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

[kristin]

Lawmakers are over-taxing, banning and severely regulating #vaping and other novel smoke-free products with the potential to save millions of lives -- all while the FDA continues to authorize new marketing applications for deadly cigarettes.
No joke. Just fools.

#TakeDownTobacco #AprilFools

 

[kristin]

We were about to tackle this article, but then we saw that American Vapor Manufacturers (@VaporAmerican) already has a must-read takedown on X (formerly Twitter) that actually forced USA Today to make some (but not all) corrections of the blatant disinformation.

 

[kristin]

This Forbes article about a recent study has several issues, including misleading statements about EVALI and "popcorn lung," neither of which have been linked to nicotine #vaping. However, we're focusing on statements about the study itself.

First, researchers claim e-cigs increased the risk of heart failure by 19% if they vaped nicotine "AT ANY POINT in their lives." The absurdity of this should be obvious. This means they linked heart failure to vaping even if the person vaped only a few times many years ago.

Second, they claim they "found no evidence that participants' age, sex or smoking status modified the relationship between e-cigarettes and heart failure." Nor did alcohol use.

This is a red flag, because most of those factors alone can raise the risk of heart failure!

Third, the AVERAGE age of the subjects was 52 years old and 60.5% were women. The risk of HFpEF is very low in people under 55 and risk increases by age. There is also a higher occurrence of HFpEF in women. Surveys show that most vapers are under age 45 and more are male.

Finally, other articles about the study (see: Study links e-cigarette use with higher risk of heart failure) reveal that researchers admit that "the study's prospective observational design allows them to INFER, but NOT CONCLUSIVELY DETERMINE, a causal relationship between e-cigarette use and heart failure."

Vaping Health Risks: Study Suggests Nearly 20% Increased Threat Of Heart Disease From E-Cigarette Use

Over six million Americans experienced heart failure in 2020, and that number is estimated to increase to 8.5 million by 2030.

www.forbes.com

 

[kristin]

Tobacco Harm Reduction expert Dr., Brad Rodu, along with his co-authors Dr. Plurphanswat and Dr. Selya, thoroughly debunked a study claiming a link between #vaping and heart attacks (not the same one we covered in an earlier post,) chiding the author for making "erroneous claims" and overstating the association.

Questionable Effects of Electronic Cigarette Use on Cardiovascular Diseases From the National Health Interview Survey (NHIS, 2014-2021)

Background: Electronic cigarettes (e-cigarettes) and cardiovascular health risks have gained attention among tobacco researchers. While the cardiovascular risks from e-cigarettes are still unclear, a recent paper by Alzahrani in Cureus claimed that current usage of e-cigarettes increases the...

www.cureus.com

 

[kristin]

Study finds that dual use decreased as the e-cigarette market expanded and #vaping products improved. Real-world trends indicate people who use nicotine vapes are now more likely to stop smoking altogether rather than continuing to both smoke and vape. This is a significant finding, because anti-vaping groups have long held onto dual use as one reason to oppose supporting the products.

E-cigarette users now more likely to quit traditional cigarettes

<p>A new paper in <em>Nicotine & Tobacco Research</em> finds that smokers who switch to electronic cigarettes are now more likely to stop smoking regular cigarettes. In the past, smokers who began using electronic cigarettes mostly continued smoking.</p>

www.eurekalert.org

 

[kristin]

From 2011-2021, smoking dropped from 19.4% to 11.7% among black US adults (20.6% to 12.9% among white US adults) WITHOUT a menthol ban, but WITH the availability of menthol and other flavored #vaping products -- which these folks ALSO want to see banned.

https://www.cnn.com/2024/04/02/health/menthol-tobacco-fda-lawsuit/index.html/

 

[kristin]

CALLS TO ACTION
There are currently OVER 30 Calls to Action on the CASAA website! These include sales bans, flavor bans and excessive taxes on #vaping products.

Do you know what's happening in YOUR state? Check your state page now and take action!

https://casaa.org/get-involved/state-locator/

 

[kristin]

IOWA CALL TO ACTION
UPDATE
The focus of this CTA is now on SF 2402, which is MOVING QUICKLY in the Senate! This bill would deny adults access to thousands of lower risk #vaping products, shut down small businesses and take away hundreds of jobs!

TAKE ACTION NOW: https://casaa.org/call-to-action/iowa-stop-a-big-tobacco-protection-act/

 

[kristin]

FTC just issued its 3rd #vaping product sales & advertising report, which uses 2020-2021 data of products mostly sold in convenience stores. Surely those numbers haven't changed at all in 4 YEARS? And what about open system products sold in vape shops?‍

FTC Issues Third Report on E-Cigarette Advertising and Sales in the U.S.

The Federal Trade Commission today issued its third report on e-cigarette sales and advertising nationwide, which shows that the

www.ftc.gov

 

[kristin]

VERMONT CALL TO ACTION
UPDATE
Thank you Governor Phil Scott for doing the right thing and vetoing the flavor ban bill!

Gov. Scott wrote:
"I too feel we have an obligation to protect our children, but it must be balanced in such a way that we honor the rights and freedoms of adults to make decisions about their individual lives."

"From my perspective, this bill is inconsistent with other laws related to legal substance use." (ie. flavored cannabis, alcohol)

"People lose faith in government when policies have these types of inconsistencies, because they contradict common sense."

"I'm not convinced the in-state prohibition of flavored tobacco, e-liquids and tobacco substitutes only, is justified when sales will remain online, and when State law plainly encourages sales of other unhealthy adult products to continue."

Also note, the American Heart Association representative in Vermont, Tina Zuk, is lying in this article about the veto when she says middle school kids "are the largest growing group of vape users." The most recent data (2021) shows 16% of VT high school students vape vs. only 5% in middle school.

She also claimed "There is no legal substance that is more addictive and enticing to kids than nicotine.” Yet 5% of middle school teens drank alcohol, which is both addictive and causes thousands of deaths annually. No teen deaths have ever been conclusively linked to nicotine vaping!

READ ARTICLE: Scott veto of Vermont’s flavored-tobacco ban reignites debate

The legislature still has an opportunity to override the veto, so watch our Call to Action for possible future updates!

CALL TO ACTION: https://casaa.org/call-to-action/vermont-stop-a-flavor-ban/

 

[kristin]

Disregarding the health of adults who smoke/vape, Maryland lawmakers quietly slipped anti-THR tax raises into the budget bill. The open system/bottled e-liquid #vaping product tax rose from 12% to 20% and other smoke-free products rose from 53% to 60%.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/dc-md-va/2024/04/03/maryland-budget-tobacco-tax/

 

[somdcomputerguy]

Maryland lawmakers quietly slipped anti-THR tax raises into the budget bill.

I miss both the people and the land (and water) of southern Maryland, and I lived and worked in the metro area of northern VA, MD, and DC itself; I sure am glad I don't live there anymore though.

 

[kristin]

Ms. Zornes, Health educator for Lawrence County (OH) Health Department, writes: "According to the CDC, adult e-cigarette use rose from 3.7 percent in 2020 to 6 percent in 2022. This may be due to the suggested message by big tobacco companies that e-cigarettes are less dangerous than traditional cigarettes.”

Except many health groups, including the CDC, agree they're less dangerous:

READ ARTICLE: Think you know what’s in your vape? Think again. - The Tribune

 

[somdcomputerguy]

Ms. Zornes, Health educator for Lawrence County (OH) Health Department, writes: "According to the CDC, adult e-cigarette use rose from 3.7 percent in 2020 to 6 percent in 2022. This may be due to the suggested message by big tobacco companies that e-cigarettes are less dangerous than traditional cigarettes.”

Except many health groups, including the CDC, agree they're less dangerous:

READ ARTICLE: Think you know what’s in your vape? Think again. - The Tribune

I sure hope cherry trees everywhere aren't ill affected too much with the excessive picking going on.

 

[kristin]

CASAA NEWS BLOG
Gov. Scott vetoed a bill that would have banned #vaping flavors. OH health director “blames” Big Tobacco for people switching to vapes. VA lawmakers clueless about FDA actions. MD lawmakers sneak vape tax into budget & more!

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casaa.org

 

[kristin]

UPDATE
Governor Any Beshear signed House Bill 11 into law, making Kentucky the sixth state with a PMTA registry law. These laws will have dire consequences for adult consumers seeking safer alternatives to smoking! It will take effect Jan. 1, 2025.

https://vaping360.com/vape-news/7239/kentucky-governor-signs-pmta-registry-bill/

 

[kristin]

They always ignore the GOOD NEWS -- like what's happened to DEADLY SMOKING in both groups! And how many of these teens and young adults would otherwise be SMOKING in the absence of vaping?

Also, if "ALMOST half...started vaping before they turned 18," that means OVER HALF started AFTER they turned 18.

https://www.npr.org/sections/health...-young-adults-college-quitting-health-effects

 

[kristin]

"Neither agency should be rewarded with additional funding while they fail at both informing the public of reduced-risk tobacco products and properly regulating the marketplace for adult access."
~ Lindsey Stroud

CDC, FDA Want Millions To Push Their Nicotine Misinformation

Neither agency should be rewarded with more funds while they fail at regulating the marketplace and informing people of tobacco alternatives.

thefederalist.com

 

[kristin]

Several cities in Ohio are suing because state lawmakers chose to follow the science and data to prevent unjustified city vape bans, thereby protecting the health of adult residents from losing access to safer alternatives to deadly cigarettes.

https://spectrumnews1.com/oh/cleveland/news/2024/04/10/ohio-cities-lawsuit-tobacco-law

 

[kristin]

UPDATE

Vermont Senate President Phil Baruth said Thursday that they have no intention to try to override Governor Scott's veto of the flavor ban. Lawmakers then voted to send the bill back to committee (so stay tined -- this may come back again.)

Vt. Senate won’t try to override governor’s veto of flavored tobacco ban

The Vermont Senate will not try to override Gov. Phil Scott's veto of a ban on flavored tobacco.

www.wcax.com