org

 

[kristin]

Researchers conclude snus use "entails a cancer hazard where the magnitude of cancer risk may be affected by user history and the susceptibility of the host." Of course, they didn’t take HARM REDUCTION into consideration. Many snus users in Sweden would likely be smoking if snus wasn’t an option, which would have not only the much higher risk of these same cancers, but also all of the much more deadly risks of inhaling SMOKE.

A pretty lackluster conclusion. This review also included some dubious studies – especially the ones about pancreatic cancer – neither of which controlled for important variables including alcohol consumption and diabetes. (See this study review: “Snus: a compelling harm reduction alternative to cigarettes” Snus: a compelling harm reduction alternative to cigarettes - Harm Reduction Journal)

Study shows link between the tobacco product snus and cancer – researcher points out that the numbers are small

A new study shows that there is a link between snus and deadly cancer. However, Norwegian Institute of Public Health (NIPH) researcher Tord Vedøy points out that the numbers are small.

sciencenorway.no

 

[kristin]

Well, this tweet blew our minds:



Here’s a paper published in BioMed Central that backs it up:

"Treating several individuals suffering from post-COVID-19 syndrome (AKA "Long COVID") with a nicotine patch application, we witnessed improvements ranging from immediate and substantial to complete remission in a matter of days."

Is the post-COVID-19 syndrome a severe impairment of acetylcholine-orchestrated neuromodulation that responds to nicotine administration? - Bioelectronic Medicine

Following a SARS-CoV-2 infection, many individuals suffer from post-COVID-19 syndrome. It makes them unable to proceed with common everyday activities due to weakness, memory lapses, pain, dyspnea and other unspecific physical complaints. Several investigators could demonstrate that the...

bioelecmed.biomedcentral.com

 

[kristin]

One of the most poignant statements we’ve seen about the state of tobacco harm reduction, as told by advocate and Michigan shop owner Marc Slis.

A couple in their 70’s came into his shop and told him how they make their own e-liquid and “have several years of supplies, including frozen nicotine and plenty of backup hardware.”

Marc goes on to explain, “This is the reality of smoking cessation in the United States today. A couple in their late 70's acting like doomsday preppers because US tobacco control policy, practically dictated by Gates, Bloomberg and the pharmaceutical industry, puts them at risk of returning to smoking.”

 

[kristin]

If the FDA’s Center for Tobacco Products "rapid surveillance and a data-driven approach" considers this old-school device as a "youth-appealing" product, then what WOULDN'T it consider "youth-appealing?" It's patently absurd to believe these products are popular with anyone other than older vapers.

FDA "Youth-Appealing" Warnings Include Basic Kanger Vape Pen

The FDA sent warning letters to 14 more online sellers of disposable vapes, and also to one Chinese manufacturer for wholesale offerings.

vaping360.com

 

[kristin]

CASAA BLOG
What FDA's "rapid surveillance and a data-driven approach" absurdly considers a "youth-appealing" vaping product. UK says they will defy WHO COP10 anti-vaping directives. Fact-checking media misinformation. Some surprising new research. D.C. disinformation. CASAA Live replay and more!

What FDA 'Surveillance' Absurdly Says Youth Are Vaping & More!

What FDA's "surveillance" absurdly says youth are vaping. UK will defy WHO. Some surprising new research. CASAA Live replay and more!

casaa.org

 

[kristin]

A long read that's worth the time!

"What should have been a relatively simple scientific question became transmuted into a moral campaign."

"There is the well-known tendency among those who favor a particular hypothesis to “cherry-pick” the data."

Dogmatism, Data, and Public Health

A look back on the 2003 BMJ controversy over passive smoking and mortality.

quillette.com

 

[kristin]

She was so addicted to nicotine that she could only quit by...reading a book (essentially promotes "cold turkey") and throwing away her vape. Did it ever occur to her that maybe it was so easy BECAUSE she'd switched to vaping before trying to quit?

I thought vaping was my pleasure but a book showed me it was a tyranny. With one leap, I was free | Isolde Walters

I had 20 nicotine obsessed years: first cigarettes and then the plastic alternative. I came to realise it wasn’t a want: it was a need, says freelance writer Isolde Walters

www.theguardian.com

 

[kristin]

Check out this op-ed in The Buffalo News by CASAA CEO Alex Clark!

"It’s time for experts to update their priorities – and ensure that efforts to prevent kids from habitually using nicotine don’t undermine the fight to get adults off traditional cigarettes."

Another Voice: Time to quit the harmful narratives around vaping

Though teen vaping is declining the hype isn't, which is hurting adults who use vaping to quit smoking.

buffalonews.com

 

[kristin]

CASAA CEO Alex Clark (@Hello_Alex) took part in a panel discussion during the thirteenth annual conference of The Global Tobacco and Nicotine Forum (GTNF) held last night. Below are the tweets from @thegtnf highlighting Alex's comments as he spoke:

@Hello_Alex of @CASAAmedia talks about the flavour ban in parts of the US. The ban has pushed a number of vaping shops to turn their focus to cannabis. #GTNF #ChangeTheOutcome

@Hello_Alex warns that the @FDATobacco did not understand and still doesn't the size of the vaping market with as much as half of it unregulated.

@Hello_Alex says that the impact of heavy handed regulation is driving people to the illicit market and denying smokers the choice to try less harmful products.

@Hello_Alex: walking into #GTNF its great to see the focus on consumers and their demands/needs. To shift the language enables better engagement with smokers and regulators. "We want to have good healthy lives".

@Hello_Alex: the US should adopt a system of regulation far closer to the UK. A system that encourages vaping shops and choice.

@Hello_Alex: our message to regulators must be if we are really in this to improve the health of smokers, then we must have a system that gives adult smokers real choice and viable alternatives. #GTNF #ChangeTheOutcome

 

[kristin]

The survey asked respondents whether they had ever used an e-cigarette, how many days during the previous 30-day period they had used one, and whether they had EVER been told they had asthma by a health care professional.

This means that it's entirely possible that a significant number of the respondents had asthma BEFORE they even started vaping.

Researchers Find Association Between Vaping And Asthma Among US Adolescents

The study highlights a need for strategies to tackle the increasing prevalence of e-cigarette use and its adverse health effects.

today.tamu.edu