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[TEN Facts That Everyone Gets Wrong About Vaping]
[UP IN SMOKE: Is the vape shop boom about to end?]
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[FDA Oversight of E-Cigarettes Opposed by Tobacco Industry]
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[Blowing smoke? E-cigarettes might help smokers quit, study says]
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[Tests show bootleg marijuana vapes tainted with hydrogen cyanide]
[FROM: vaping360.com: 9 Pros and Cons of Vaping You Need to Know]
[Health Canada ‘actively monitoring’ U.S. vaping illness breakthrough]
[USA NEWS: FDA will require e-cigarettes and contents to be reviewed]
[Electronic Cigarettes - Vaping Explained]
[Article: "Is vaping smoking?"]
[Vaping Weed: How Safe Is It?]
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[Gentili: Vaping isn’t the demon Canada’s health sector wants you to think it is]
[Vape shops will be able to advertise more freely thanks to Quebec court ruling]
[The Movement to Completely Change the "Way You Get High" - By Cece Lederer]
[CBC Article: Parliament passes plain tobacco packaging law and regulates vaping]
[Vaping industry says federal government's move to regulate e-cigarettes long overdue]
[Sen. Schumer calls for feds to recall e-cigarettes after two are injured by exploding devices]
TRANSLATION
10 Facts That Everyone Gets Wrong About Vaping
Posted: November 19, 2014
About a year ago, a couple of good friends invited me to help them run a vape shop and eventual e-juice manufacturer in my hometown (Louisville, Colorado). We in this industry believe vaping to be potentially enormously beneficial to public health, and we've been dismayed to see it take a pretty stern beating in the public arena. This, along with the FDA's recent ruling in favor of strict regulation and all of the various local ordinances popping up, have prompted me to action.
[Ed. note: The author of this piece works in the vape industry and therefore does have a vested interest. Knowing that, we're running this because we largely agree with the points made here. There are also plenty of valid arguments against e-cigs and vaping, which you can and should read here.]
5. Two Completely Different Products Are Referred To As "E-Cigs"
When most people think of an electronic cigarette, they think of the product pictured above on the far left. They look like regular ("analog") cigarettes, you buy them at a gas station, and (if you buy Vuze or Blu, the two most popular brands) they are made by tobacco companies— Imperial Tobacco and RJ Reynolds, respectively. The cartridges in these come pre-filled, and must be replaced with new cartridges. They have very limited flavor selections, and are ostensibly a simple—perhaps healthier—replacement for cigarettes.
Yet despite their impressive sales numbers, the vast majority of those who permanently quit smoking in favor of vaping do not use them. My store doesn't even carry them. In fact, no vape shops do—just gas stations and convenience stores.
In an actual vape shop, you'll find products like those in the middle (commonly referred to as APVs—Advanced Personal Vaporizers—or "Vape Pens") and on the right ("Vape Mods"). APVs (most made by Chinese companies like Innokin) contain electronics allowing the user to regulate the power level, produce a moderate amount of vapor, and are generally priced under $100. Mods (mostly made by American companies like Surefire or various small Greek and Filipino companies) are for use with user-rebuildable atomizers, can potentially produce tons of vapor, and can be quite expensive.
Users are typically introduced to vaping with the mass-market products on the left, move to the middle for a more satisfying vape (as the analog imitators are very high nicotine and low vapor), and end up on the right when they really start wanting more flavor and less nicotine (more on that shortly). This is likely why, as sales of mods or "open system" devices have increased, sales of disposables have plummeted (and why tobacco companies that make disposables would rather mods just go away altogether).
This is important because lawmakers and the media absolutely do not differentiate between the two products, yet there is a world of difference. When they claim that "nobody knows what's in these things," it makes me wonder exactly what things they're talking about, since . . .
4. E-Liquid Ingredients Are Not A Mystery
My title at my company is Juicemaster General. I know, it's an awesome title—I made it up. It means that I am responsible for every bottle of e-liquid that leaves one of our wholesale customers' shelves, and I make 95 percent of it myself by hand. There are only four ingredients, and we did not find a single one of them on the surface of the Moon.
E-liquid begins with the main base, vegetable glycerin. We (and most other manufacturers) use certified organic VG—the glycerin doesn't carry flavor very well, but does produce a lot of vapor. The next ingredient is propylene glycol—this is usually cited by alarmists as being a "main ingredient in antifreeze." This is incorrect, as they're willfully confusing it with diethylene glycol, which has actually been found in mass market e-cig products. I absolutely do not add any of that to my liquid because I do not make antifreeze.
Propylene glycol—or PG—is a main ingredient in albuterol, or asthma inhalers, and is perfectly safe to inhale when vaporized. PG is thinner than VG, and carries flavor very well—the next ingredient, flavorings, are usually suspended in PG. Flavorings are food-grade, can be natural or artificial, and are limited only by the imagination of the juice maker.
A note about these ingredients—the "we don't know what's in these things" arguments dissolve in the face of numerous studies like these, showing that not only do we understand completely what's in these things, but we also have a solid understanding of their (negligible) toxicity when vaporized.
The final ingredient is pharmaceutical-grade nicotine, and all juice manufacturers make their product available in varying nicotine strengths. They range from ridiculous (up to 36 milligrams per milliliter—basically a Lucky Strike with the filter ripped off) all the way down to nothing at all. That's right, zero. So what's the point of selling a "tobacco product" with no nicotine, you ask?
3. Many Vapors Use Very Little To No Nicotine
You may be tempted to think I'm full of crap, but our sales figures don't lie: In our business, e-liquid in very low to zero nicotine strength (6 mg per ml and below) outsells medium-to-high strengths (12 mg and above) by better than a two-to-one margin. Also, considering that literally every single e-liquid manufacturer offers zero-nicotine liquid—and at least one makes only that—it's safe to say that there would be no supply if the demand did not exist. I personally had quit smoking for two years before I started vaping, and I use zero-nicotine liquid daily.
There are reasons for this. Most users start off at a high nicotine level when they are still getting off of analog cigarettes. When a beginner graduates to a device that produces more vapor, they don't need as high a concentration of nicotine to be satisfied. Then, they may want to further "step down" (decrease the nicotine strength) once they find that high nicotine actually screws with the flavor of an e-liquid. Simply put, the less nicotine you use, the better your liquid will taste and, despite what media pundits seem to think, it turns out that even adults like things that taste good.
And I don't mean "kid-friendly" flavors like watermelon and blueberry—although I do have a good blueberry vape if that's your bag. One of our blends is an extremely complex mixture of oatmeal, rum, raisin, and anise. Another is an ice-blue, damn near unidentifiable tart-sweet menthol blend called Heisenberg. We're not going for the kiddie market here.
You may be picking up that I'm referencing the many, many media assertions that we're "targeting" children—trying to hook in kids with sweet flavors, and maybe even get them smoking. Say, did you know that . . .
2. The Vapor Is Far Less Harmful Than Cigarette Smoke
The average person has probably heard two things about the vapor produced by electronic cigarettes: either it's perfectly harmless, or it's worse than cigarettes, forest fires, and nuclear explosions combined. You've probably heard more than once that "not enough studies have been done."
Here's where my job as author of this article gets really easy. In case you don't have time to read the linked studies in their entirety, allow me to quote:
A 2012 Greek study entitled Acute effects of using an electronic nicotine-delivery device on myocardial function: comparison with regular cigarettes: "Absence of combustion and different chemical composition, leading to less toxic chemicals created and absorbed . . . electronic cigarettes may be a safer alternative to tobacco cigarettes."
A 2012 research paper entitled Levels of selected carcinogens and toxicants in vapor from electronic cigarettes: "We found that the e-cigarette vapors contained some toxic substances. The levels of the toxicants were 9–450 times lower than in cigarette smoke and were, in many cases, comparable with trace amounts found in the reference product . . . our findings are consistent with the idea that substituting tobacco cigarettes with e-cigarettes may substantially reduce exposure to selected tobacco-specific toxicants. E-cigarettes as a harm reduction strategy among smokers unwilling to quit, warrants further study."
A 2012 study entitled Comparison of the effects of e-cigarette vapor and cigarette smoke on indoor air quality: "For all byproducts measured, electronic cigarettes produce very small exposures relative to tobacco cigarettes. The study indicates no apparent risk to human health from e-cigarette emissions based on the compounds analyzed."
You may not have realized this had been studied so extensively, and I could link to many more. I'd like to draw attention to that last study, however—the one focusing specifically on "secondhand" vapor. The first inroads being made into legislating our industry are arguing that vaping should be restricted to the same areas as smoking as the vapor isn't safe. Across the board in our industry, though, the feeling is that . . .
1. Vaping Does Help Smokers Quit
As our industry continues to grow, even mainstream publications are being forced to concede that there is some evidence that electronic cigarettes might be effective in helping smokers to quit. We have known this for some time. Once again, I'll let the evidence speak for itself:
"Most participants (72 percent) were former smokers, and 76 percent were using e-cigarettes daily. At baseline, current users had been using e-cigarettes for three months, took 150 puffs per day on their e-cigarette and used refill liquids containing 16 mg/ml of nicotine, on average. Almost all the daily vapers at baseline were still vaping daily after one month (98 percent) and one year (89 percent). Of those who had been vaping daily for less than one month at baseline, 93 percent were still vaping daily after one month, and 81 percent after one year. In daily vapers, the number of puffs per day on e-cigarettes remained unchanged between baseline and one year. Among former smokers who were vaping daily at baseline, 6 percent had relapsed to smoking after one month and also 6 percent after one year."
"In a large, international survey (emphasis mine) of current, former, or never users of e-cigarettes, 72 percent of users reported that e-cigarettes helped them to deal with cravings and withdrawal symptoms, 92 percent reported reductions in their smoking when using e-cigarettes, and only 10 percent reported that they experienced the urge to smoke tobacco cigarettes when using the e-cigarette. Moreover, of more than 2000 former smokers in this survey, 96 percent reported that the e-cigarette helped them to stop smoking."
"In smokers not intending to quit, the use of e-cigarettes, with or without nicotine, decreased cigarette consumption and elicited enduring tobacco abstinence without causing significant side effects."
Compare this to a truly negligible success rate for traditional nicotine replacement therapy like the patch and gum—upon which some pharmaceutical companies hang their hats—and it's easy to see where the opposition comes from. Perhaps this is why the United States Food and Drug Administration is pushing legislation that will hand the reins of our industry over to Big Tobacco—those staunch guardians of public health—while putting companies like mine six feet under.
Meanwhile, some of the actual guardians of public health are already coming around on the issue. Many of the links I've used are compiled here, and this database is added to regularly—the ever-growing pile of evidence that the media is only giving you one side of the story.
This article has been excerpted with permission from Listverse.
From:
http://gizmodo.com
Electronic Cigarettes - Vaping
A later-generation PV with a refillable tank
An electronic cigarette (e-cig or e-cigarette), personal vaporizer (PV) or electronic nicotine delivery system (ENDS) is a battery-powered vaporizer which simulates the feeling of smoking, but without tobacco combustion. Their use is commonly called "vaping". The user automatically activates the e-cigarette by taking a puff; other devices turn on by pressing a button manually. They are often cylindrical, but come in many variations. Some e-cigarettes look like traditional cigarettes, but others do not. There are disposable cigalikes which are known as first generation "cigalikes" and there are reusable versions. Instead of cigarette smoke, the user inhales an aerosol, commonly called vapor. E-cigarettes typically have a heating element that atomizes a liquid solution known as e-liquid. E-liquids usually contain propylene glycol, glycerin, water, nicotine, and flavorings. E-liquids are also sold without propylene glycol, without nicotine, or without flavors.
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Is vaping smoking?
Posted: December 5, 2015
Hundreds of protesters stood in a cloud in front of Queen’s Park today, but it was a sweet-smelling cloud of vapor, not smoke. They say upcoming changes to the rules for e-cigarettes will force vapor sellers out of business, kill jobs and drive people back to smoking traditional cigarettes.
These changes go into effect at the beginning of January, but until last week the vape shops thought they would be exempt from some of the rules.
They put e cigarettes on par with regular cigarettes meaning they can’t be on display or used in the stores or vape shops where they’re sold. The owners of those shops and their supporters were the ones at Queen’s Park today and they say e-cigarettes are not cigarettes, they shouldn’t be treated the same.
The cloud was thick above Queen’s Park, and it smelled like candy.
The vapor advocates say they’re not looking for the right to smoke in parks and restaurants. They’re concerned about being able to continue to introduce vaping to smokers.
“As the regulations are written now with Bill 45, you can’t even have a device turned on in the shop. You can’t even hold it in your hand switched on. So to show someone how to use it, and the safety features, it’s impossible to do that.” said Charlie Pisano
“There’s no carcinogens, there’s no tar. It’s essentially benign to your lungs and the rest of your body.”
“If you look around, these are all ex-smokers and if we don’t get these regulations amended, a lot of the folks behind me are going to start smoking cigarettes again.” said Matt Ramage from the Vapor Bar.
Matt and Coco Ramage brought a busload of supporters from their store, The Vapor Bar, in Dundas.
“They’re afraid of losing that. That they’re not going to be able to stay off cigarettes if they don’t have their vape shop to support them.”
They say they just want a rule exemption for stores like theirs
“We’d have to cover up all our products and stop talking to our customers. It’s basically a gag order.”
They say they can’t operate that way.
“My company alone, we’re the primary source of income for at least 18 families.” said Pisano.
From:
www.chch.com
E-cigarettes 'much safer than smoking,' some experts say
April 28. 2016 - Vaping not a gateway to smoking tobacco, according to doctors group
E-cigarettes are likely to bring benefits for public health and should be widely promoted to smokers to help them quit tobacco, Britain's Royal College of Physicians (RCP) said on Thursday.
In a report based on expert opinion and likely to further fuel a debate over electronic cigarettes, the influential British doctors group stressed that tobacco smoking is both addictive and lethal, and concluded that e-cigarettes are "much safer than smoking."
Previously in Britain, the evidence base for the safety claim of e-cigarettes has been called an "extraordinarily flimsy foundation" with questions about conflicts of interest.
E-cigarettes are not a gateway to smoking, the RCP said, and do not lead to the normalization of the habit — two issues often cited by critics who fear the devices can lure children and young people into smoking habits.
"None of these products has to date attracted significant use among adult never-smokers, or demonstrated evidence of significant gateway progression into smoking among young people," the RCP's 200-page report said.
But in a U.S study of those aged 16 to 26 years suggested use of e-cigarettes was associated with eight times higher odds of taking up traditional cigarette smoking.
E-cigarettes, which heat nicotine-laced liquid into vapour, have rapidly grown into a global market for "vaping" products that was estimated at around $7 billion US in 2015.
Tobacco smoking kills half of all smokers, plus at least another 600,000 people a year non-smokers via second-hand smoke.
This makes it the world's biggest preventable killer, with a predicted death toll of a billion by the end of the century, according to the World Health Organization (WHO).
E-cigarettes with nicotine have not been approved for sale by Health Canada but are readily available.
Many provinces ban sales of electronic cigarettes to minors.
The Canadian Cancer Society says seven provinces, (B.C., Manitoba, Ontario, Quebec, New Brunswick, N.S. and P.E.I.) have adopted legislation to regulate e-cigarettes by banning sales to minors, prohibiting e-cigarette use in public places and workplaces where smoking is banned, restricting advertising and promotion and other measures.
Ontario's law on sales to minors is in effect and it has proposed a ban on the use of e-cigarettes in enclosed public places and plans to limit where sales are prohibited.
Some municipalities including Vancouver, Edmonton, Calgary and Toronto have also adopted measures to restrict e-cigarette use in public places.
The World Health Organization has also called for bans on indoor use, advertising and sales to minors.
Similarly, the Canadian Cancer Society says e-cigarettes need to be regulated.
"This is a product category that needs appropriate regulation, to prevent use by minors, and to prevent industry marketing strategies that would impede smokers from quitting altogether. We support legislation adopted to date by seven provinces that prohibits sales to minors, that prohibits use in places where smoking is banned, and that restricts promotional activities," Rob Cunningham, senior policy analyst with the Canadian Cancer Society in Ottawa, said in an emailed general comment on the U.K. report.
Many public health experts think e-cigarettes, or vapes, which do not contain tobacco, are a lower-risk alternative to smoking, but some questions remain about their long-term safety.
For example, e-liquid contains propylene glycol, a common food additive and flavouring. The health risks of inhaling it deep into the lungs is unknown.
Linda Bauld, a professor at Stirling University, deputy director of the U.K. Centre for Tobacco and Alcohol Studies and a co-author of the RCP report, said that unlike tobacco, nicotine does not cause cancer, heart and lung diseases.
Vaping delivers nicotine in 'cleaner form'
"The ideal is for people to use nothing," she said, but when the alternative is smoking, people should be encouraged to use nicotine "delivered in a cleaner form than in deadly cigarettes."
"This is what tobacco harm reduction is — it reduces the harm from tobacco while recognizing that some people will still use nicotine in other safer forms."
John Britton, chair of the RCP Tobacco Advisory Group which published the report, acknowledged that e-cigarettes were "a topic of great controversy" but said his group's analysis "lays to rest almost all of the concerns over these products."
The anti-smoking group ASH UK welcomed the report, saying it showed "that switching to vaping is a positive and sensible life choice" for smokers.
"Electronic cigarette vapour does not contain smoke, which is why vaping is much less harmful," said Deborah Arnott, ASH's chief executive.
FROM: http://www.cbc.ca/news/health/e-cigarettes-uk-study-1.3556705
Vaping Weed: How Safe Is It?
NOV 20, 2015
Most experts agree that vaporizing is better for you than smoking.
The upward trend of vaporizing marijuana has many users touting its benefits when compared to other methods of consumption such as bongs, joints or pipes.
Health crazes come and go, but should vaping stay? Is vaporizing actually safe? We asked the experts to get the real answer.
Vaping vs. Smoking
vaping-weed-1
Vaporizing or ‘vaping’ involves placing raw cannabis or THC oil in a pen or plug-in device.
The cannabis or oil is then heated to a temperature cooler than the point of combustion and turns the product into a vapor. This means the user doesn’t inhale smoke, but vapor instead.
“Anything that lights the plant on fire creates respiratory irritants,” explains Dr. Mitch Earleywine, a professor and researcher at the State University of New York at Albany.
So by using a vaporizer, consumers are able to avoid inhaling the harmful by-products usually found in cannabis smoke.
Studies on Vaporizing Marijuana
While vaporizers have risen in popularity in recent years, their effects have not yet been investigated by large-scale studies.
Of the few small studies that exist on vaporizing was a study published by Dr. Earleywine in 2007.
The results suggested that cannabis can be safer when a vaporizer is used — and that people who consume cannabis by other methods, such as pipes or joints, may decrease their respiratory symptoms by switching to a vaporizer.
Studies show vaporizers can reduce the amount of tar that enters the lungs. Studies show that vaporizers can drastically reduce the amount of tar you inhale.
Despite these findings, there haven’t been enough studies to draw a firm conclusion on vaporizers, according to Earleywine.
“But nobody wants to wait 10 years before they decide what to do,” he explains.
“It is really surprising how few studies have been done with vaporizers,” says Dr. Ian Mitchell, an emergency physician and clinical assistant professor at the University of British Columbia in Vancouver.
In spite of the lack of research, Dr. Mitchell still believes that vaporizing is the healthier option.
“I think the pros far outweigh the cons,” says Dr. Mitchell. “As a physician, I don’t condone the smoking of marijuana by anyone — that’s what vaporizers are for.”
Risks of Vaporizing Cannabis
While vaporizing seems to be better for you than smoking, that doesn’t mean it’s entirely risk-free.
Dr. Adam Winstock, founder of the Global Drug Survey, points out that vaporizing doesn’t do anything to mitigate the possible effects of cannabis, such as dependency or psychological effects.
And while there is no evidence to suggest health risks associated with vaporizing marijuana, some people have raised concerns about additives included in some vape pens.
Another concern is that cheap plastic parts may release toxic chemicals when heated at higher temperatures.
The Bottom Line: Vaping is a Safer Method
Despite the worries raised by some, experts agree that the potential health benefits from switching to a vaporizer are large.
“I think it is clear that smoking anything is not ideal for health. What little research we have seems to strongly favor vaporizing over smoking,” Dr. Earleywine says.
“Vaporizing cannabis appears to be much safer, because of reduced carbon monoxide intake, fewer toxic hydrocarbons and lower temperatures,” concludes Dr. Mitchell.
“It gives you what you want without all the bad stuff you don’t,” explains Dr. Winstock.
FROM: http://www.leafscience.com/2015/11/20/vaping-safe/
FDA will require e-cigarettes and contents to be reviewed
By: Matthew Perrone, The Associated Press
Posted: 05/5/2016
Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Center for Tobacco Products Director Mitch Zeller, center, accompanied by Health and Human Services Secretary Sylvia Burwell, left, and FDA Commissioner Dr. Robert Califf, speaks during a news conference at the Hubert H. Humphrey Building in Washington, Thursday, May 5, 2016, to announce new regulation extending the FDA's authority to all tobacco products including e-cigarettes. (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik)
WASHINGTON - The federal government announced sweeping new rules Thursday for electronic cigarettes that will for the first time require the devices and their ingredients to be reviewed, a mandate that could offer protection for consumers and upend a multibillion dollar industry that has gone largely unregulated.
Before brands are allowed to stay in the market, regulators will check the e-cigarettes' design and the liquid nicotine they contain. The fast-growing devices have found a foothold with teenagers.
"Millions of kids are being introduced to nicotine every year, a new generation hooked on a highly addictive chemical," Health and Human Services Secretary Sylvia Burwell said. "We cannot let the enormous progress we've made toward a tobacco-free generation be undermined by products that impact our health and economy in this way."
The rules issued by the Food and Drug Administration will also extend long-standing restrictions on traditional cigarettes to a host of other products, including e-cigarettes, hookah tobacco, pipe tobacco and nicotine gels. Minors would be banned from buying the products.
Battery-powered e-cigarettes turn the nicotine into an inhalable vapour. They lack the chemicals and tars of burning tobacco, but the cigarettes have not been extensively studied, and there's no scientific consensus on the risks or advantages of "vaping."
More than 15 per cent of high school students report using e-cigarettes, up more than 900 per cent over the last five years, according to federal figures.
Beginning in August, retailers will be prohibited from selling tobacco products to anyone under 18, placing them in vending machines or distributing free samples. While nearly all states already ban sales of e-cigarettes to minors, federal officials said they will be able to impose stiffer penalties and deploy more resources for enforcement.
For now, e-cigarette users may not see big changes. Companies have two years to submit their information to the FDA and another year while the agency reviews it. The review process applies to products introduced after 2007, which includes nearly all of them. Government officials said the reviews are critical to taming the "wild west" marketplace.
"With this rule, the FDA will be able to prevent misleading claims and provide consumers with information to help them better understand the risks" of tobacco, FDA Commissioner Dr. Robert Califf said.
The action comes five years after the agency first announced its intent to regulate e-cigarettes and more than two years after it floated its initial proposal.
The rules are not uniform. For example, while the FDA intends to phase out flavoured cigars, it will allow flavoured e-cigarettes to remain on the market, a decision that irked anti-tobacco advocates.
The changes do "nothing to restrict the irresponsible marketing of e-cigarettes or the use of sweet e-cigarette flavours such as gummy bear and cotton candy," said Matthew Myers, president of the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids.
The vaping industry says the lengthy federal reviews would be time-consuming and costly and could put many smaller companies out of business.
The regulations "will cause a modern-day prohibition of products that are recognized worldwide as far less hazardous than cigarettes," said Gregory Conley, president of the American Vaping Association. "If the FDA's rule is not changed by Congress or the courts, thousands of small businesses will close in two to three years."
The agency has stumbled before in its efforts to regulate the products. In 2010, a federal appeals court threw out the agency's plan to treat e-cigarettes as drug-delivery devices rather than tobacco products.
Ray Story, who filed one of the initial lawsuits against the agency, vowed to sue the government again.
"We will come out with a vengeance," said Story, CEO of the Tobacco Vapor Electronic Cigarette Association. "We're certainly not going to allow this industry to get swiped under the rug."
House Republicans are already pushing back. A House spending committee last month approved industry backed legislation that would prohibit the FDA from requiring retroactive safety reviews of e-cigarettes that are already on the market and exempt some premium and large cigars from those same regulations.
The legislation's chief author, Republican Rep. Tom Cole of Oklahoma, called the announcement an example of the "nanny-state mentality."
Lawmakers on Capitol Hill have long enjoyed a close relationship with the tobacco industry, which has already given more than $1.8 million to members of Congress this election cycle, according to the Center for Responsive Politics.
The FDA first gained authority to regulate some aspects of cigarettes and other traditional tobacco products under a 2009 law. But e-cigarettes and other vaping products were not covered by the original law.
Some smokers say they use e-cigarettes as a way to quit smoking tobacco or to cut down. However, there's not much scientific evidence supporting those claims, though officials said they are working on research.
"In the meantime, we know there are many other proven cessation tools available," Burwell said.
Sales of e-cigarettes and related vaporizers are projected to reach $4.1 billion in 2016, according to figures from Wells Fargo analyst Bonnie Herzog. After growing rapidly over several years, sales have recently begun to slow due to negative publicity and safety questions.
Retail sales are dominated by a handful of traditional tobacco companies, including R.J. Reynold's Vuse and Imperial Tobacco's blu brands. Those products are sold nationwide at convenience stores and gas stations.
Hundreds of smaller companies sell more specialized products — often with refillable "tanks" and customized flavours — at vape shops and over the Internet.
Associated Press writers Mary Clare Jalonick in Washington and Tom Murphy in Indianapolis contributed to this story.
From: http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/business/fda-brings-e-cigarettes-under-federal-authority-378250861.html
Health Highlights: Sept. 2, 2016
Here are some of the latest health and medical news developments, compiled by the editors of HealthDay:
FDA Oversight of E-Cigarettes Opposed by Tobacco Industry
The tobacco industry is trying to prevent the U.S. Food and Drug Administration from having regulatory control over electronic cigarettes, cigars, and pipe and hookah tobacco, The New York Times reported.
Under a new rule, the FDA can retroactively examine the products for public health risks or ban their sale.
The tobacco industry's campaign against the rule includes a former Obama official who is now a private consultant lobbying against his earlier work reviewing the rule, a former senator who did not register as a lobbyist before beginning to work for the cigar companies, and a member of Congress who introduced industry-written legislation without changing a single word of it, the newspaper reported.
One argument that has been made is that the new FDA rule could harm public health by forcing many e-cigarette companies out of business.
While FDA officials agree that e-cigarettes are less harmful than tobacco cigarettes, they say it's necessary to determine whether the devices or the liquid nicotine products used in them contain toxic chemicals or if candy-like flavors are contributing to the rapid rise in the number of teenagers using e-cigarettes, The Times reported.
The safety of the devices is another issue because there have also been reports of battery-related burns among users of e-cigarettes, according to the FDA.
"In the absence of science-based regulation of all tobacco products, the marketplace has been the wild, wild West," Mitch Zeller, director of the FDA's Center for Tobacco Products, which is in charge of enforcing the new rule, told The Times.
"Companies were free to introduce any product they wanted, make any claim they wanted, and that is how we wound up with a 900 percent increase in high schoolers using e-cigarettes and as well as all these reports of exploding e-cigarette batteries and products that have caused burns and fires and disfigurement," Zeller said.
The campaign against the new FDA rule is led by the Altria Group, which is the largest tobacco company in the United States and has an expanding e-cigarette unit, the newspaper reported.
From:
http://health.usnews.com
Vaping industry says federal government's move to regulate e-cigarettes long overdue
Sep 28, 2016
As the Liberal government announced on Tuesday that it plans to introduce legislation later this fall to regulate vaping, some within the industry are applauding the move.
Lack of 'adequate evidence' makes vaping regulations difficult, Philpott says Vaping teens cite low cost, flavours for why they tried e-cigarettes Beju Lakhani, former president of the Canadian Vaping Association (CVA) and current CEO of Vape Brand International, a Canadian manufacturer and distributor of vaping products, said federal regulations are long overdue.
"The CVA, and myself as a business owner, I think we're quite pleased to see the federal government moving to regulate the industry," Lakhani said, adding that industry stakeholders like himself have been advocating for such a move.
"In the [Health Canada] statement I think some of the things that we especially appreciate are the call for a balanced approach, balancing both the need to protect youth... while at the same time also acknowledging the need to have relatively easy accessibility for adult smokers who are looking to use the product as a less harmful alternative to tobacco."
Lakhani said the vaping industry has lacked federal oversight, and instead has been dealing with "a patchwork of provincial regulations" that have been problematic.
"In Quebec, we had almost a complete shutdown of the industry by the provincial government when they erroneously chose to lump vaping products in with tobacco without any distinction at all," he said.
Lakhani said the industry has been self-regulating, which includes a ban on selling products to individuals under the age of 19. He also noted that the Electronic Cigarette Trade Association of Canada introduced measures in 2011 — such as testing of e-liquids for various contaminants, child safety caps and proper labelling on bottles to inform people of the dangers that may be present — that have been adopted industry-wide.
"Ìt made sure consumers knew if they were dealing with a company that was abiding by these guidelines, they were dealing with a responsible company," said Lakhani. "And it also gave the government, we hope, a bit of a template in which they can follow should they choose to."
Avoiding mistakes
Shai Bekman, owner and president of DashVapes, a Canadian retailer and distributor of vape products with locations in Toronto, hopes Ottawa will adopt some of the ECTA's regulations.
"We hope that our government does not make the same mistakes that the FDA in the States did," said Bekman, who is a member of the CVA. "We hope the regulations they do introduce allow the industry to grow and for smokers to have access to an alternative."
Bekman said the FDA places restrictions on the vaping industry that deter consumers from patronizing shops.
"When a customer [in the U.S.] comes in and they want to sample a flavour, they have to pay a fee to do that and that fee is determined by the FDA," he said. "It actually discourages people from trying to come in and vape because they're like, 'What if I don't like it? Then I'm losing money.'"
Lakhani noted that a similar move was proposed in Ontario under Bill 45, but the bill has been pushed back. He hopes that if or when the bill is reintroduced, the government has also reconsidered a stipulation that would have banned vaping in all public spaces, which would have included vapour stores.
"Our view is that vaping in vapour stores is quite sensible to doing what the federal government would like to do, which is allowing adult smokers to access these products and make decisions that can allow them to use products that are less harmful," he said.?
'Safe for people to consume'
The industry would like to see the federal guidelines include consumer protections, such as manufacturing requirements so all products meet a specific safety standard.
"We want to make sure the products that are being produced in Canada meet certain requirements and are safe for people to consume," Lakhani said.
He also supports restricting access to minors.
"We know that as an alternative to tobacco, there are very real benefits that exist," he said. "In order to make sure that those benefits are being highlighted and some of the negatives are mitigated, these type of adult-only type restrictions and manufacturing standards make a lot of sense."
FROM: http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/vaping-industry-regulations-1.3781670
Julie Watson / The Associated Press / NOVEMBER 26, 2016
Some fear California's tax on e-cigarettes may deter smokers
SAN DIEGO - Smoking has dropped to historic lows nationwide, dramatically decreasing revenue from tobacco taxes. In search of funds, a growing number of states are taxing electronic cigarettes — a trend that is sparking a fierce public health debate over whether it will deter smokers from switching to a safer alternative.
California became the seventh state to tax e-cigarettes with the overwhelming approval of a Nov. 8 ballot measure. Proposition 56 also will add a $2 per pack state tax to cigarettes onto the already existing 87 cents per pack tax.
State officials are still calculating the new tax structure. The vaping industry estimates the tax could hike up the price of the battery-operated devices and liquids by more than 60 per cent, making it more expensive to vape than smoke, even with the additional per-pack tobacco tax.
"California just made the most attractive option unattractive for many smokers, and unaffordable," said Gregory Conley of the American Vaping Association, which advocates for electronic cigarettes as an alternative to tobacco. "Some may never make an attempt to quit."
The taxation of e-cigarettes has split the public health community between those who support e-cigarettes being treated the same as tobacco and those who see them as an important tool in the fight against smoking, the leading cause of preventable deaths in the United States.
There's no scientific consensus on the risks or advantages of "vaping."
"It's one of the nastiest debates I've ever seen in the public health community, and I've been researching tobacco control policies for 40 years," University of Michigan public health professor Kenneth Warner said. "The momentum, if you will, is in the direction against e-cigarettes, for sure, and it is unfortunate in a big way, because we may be missing out on a potential intervention that could reduce the toll of smoking by a lot."
E-cigarettes heat a nicotine liquid into a vapour, delivering the chemical that smokers crave without the harmful tar generated from burning tobacco.
Britain promotes the devices for smokers. Its leading physicians' organization said it found the devices were 95 per cent safer than cigarettes, but some U.S. researchers dispute that.
E-cigarettes emit chemicals known to cause cancer, birth defects or other harm, and there is concern over the long-term impact that nicotine has on adolescent brain development, according to California's Public Health Department. Use among young adults ages 18 to 29 has tripled in the state.
"The evidence is piling up very fast that e-cigarettes are more dangerous than people thought," said Stanton A. Glantz, a professor of medicine and director of the Center for Tobacco Control Research and Education at the University of California San Francisco.
Stanton said the university's analysis of more than three dozen studies also found only a fraction of smokers quit after switching to e-cigarettes and that many end up smoking and vaping, which could be worse.
Concern over the jump in youth users was a driving force behind taxing e-cigarettes, Stanton said.
"If we could snap our fingers and have all smokers become e-cigarette users — and not change anything else — that would be better," he said. "The problem is all the other complicated things going on."
Representatives from around 180 countries participating in the World Health Organization's global tobacco control treaty negotiations, including the United States, adopted a declaration earlier this month in which they vowed to prohibit or regulate the sale of e-cigarettes. The declaration comes months after the U.S. announced its first federal regulations of e-cigarettes.
The $3 billion vaping industry fears taxes coupled with regulations will shut down many small shops.
Scott Drenkard of the nonpartisan Tax Foundation said the product's potential to help smokers is losing out to the rush to recover eroding tobacco tax revenues, which make up as much as 2 per cent of state budgets. More than two dozen states have considered taxing e-cigarettes since 2015.
In California, tobacco tax revenue dropped by 44 per cent between 1989 and last year, from $1.6 billion to roughly $830 million. The state has the nation's second-lowest smoking rate, behind Utah.
State officials estimate Proposition 56 will raise more than $1 billion in the first year for California, with much of the money earmarked for health care for the poor.
Public health experts, like Warner, favour a staggered system that applies a heavy tax on tobacco cigarettes, a lighter tax on e-cigarettes and keeping no tax on nicotine replacement therapies that have been determined to be relatively risk-free. That would deter young people from vaping the liquids that come in candy flavours and provide a financial incentive for smokers to switch, they say.
North Carolina adds a tax of 5 cents to each millilitre of nicotine liquid compared with 45 cents per pack for traditional cigarettes.
With no consensus on the health impact, some say it makes sense for states to follow California's lead and not tax them differently.
FROM: http://www.timescolonist.com/some-fear-california-s-tax-on-e-cigarettes-may-deter-smokers-1.3243324
Sen. Schumer calls for feds to recall e-cigarettes after two are injured by exploding devices in Manhattan
BY LEONARD GREENE December 18, 2016
Sen. Schumer thinks the federal government should recall e-cigarettes, he claims the devices are clearly dangerous. (JACQUELYN MARTIN/AP)
With the industry blowing smoke over the danger of e-cigarettes, U.S. Sen. Charles Schumer Sunday called on federal regulators to recall the dangerous products, like the ones that exploded in the pockets of two men last month.
Even after e-cigarette batteries set two smoker's pants on fire within weeks in Manhattan, the government didn't crack down on what Schumer described as a "ticking time bomb."
"Where there's smoke, there's fire and that seems to be the case, again and again, for many popular e-cigarettes that have injured dozens of people," Schumer said.
"With any other product, serious action would have been taken, and e-cigarettes should be no exception. Despite the explosions, no recalls have been issued. It's radio silence from both the industry and the feds.
Schumer urged the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission and the Food and Drug Administration to take a hard look at issuing recalls on e-cigarette batteries and devices that have caught fire and exploded, injuring dozens of users.
More than 2.5 million Americans are using e-cigarettes, according to industry estimates. According to the FDA, there were 92 incidents of overheating, fire or explosion in e-cigarettes across the country between 2009 and September of 2015.
The FDA said 45 incidents injured 47 people, and 67 incidents involved property damage beyond the product.
A man working at a Grand Central Station store suffered burns to his hands on Nov. 23 when an e-cigarette caught fire inside his pants pocket.
A man working at a Grand Central Station store suffered burns to his hands on Nov. 23 when an e-cigarette caught fire inside his pants pocket. (CENTRAL CELLARS/CENTRAL CELLARS)
Schumer said that many incidents likely go unreported and therefore, the number of exploding e-cigarettes may be even greater.
In recent weeks, Otis Gooding, 31, and Ricardo Jiminez, 24, suffered second-degree burns to their right hands and right thighs when devices blew up in their pockets.
Jiminez, an EMT, suffered massive burns Dec. 2 when a pair of e-cigarette batteries exploded in his pants pocket as he drove through Manhattan while off duty.
Gooding, of Jamaica, Queens, suffered extensive third-degree burns on his right leg and hand when the device spontaneously erupted in flames while stowed in his trousers during his shift Nov. 24th at The Central Cellar wine shop in Grand Central Terminal.
The incident involving Gooding was captured on a video surveillance camera.
Jimenez and Gooding are considering lawsuits against the product manufacturers.
From:
www.nydailynews.com
Blowing smoke? E-cigarettes might help smokers quit, study says
Maria Cheng, The Associated Press, July 26, 2017
People who used e-cigarettes were more likely to kick the habit than those who didn't, a new study found. Nicotine patches, gums and medications are known to aid smoking cessation, but there's no consensus on whether vaping devices can help anti-smoking efforts. The U.S. research is the largest look yet at electronic cigarette users and it found e-cigarettes played a role in helping people quit.
"It's absolutely clear that e-cigarettes help smokers replace cigarettes," said Peter Hajek, director of the health and lifestyle research unit at Queen Mary University in London, who wasn't part of the study.
Smoking rates have been generally declining for decades. Health experts have credited taxes on tobacco products and anti-smoking ads for the drop.
E-cigarettes have been sold in the U.S. since 2007. Most devices heat a liquid nicotine solution into vapour and were promoted to smokers as a less dangerous alternative since they don't contain all the chemicals, tar or odour of regular cigarettes.
Researchers analyzed and compared data collected by the U.S. Census from 2001 to 2015, including the number of adult e-cigarette users from the most recent survey.
About two-thirds of e-cigarette users tried to quit smoking compared to 40 per cent of non-users, the study found. E-cigarette users were more likely to succeed in quitting for at least three months than non-users -- 8 per cent versus 5 per cent.
The research was published online Wednesday in the journal, BMJ. It was funded by the National Institutes of Health.
The rate of people quitting smoking in the U.S. has remained steady at about 4.5 per cent for years. It jumped to 5.6 per cent in 2014-2015, representing about 350,000 fewer smokers. It was the first recorded rise in the smoking cessation rate in 15 years.
While national anti-smoking campaigns likely helped, the results show e-cigarette use also played an important role, said lead author Shu-Hong Zhu of the University of California, San Diego. Hajek, who wasn't part of the research, said vaping devices shouldn't be strictly regulated, but instead be allowed to compete directly with cigarettes. "That way, smokers can get what they want without killing themselves," he said.
Earlier this month, a House panel renewed its efforts to prevent the Food and Drug Administration from requiring retroactive safety reviews of e-cigarettes already on the market.
Others warned that the long-term side effects of e-cigarettes are unknown.
"We just don't know if moving to e-cigarettes is good enough to reduce the harm," said Aruni Bhatnagar, director of the American Heart Association's Tobacco Research and Addiction Center.
Chris Bullen, who authored an accompanying editorial , said although the long-term safety of e-cigarettes is unclear, any ill effects are "likely to be rare compared with the harms of continuing to smoke."
The latest results strongly suggest that more lenient control of e-cigarettes could improve population health, said Bullen, a professor of public health at the University of Auckland.
"If every smoker was to change over to e-cigarettes completely, there would be a dramatic and almost immediate public health benefit," he said in an email.
AP Health Writer Mike Stobbe in New York contributed to this report
FROM: http://www.ctvnews.ca/health/blowing-smoke-e-cigarettes-might-help-smokers-quit-study-says-1.3520841
Parliament passes plain tobacco packaging law, regulates vaping
John Paul Tasker · CBC News · Posted: May 16, 2018
The Liberal government has passed a sweeping overhaul of the country's tobacco laws — legislation that will formally legalize (and heavily regulate) vaping and give Health Canada the powers it needs to mandate plain packaging for cigarettes.
The Liberal government has pitched the other major component of the bill — new regulations for vaping devices — as a tool to move adult smokers away from traditional cigarettes, while giving them access to the nicotine they crave.
"Bill S-5 will also provide adults the legal access to better-regulated vaping products. These products can serve as a less harmful alternative to cigarettes and can be a much-needed option for those who have been unable to quit smoking," Peter Harder, the government's representative in Senate, said in a recent speech on the bill.
Independent Quebec Sen. Chantal Petitclerc, the bill's sponsor in the upper house, called regulated vaping "an important tool" for ensuring "a less harmful source of nicotine" as the government looks to cut the percentage of the population that smokes from the current 15 per cent to less than 5 per cent by 2035.
The vaping industry has been operating largely beyond the reach of regulators since e-cigarettes emerged as an alternative to smoking some ten years ago.
The e-cigarette — a battery-powered device that looks like a traditional cigarette — delivers inhaled doses of nicotine-containing vapour. Until now, vaping products have been sold under a lighter regulatory burden than the one imposed on cigarettes.
The bill, which is expected to receive royal assent shortly, demands compliance with the new vaping regulations within 180 days.
The proposed legislation would regulate e-cigarettes while allowing adults to access vaping products that are likely less harmful alternatives to tobacco use, Health Canada says. (Frank Franklin II/Associated Press) Those regulations include a move to cut the number of flavours that can be used in an e-cigarette, banning any flavour designed to mimic "confectionery," cannabis, soft drinks or energy drinks — flavours some parliamentarians believe are designed to hook young people on these devices.
The bill also prohibits the sale of vaping products to minors, or sending a vaping product to a minor.
The bill restricts most promotional activity around vaping products, forbidding the use of testimonials and references to health effects and additives.
Anti-smoking advocates maintain these regulations are necessary because any reference to an e-cigarette as safer than the traditional variety could be misleading. While vaping devices are often sold as smoking cessation aides, critics maintain they're not entirely harm-free.
However, a recent review by tobacco experts at Public Health England found that e-cigarettes are considerably less harmful than traditional cigarettes.
"Anyone who has struggled to quit should try switching to an e-cigarette and get professional help," the government agency recommended in its February 2018 report.
Excerpted from: http://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/ottawa-plain-packaging-vaping-law-1.4662112
The Pros and Cons of Vaping You Need to Know
Dave Kriegel
There are a lot of mixed opinions out there about vaping. You might have come across an article talking about the health benefits of electronic cigarettes, and the very next day see a news report that makes vaping sound dangerous. If you’ve been thinking about making the transition lately, it can be a confusing choice to make. In this guide, we will cover the real vaping pros and cons so you have a clear frame of reference to decide whether it’s right for you.
Benefits of vaping
Vaping Pros and Cons
1. It’s safer than smoking: Just ask the Royal College of Physicians. They’re a prestigious organization representing over 35,000 doctors worldwide. They have stated that vaping is at least 95% safer than smoking based on their extensive research. Since there’s no combustion, tar or ash associated with vaping, switching to it from smoking enables the user to experience health benefits from being smoke-free. That means better oral hygiene, skin health, circulation, lung capacity and an improved sense of smell and taste.
2. No noxious odors: One of the biggest advantages of vaping is that you and your environment won’t smell of smoke. Vaping may have an aroma from the flavors used, but it’s not the smoke from dead tobacco leaves! To some people, the smell of vapor is barely noticeable. Sometimes you might even get a few complements on the aroma. Even if you vape tobacco flavors, it won’t smell like the rank fumes that come from burning tobacco leaves.
3. Control over nicotine intake: Vaping gives you full control over your nicotine dosage. E-juice is available in a variety of strengths, ranging from nicotine-free to high-strength nicotine. You can choose exactly how much nicotine is in your vape, if you decide to use any at all. Most vapers tend to start off with high nicotine levels, and gradually work their way down to lower levels, or eliminate it completely.
4. Control over vapor output: A major advantage of vaping is having control over the amount of vapor you exhale. Smaller devices like pod vapes are designed for convenience and low vapor, whereas the high-powered mods are better suited for cloud chasing. Adjusting the power output, airflow, and coil type also lets you fine tune your vapor volume. You can be as minimal or showy as you like, depending on how you choose to vape.
5. Flavors for every palate: When it comes to flavors, there are virtually endless options to choose in e-juice. There are also new flavors being created all the time, so you’ll never run out of new ones to try. Some of the more popular favorites include fruit, desserts, beverages, foods, menthol, and tobacco.
6. Instant satisfaction: The convenience factor is high with vapes due to how quickly you can silence cravings. Although advanced vapes may require initial tinkering, lots come prefilled and are ready for immediate use. Either way, once the vape is ready, taking a hit is as simple as pushing a button or drawing on the device (some have an automatic draw). While all vapes need a charged battery and e-juice to continue working, the average vape can sustain you throughout the day with no maintenance or upkeep. It’s ready when you are.
7. Price points for every wallet: There is a vapor product out there for you, no matter what your budget is. The vaping market has expanded in the last past few years and competition is plentiful. There are a wide range of products in every price range – from disposable e-cigs, to sophisticated vape mods and top-shelf e-liquids. If you’ have less than ten dollars to spend, you can still find a vape that’s ready for immediate use.
8. No experience needed: Yes, there are some more advanced products out there, but there are also many that cater to the rank beginner. There are countless options that require no prior experience. Devices like pod vapes and beginner vape starter kits are perfect examples. Some of them are draw-activated, so all you need to do is puff on them and they automatically engage.
9. Wide access and availability: Vaping is much more accessible than when it first started. Today you can find vapor products in your local convenience stores, gas stations, smoke shops and of course, vape shops. There are also many great online vape shops that deliver everything you need, directly to your doorstep. Just about every single place that sells tobacco these days, is most likely going to also carry vapor products.
Cons of vaping
Vaping Pros and Cons
1. Overwhelming options: There’s almost unlimited choices in equipment, e-liquid, and even vaping styles. It can be hard to process, especially compared to the relative ease of choosing a cigarette brand and lighting up. That’s why it’s so important for new vapers to start simple with a basic starter kit. You can also find help at a vape shop, a vaping forum, or from friends who vape. Luckily, experienced vapers are usually happy to help teach you how to vape!
2. Technology learning curve: Not only is the market saturated, a lot of the devices are for hobbyists. Although advanced hardware is not for beginners, much of the information on the internet focuses on it. This can lead you to think vaping requires complex knowledge to experience it. That’s not true! Vaping can be very simple despite how it may seem.
3. Youthful perception: Depending on your area, the legal age to buy vapes is either 18 or 21 years old since the enactment of Tobacco 21 laws. But that’s just the minimum age requirement. The popular perception about vaping is that it’s a young adult activity. Adults that vape can be found in any age bracket from 18 on up. The sad part though is that many older adults don’t feel a connection to the culture of vaping, which very well could help them with their deadly addiction to smoking.
4. Cumulative costs: Like other consumable based products, vaping requires repeat purchases. No matter how your device is designed, e-liquid will always need to be replenished. The price of e-liquid and quantity it’s sold in varies. Some brands are expensive, but there’s also plenty of cheap e-juice available. Still, one bottle will not last forever. And while the price of one bottle is rarely going to make or break someone, the costs will add up when buying too many flavors. This is why many begin choose to DIY e-juice. It’s relatively easy to do and it cuts costs significantly.
5. Stigma of nicotine: Nicotine is a lightweight as drugs go. It’s a mild stimulant that also paradoxically relaxes the user. But because its history is inevitably tied to smoking — which is a highly dangerous delivery mechanism — nicotine has a bad name. Many people don’t distinguish between nicotine and smoking. If you’re going to use it, you might have to grow a thick skin and learn to ignore some dirty looks and uninformed opinions from judgmental types. Most people don’t know the facts about nicotine, so it’s advisable to arm yourself with the truth.
6. Uncertain health risks: The most long-term study on vaping is 3.5 years. It showed no negative health effects from its participants. Unfortunately, there’s no longer-term research beyond that. Because vaping is a new phenomenon, barely a decade old, it’s impossible to have truly long-term data. If you vape, you’re taking a risk that some serious hazard might be discovered in the future. But if you’re using vaping to stay off cigarettes, you can at least rest easier knowing that you’ve distanced yourself from the well-documented dangers of smoking.
7. Scary headlines: There are lots of myths and rumors about vaping perpetuated in the news. Some of them have a kernel of truth, some are just made up. Some headlines may be true but are isolated cases made to look like an epidemic. Almost nothing in life is truly safe from possible harm, but the onus is consistently put on vaping to be such. What we know for sure is that it’s much safer for you than smoking.
8. Treated like smoking: Vaping looks like smoking, and both can provide nicotine for those who want it. Aside from that, they have little in common. When you light a cigarette, you’re incinerating dead tobacco and inhaling the smoke, which is full of tar and carbon monoxide that damage your lungs and cardiovascular system. Although second-hand vapor has been shown to be non-toxic, vapers often get treated like they are poisoning the air when vaping. Most spaces where smoking isn’t allowed also prohibit vaping.
9. FDA regulations and rules: The FDA was given regulatory authority over cigarettes and tobacco in the 2009 Tobacco Control Act. That Congressional act also gave the FDA the ability to define new products as tobacco if they contain “nicotine derived from tobacco.” Oddly enough, even for e-liquid that has zero nicotine, the FDA requires a disclaimer that the product does contain it. That’s how the FDA “deemed” vaping products and e-liquid (and their components and parts) to be tobacco products in 2016, no matter the actual contents. The “Deeming Rule” allows the agency to approve or deny which products can be sold, and that process is just beginning.
The choice is yours
By now you should have a better understanding about the pros and cons of vaping. There are a number of points on both sides. But if you consider that vaping is an alternative to smoking, it should be obvious that it’s the best choice of the two. Although vaping is not the only way to combat cigarette addiction, all the other choices have pros and cons as well. Chantix has helped some people quit smoking too, but one of its side effects is “thoughts or actions suicide” — how is that for a scary!
Vaping is not a magic bullet for everyone though. You might decide that it’s not for you, but you might enjoy it so much that you never go back to smoking. Whichever choice you make, you now have a sober sense of the benefits and the downsides of vaping.
From:
vaping360.com
Vape shops will be able to advertise more freely, thanks to Quebec court ruling
Sections of Quebec's Tobacco Control Act will have to be re-written in the next 6 months
CBC News · Posted: May 05, 2019
Linda Boyer-Fawcett owns a store called Vape Solution in Lachute. She was a smoker for 20 years and couldn't quit - until she started vaping. (Simon Nakonechny/CBC)
Quebec has the right to legislate vaping, but a provision banning the demonstration of products in shops or smoking cessation clinics goes too far, Quebec Superior Court Justice Daniel Dumais ruled on Friday.
Dumais also struck down a portion of the law prohibiting the advertising of vaping products to smokers who want to kick the habit.
This is good news for Linda Boyer-Fawcett, the owner of a shop in Lachute called Vape Solution.
She said the judge's decision will ease restrictions put on her business.
"Our windows will not have to be frosted anymore," she said.
"From the outside, if you don't what I'm doing inside, it looks like a trap house... It looks like a place you wouldn't let your husband go."
Boyer-Fawcett says she understands that her product comes with health risks, but she sees it as a better alternative for smokers than cigarettes.
"I was a smoker from the age of 13 to 33," she said. "The vaping — as soon as I tried it, I haven't smoked after that."
She says the majority of her customers are in their thirties, and want to try vaping as an alternative to smoking.
"My first job is definitely to discourage non-smokers to use it," she said.
Linda Boyer-Fawcett says she has the opportunity to help smokers quit traditional cigarettes and make the switch to vapes. (Lindsay Fox, CC Attribution 2.0) For business owners, it's a boon. But for the Quebec Coalition for Tobacco Control, it's a setback.
"For this ruling to come and invalidate some of these measures, specifically the ones that speak to advertising, I think it's really upsetting," said Flory Doucas, a member of the lobby group.
She said vaping can act as a gateway to cigarettes, as it appeals particularly to younger users because of its flavourings and bright packaging.
"I think that the most worrisome thing is that kids who use these products are two to four times more likely to become smokers of conventional cigarettes."
Boyer-Fawcett, who also speaks on behalf of the association representing Quebec vape shops, disagrees.
She said she "can't imagine a kid vaping, and then after going to smoking."
"I don't believe in the gateway at all. I have too much experience in the market to believe in it."
30 days to appeal
Now that these specific elements of the province's Tobacco Control Act have been deemed invalid by the court, lawmakers have six months to rewrite the sections.
The Quebec Coalition for Tobacco Control wants the province to appeal the court's decision.
Quebec Justice Minister Sonia Lebel said she's analyzing the judgment. The government will have 30 days to appeal.
FROM: https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/montreal/quebec-court-vaping-1.5124014
San Francisco Bans Sales Of E-Cigarettes
June 25, 2019
San Francisco's Board of Supervisors voted unanimously Tuesday to ban the sale and distribution of e-cigarettes in the city. The city is the corporate home of Juul Labs, the biggest producer of e-cigarettes in the United States.
City Attorney Dennis Herrera co-authored the ordinance, and celebrated the final vote. "This is a decisive step to help prevent another generation of San Francisco children from becoming addicted to nicotine," he says.
"This temporary moratorium wouldn't be necessary if the federal government had done its job," says Herrera. "E-cigarettes are a product that, by law, are not allowed on the market without FDA review. For some reason, the FDA has so far refused to follow the law. If the federal government is not going to act, San Francisco will."
Juul responded to the final vote in a written statement to media, saying the ban will cause new challenges for the city.
"This full prohibition will drive former adult smokers who successfully switched to vapor products back to deadly cigarettes, deny the opportunity to switch for current adult smokers, and create a thriving black market instead of addressing the actual causes of underage access and use," writes Juul spokesman Ted Kwong.
Two San Francisco ordinances would prohibit the sale of e-cigarettes in brick-and-mortar stores and also online, if the products are being shipped to addresses in the city.
San Francisco Mayor London Breed will now have 10 days to sign the legislation, which she has said she will do. The law would begin to be enforced seven months from that date, in early 2020.
San Francisco Supervisor Shamann Walton co-authored the proposed legislation.
"We spent a few decades fighting Big Tobacco in the form of cigarettes," Walton said. "Now we have to do it again in the form of e-cigarettes."
Under federal law, the minimum age required to buy tobacco products is 18 years. In California and 15 other states, however, that age is 21. Despite this, use of e-cigarettes, or "vaping," has risen steeply among teenagers nationally.
Last year, 1 in 5 high school seniors reported vaping in the past month. That's almost double the fraction who reported vaping in the past month in 2017. Even eighth-graders are vaping in record numbers.
These increases come after years of decline in the smoking of traditional cigarettes by teenagers.
Public health officials are concerned about the rising number of teens using e-cigarettes, because nicotine can harm a young person's developing brain. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention warns that young people who vape may be more likely to start smoking traditional cigarettes.
Walton says he's disgusted with the actions of Juul and similar companies, which, he says, are "putting profits before the health of young people and people in general."
Despite the tobacco age limit, Walton says, vaping devices are commonly confiscated from students in the city's middle schools and high schools.
The ordinance is accompanied by another that prevents the manufacture, distribution and sale of e-cigarettes on city-owned property in San Francisco.
That ordinance takes direct aim at Juul Labs, which leases space from the city on San Francisco's Pier 70. The ordinance is not retroactive, so it would not force Juul's relocation away from the company's current space, but it would prevent other e-cigarette-makers from renting city property in the future. In a written statement, Juul spokesman Ted Kwong said that, in any case, the company does not "manufacture, distribute or sell our product from this space."
Juul's vaping device was introduced in 2015, and the company now controls 70% of the vaping market. About the size of a flash drive, the Juul device is small, sleek and discreet.
In a written statement, Juul Labs says it shares the city's goal of keeping e-cigarettes away from young people. Company officials say the firm has made it harder for underage buyers to purchase Juul via the company's website and has shut down Juul accounts on Facebook and Instagram.
But, the company argues, "The prohibition of vapor products for all adults in San Francisco will not effectively address underage use and will leave cigarettes on shelves as the only choice for adult smokers, even though they kill 40,000 Californians every year."
Walton, the San Francisco supervisor, doesn't buy that argument, however. He says swapping tobacco use for vaping is simply "trading one nicotine addiction for another." What's more, he says, he's concerned that for every adult who might benefit, dozens of young people could become addicted.
San Francisco resident Jay Friedman thinks the complete e-cigarette ban goes too far. The software engineer says that he smoked a pack of cigarettes a day for 20 years and that smoking e-cigarettes has reduced his regular cigarette habit to two to three a day. He says he feels better physically.
Friedman supported a ban on flavored tobacco that city voters passed last year. "I feel like it was good to get rid of the fruit flavors for kids," he says, "but this feels like maybe a step too far."
If e-cigarettes were banned, Friedman says, he would try to quit nicotine altogether. But, "there would be a point in a moment of weakness where I'd just end up buying a pack of smokes again, and then it's just a slippery slope from there."
Small businesses in San Francisco are concerned that a ban will hurt their bottom line.
Miriam Zouzounis and her family own Ted's Market, a convenience store near downtown San Francisco. She says e-cigarettes are an "anchor" product: They draw people into her store.
"When people come and want to purchase something at the store and we don't have that exact item that they want, they're not going to buy the rest of the items that they might on that trip — a drink or a sandwich," Zouzounis says.
Sales in the store from e-cigarettes account for at least $200 to $300 a day, she says. A board member of the Arab American Grocers Association, Zouzounis says she believes laws like this mostly affect — and penalize — immigrant-owned businesses.
Abbey Chaitin is a 15-year-old lifelong San Francisco resident. She isn't drawn to using e-cigarettes, she says, because she has watched peers become addicted to them.
"I'll see them in class fidgeting," Abbey says. "They need it to focus, to function."
And Abbey thinks, regardless of a ban, young people will still get their hands on e-cigarettes.
"People my age can find a way around that if they really need to," she says.
Meanwhile, Juul is collecting signatures for a November ballot initiative to override the ban, perhaps before it goes into effect.
FROM: https://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2019/06/25/735714009/san-francisco-poised-to-ban-sales-of-e-cigarettes
Nearly 100 People Have Reported Lung Diseases That May Be Linked to Vaping,
and the CDC Is Getting Involved
BY JAMIE DUCHARME AUGUST 19, 2019
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is investigating a growing number of “severe” lung disease cases that appear to be related to vaping.
Since late June, according to the CDC, 94 people in 14 states have come down with serious lung illnesses that may be linked to use of e-cigarettes, which heat substances including nicotine and cannabis to create aerosols that users inhale. The case count has grown high enough to prompt the CDC to work with state health departments to learn more about what could be causing the worrisome conditions, which are primarily affecting adolescents.
Although “more information is needed to determine what is causing the illnesses,” according to the CDC, vaping appears to be a common thread across states involved in the investigation, including Illinois, California, Indiana, Minnesota and Wisconsin, where nearly a third of reported cases have originated. Wisconsin state health officials say both pediatric and adult patients are exhibiting symptoms including shortness of breath, fatigue, chest pain, cough and weight loss. Many patients reported vaping in the weeks or months before hospitalization, according to the state health department. It’s unclear which e-cigarette products they had used, and they may have consumed substances including nicotine, THC and/or synthetic cannabinoids (a category that includes the drug K2), according to health officials.
A CDC representative did not immediately respond to TIME’s inquiry about common symptoms, substance use or preexisting conditions across cases. The agency said in its statement that an infectious disease does not appear to be behind the illnesses.
Vaping nicotine is thought to be a healthier long-term alternative to smoking cigarettes, since it delivers fewer cancer-causing chemicals than traditional combustible products. But as e-cigarette use has grown more popular among both adults, for whom it is intended, and teenagers, for whom it is illegal, a number of apparent side effects have been reported. Preliminary studies have shown links between e-cigarette use and vascular, respiratory and cellular damage, and federal health agencies are looking into rare health issues potentially associated with vaping, such as seizures, injuries resulting from exploding devices—and, now, pulmonary diseases. Some teenagers have also become addicted to nicotine by vaping, raising concerns among public-health officials.
It’s not entirely clear how or if e-cigarettes are causing many of these health problems. But nicotine poisoning can occur when people, especially children, ingest liquid nicotine or absorb it through the skin, according to the American Academy of Pediatrics. Vaping products are also not approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), so safety and manufacturing practices may be lacking at some companies. In 2018, for example, the FDA warned that products from a Chinese e-cigarette company contained unapproved drugs intended for erectile dysfunction, which could be dangerous for certain users.
People who vape non-nicotine substances—such as K2, which has previously been tied to large-scale overdoses—may also be at risk of health problems.
Write to Jamie Ducharme at jamie.ducharme@time.com.
FROM: https://time.com/5655329/vaping-lung-disease-cdc/
Sales of Illicit Vaping Products Find Home Online
WSJ review finds cannabis-vaping products and tools to create counterfeits on major websites
By Daniela Hernandez
Updated Sept. 20, 2019 9:57 am ET
Altria, the maker of Marlboro cigarettes, recently invested almost $13 billion in e-cigarette company Juul. Some experts say in its early days Juul mirrored the tobacco industry’s promotional playbook in an effort to hook young people.
Web sales of products used to make cannabis-containing vape cartridges are legal under certain circumstances, but doctors and industry experts warn about the potential health risks from buying such items online, particularly those that end up being counterfeit.
The federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has warned against buying products off the street.
These days, the street has morphed into a global digital marketplace packed with materials used to manufacture cartridges, also called pods, as well as filled cartridges themselves. This marketplace is increasingly difficult for law enforcement and tech companies to police because of the geographic distribution of users, the number of posts promoting vaping wares and the use of private accounts and messaging apps to sell illicit products, according to licensed sellers and tech companies.
Vaping involves inhaling fumes from e-cigarettes or pen-like devices that heat cartridges filled with ingredients including nicotine and THC. Health officials are investigating hundreds of lung ailments linked to vaping in recent weeks. They haven’t identified the precise cause, but most of the patients have reported vaping THC. Others say they have only vaped nicotine products.
So far, the CDC has identified 530 confirmed or probable cases of vaping-associated pulmonary illnesses. There have been eight deaths, with the announcement Thursday of a death in Missouri. The Food and Drug Administration Office of Criminal Investigations is conducting a federal probe, which involves a look into the product-supply chain. An FDA spokesman declined to say whether regulators were looking specifically at online purveyors.
Counterfeit packaging for some popular vaping brands.
Several states, including California, Colorado and Washington, allow licensed retailers to sell THC-containing products for medical or recreational use. But such sales are a federal crime in the U.S., and it is illegal to sell THC-containing products online and to ship these across state lines or internationally.
Licensed THC products in states where sales are legal must go through quality testing. Knockoffs may contain ingredients whose impact is unclear, including pesticides and vitamin E acetate, according to industry experts. Vitamin E acetate, a common additive in lotions, is sometimes used as a filler in THC vape products, and public-health officials have identified it as a potential culprit behind the illnesses.
“We don’t know what the exact ingredients are on the online, unregulated sources,” said University of Miami School of Nursing and Health Studies epidemiologist Denise Vidot, who studies the health effects of cannabis. People can use fillers that can be harmful, she said.
FROM: https://www.wsj.com/articles/sales-of-illicit-vaping-products-find-home-online-11568971802
Tests show bootleg marijuana vapes tainted with hydrogen cyanide
NBC News commissioned laboratory tests of knock-off marijuana vapes that found a pesticide linked to hydrogen cyanide in 10 out 10 products.
Sept. 27, 2019
By Conor Ferguson, Cynthia McFadden, Shanshan Dong and Rich Schapiro
Fabian Castillo was suffering from crippling anxiety when his uncle handed him a marijuana vape pen one day last December.
"It will help calm you down," Castillo said his uncle told him.
Over the next several months, the vape worked as advertised. Castillo, who had just graduated high school in southern California, found himself more mellow and more productive.
He had no idea at the time that he was using, what he now believes, was a bootleg vape pen filled with a toxic mix of chemicals.
But on Aug. 2, Castillo’s breathing grew labored. His mother brought him to the emergency room where, she says, an X-ray revealed severe damage to his lungs.
"I couldn’t breathe. I couldn’t talk. I literally couldn’t even move my hands," Castillo, 19, said.
He spent the next nine days in a medically induced coma. Eight weeks later, he still struggles to breathe deeply.
The soaring popularity of vaping products — both legal and knock-offs — is fueling a public health crisis that has vexed the medical community.
Some 12 people have died from mysterious lung illnesses linked to vape pens, and 805 others have been hospitalized in 46 states, according to federal health officials.
"We are dealing with a new epidemic," said Dr. Melodi Pirzada, a pediatric pulmonologist at NYU Winthrop Hospital in Mineola, New York, on Long Island.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says most of the patients reported using vapes containing THC, the psychoactive ingredient in marijuana. Some state health officials have indicated that Vitamin E acetate, a solvent used to "cut" cannabis for use in vape pens, may be responsible for the outbreak.
But no single substance or product has yet been linked to all of the cases of vaping-related lung disease, the CDC says, leaving the medical community grappling with an exploding health crisis with an unknown cause.
At the same time, the FDA is struggling to police what has rapidly grown into a billion dollar industry with a booming black market, experts say.
The result: Americans have access to an astonishing assortment of THC vape pens without having any way of knowing what’s actually in them.
Seeking answers, NBC News commissioned one of the nation's leading cannabis testing facilities to test a sampling of THC cartridges — 18 in all — obtained from legal dispensaries and unlicensed dealers.
The findings were deeply troubling.
Of the three purchased from legal dispensaries in California, the CannaSafe testing company found no heavy metals, pesticides or residual solvents like Vitamin E.
But 13 out of the other 15 samples from black market THC cartridges were found to contain Vitamin E.
CannaSafe also tested 10 of the unregulated cartridges for pesticides. All 10 tested positive.
The products all contained myclobutanil, a fungicide that can transform into hydrogen cyanide when burned.
"You certainly don’t want to be smoking cyanide," said Antonio Frazier, the vice president of operations at CannaSafe. "I don’t think anyone would buy a cart that was labeled hydrogen cyanide on it."
Pirzada described the existence of myclobutanil as "very disturbing," adding that "it’s going to cause a very toxic effect on the lungs."
The New York pulmonologist also expressed alarm about the presence of Vitamin E, which is also known to cause significant lung damage when inhaled, in the THC mixtures. "It should not be inhaled into your lungs," she said.
Pirzada has treated four patients, all teenagers, suffering from vaping-related lung damage. She said testing conducted on the same vaping mixture used by one of her patients detected the presence of Vitamin E.
The 18-year-old boy arrived at the hospital with pneumonia-like symptoms. But within 48 hours, Pirzada said, his condition deteriorated rapidly and he was placed on a ventilator.
He spent five days on life support before he was able to breathe on his own and recover with the help of steroids. "He required very high levels of support to keep him alive," Pirzada said.
Such patients have been pouring into hospitals around the country. Over the summer, an 18-year-old girl arrived at UCLA Health with a bad cough, fevers, nausea and labored breathing. Within 48 hours, her lung function deteriorated to the point that doctors sent her to the ICU and hooked her up to a respirator.
The teenager, who reported having vaped tobacco and pot products every day for the past two years, ultimately improved and was released from the hospital.
"She got very sick, very fast," said Dr. Kathryn Melamed, the pulmonologist who saved the teenage girl’s life.
Less than 15 miles from UCLA Health lies a 12-block area of downtown Los Angeles filled with vape shops. The stores sell empty cartridges and packaging, making it easy for anyone with access to THC and a solvent like Vitamin E to produce their own bootleg vape products.
Downtown Los Angeles features a 12-block area filled with shops selling vape supplies that can be used in bootleg products.Downtown Los Angeles features a 12-block area filled with shops selling vape supplies that can be used in bootleg products.NBC News California legalized recreational marijuana for adults over the age of 21 in 2016.
David Downs, the California bureau chief for Leafly, an online publication devoted to the cannabis industry, said downtown Los Angeles acts as the final destination for a supply chain that originates in China.
"This all starts in China where you can get the empty cartridges both for the THC market and the nicotine market, as well as the additives, flavorings, and thickeners that are being put into these cartridges alongside the THC oil," Downs said.
"It’s a very deep, mature, and advanced industry that starts in China and ends in our own backyard."
Downs said anyone who buys bootleg vapes is putting themselves at risk.
"I’ve been saying, ‘Look, if you buy a fake Gucci purse, it’s not going to give you a lung injury, but if you buy a fake vape cartridge, it just might.’" Downs said.
Acting FDA Commissioner Ned Sharpless, speaking to a congressional committee on Wednesday, said investigators are working to identify the toxic products and "follow the supply chain to the source."
"FDA is not pursuing any actions associated with personal use of any vaping products, our interest is in the suppliers," Sharpless told the House Energy and Commerce subcommittee, which has oversight authority over the FDA.
"But to be clear, if we determine that someone is manufacturing or distributing illicit, adulterated vaping products that caused illness and death for personal profit, we would consider that to be a criminal act."
The American Vaping Association insists the outbreak is linked to THC oils and knock-offs.
Laboratory tests found no pesticides or residual solvents in these marijuana cartridges.Laboratory tests found no pesticides or residual solvents in these marijuana cartridges.NBC News One of the shops visited by NBC News in Los Angeles sold packaging for Dank Vapes Gorilla Glue, the same brand of vape that Castillo was using before he landed in the hospital ICU. The product is not in any way associated with Gorilla Glue, the company that produces super glue and other adhesives.
An aspiring singer, Castillo hasn’t yet returned to full health. Any time he tries to take a deep breath, he feels like he just ran down a flight of stairs. Castillo is also dealing with an odd sensation that leaves him feeling like he’s falling and results in a body twitch.
He said he’s speaking out to deter others from putting their lives at risk by using vapes.
"Everything was put on pause because I decided to vape," Castillo said. "I thought it was safe."
FROM: https://www.nbcnews.com/health/vaping/tests-show-bootleg-marijuana-vapes-tainted-hydrogen-cyanide-n1059356?fbclid=IwAR22V95POmqI0HQAo_L5v5kIa-RSoodpBID3C9lr52NivG0UJgzAMZyACe8
BBC NEWS
Up in smoke: Is the vape shop boom about to end?
By Ben Morris
Business reporter, BBC News
20 June 2018
James Restarick feels the market is "saturated" with people hoping to strike it rich
n 2015, when James Restarick opened his first shop in Kent selling kits for vaping, his friends were surprised.
"They thought I was mad. I didn't actually tell anyone for seven months that I had opened a shop."
Having previously been a partner in a bar and restaurant business he enjoyed his new lifestyle.
"I used to do double shifts, I would be in there day and night - now I have a life."
And as a former heavy smoker, Mr Restarick enjoyed helping others give up cigarettes.
Business went well, Solvape was profitable within eight months, but the market was about to get a lot more difficult.
I met Mr Restarick in his second shop, on Whitecross Street in central London, which he opened in April 2017.
He chose the street because there was no competition, but within months there were two other vape shops.
"I opened it up... bang on the time that everyone wanted to open a store," he says.
"All of a sudden there's a new market where, with a little bit of money, you can have a go."
As well as increased competition, vape shop owners have had to cope with new regulations. The Tobacco Products Directive (TPD) came into force in May 2016. It was designed to protect consumers yet had unforeseen consequences.
Wholesalers discounted products that were no longer allowed under the new rules, in particular larger bottles of vaping liquid.
Shops took advantage of this temporary drop in wholesale costs and slashed their own prices, which fell by as much as 40% last summer, upsetting the economics of running a vaping shop.
Since then stores have found it difficult to put prices back up.
"It's ridiculous," says Mr Restarick. Tighter profit margins will cause many shops to close, he thinks.
"Everyone's opening up thinking it's a quick buck. There's only so many people vaping. A lot of shops will be shutting."
E-cigarettes have a small chamber which is filled with a water-based liquid. That is then heated producing a vapour, hence vaping.
That vapour does not contain tar or carbon monoxide, but does include additives and flavourings.
Users can choose whether to use a liquid that contains nicotine.
An independent review of the latest evidence, published by Public Health England earlier this year, suggests at least 20,000 people a year are quitting with the help of e-cigarettes.
The report also says they are at least 95% less harmful than smoking.
Data about vape shops is patchy as the industry is relatively new.
In 2017, 381 tobacconists opened in the UK, the vast majority of which would have been vape shops, says the Local Data Company.
The UK Vaping Industry Association (UKVIA) says there are around 2,000 UK vaping outlets.
This number is likely to grow "exponentially", mirroring the growth of coffee and mobile phone shops, it adds.
He is managing director of Totally Wicked, the UK's biggest vaping shop chain with 140 stores.
His company opened its first High Street store in 2011, but Mr Cropper says the big expansion came after 2013, when new products came on to the market.
"There's definitely a change from undersupply to oversupply," he says.
"I think we're in a period of rationalisation now," he says, and a lot of stores need investment otherwise they will be forced to close.
Customers want "normal retail service, rather than something which is too peculiar or arcane".
"A vaping store where there are plumes of smoke rolling out of the door doesn't appeal to the mass vaper."
The days when a plucky entrepreneur could quickly and cheaply get into an expanding market are over.
A "decent" High Street store costs £30,000-50,000, Mr Cropper estimates.
Big firms can also experiment with other ways of reaching customers. Totally Wicked has recently launched a subscription service, which Mr Cropper says has been "relatively successful".
But like the smaller firms, Mr Cropper has issues with the regulation of his business.
In particular he would like restrictions on advertising to be lifted.
"We can't talk about the relative risks of our product compared to tobacco, which is bizarre."
He would also like to sell bigger bottles of vaping liquid, the limit is currently 10ml and bigger bottles would mean better discounts for customers, he says.
"You've got to take it really carefully in the current climate," says Anthony Mixides, the founder of the London Vape Company.
He opened his first store in 2014 and expanded quickly, owning four shops in North London by the end of 2015, but now says he is waiting to "see how the market pans out and then make that decision on growth."
He attributes his caution to a general downturn on the High Street and rising costs, particularly business rates. He's also keeping an eye on the big tobacco companies, who are launching products that heat tobacco, rather than burn it, which they claim is less damaging to health.
But Mr Mixides thinks there will always be a place for vaping stores - as long as they provide good service. In his experience shoppers like to browse and try products and has found that a loyalty card scheme has kept customers coming back.
Back at Solvape in east London, James Restarick says he will be one of the industry's survivors. He has refurbished his shop in Kent and sharpened his prices.
"I've now done deals with my wholesalers. I've now got the best price I've ever had and I've undercut every shop."
FROM: https://www.bbc.com/news/business-43965382
Health Canada ‘actively monitoring’ U.S. vaping illness breakthrough
OTTAWA — Canadian health officials say they are closely monitoring an apparent U.S. breakthrough into the cause of a mysterious vaping illness.
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention say they have a “very strong culprit” in a chemical compound known as vitamin E acetate.
The compound was found in fluid taken from the lungs of 29 patients across the United States, as well as liquid from electronic cigarettes and other vaping devices used by many who fell ill.
Health Canada spokesman Eric Morrissette says vitamin E acetate is not allowed in Canadian cannabis vaping products.
Still, he says Health Canada and the Public Health Agency of Canada are “actively monitoring the vaping illness situation.”
That includes maintaining close contact with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to better understand their investigation.
“Health Canada will continue to monitor all available data sources and surveillance systems and will take additional action, if warranted and as appropriate, to protect the health and safety of Canadians,” Morrissette said Friday in an emailed statement.
There have been seven confirmed or probable cases of severe lung illness related to vaping in Canada.
That includes two confirmed cases in Quebec, two probable cases in New Brunswick and three probable cases in British Columbia.
U.S. officials said Friday this is the first time they’ve found a common suspect in the damaged lungs of patients.
But they cautioned they cannot rule out all other toxic substances, and it may take animal studies to clearly show vitamin E acetate causes the lung damage that’s been seen.
More than 2,000 Americans who vape have gotten sick since March, many of them teens and young adults, and at least 40 people have died.
The first Canadian was diagnosed in Quebec in September and Health Canada has urged people who vape to watch for symptoms, such as a cough, shortness of breath, fatigue, diarrhea, vomiting and chest pain.
— By Cassandra Szklarski in Toronto
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 8, 2019.
From:
www.cjme.com
Gentili: Vaping isn’t the demon Canada’s health sector wants you to think it is
Vaping-related illnesses is what happens when an unregulated market in the U.S. is allowed to spin out of control. Look to the U.K. for the real picture on vaping
Updated Nov 28, 2019 8:31 PM
All signs point to the use of black market vape pods containing THC as the cause of the rash of vaping-related lung illness that swept the U.S. in recent months.
The Centers for Disease Control in the United States has studied the lungs of more than two dozen of the 47 mostly young men who died from vaping-related illnesses and found a chemical called vitamin E acetate in all of them.
The CDC says with a good deal of confidence that this chemical — which is only used in vaping liquid containing THC (the active ingredient in cannabis) and only produced by the black market — is the main cause of the illness that sickened 2,290 people.
In Canada, there have been four confirmed cases and seven probable ones.
Cards on the table, I have a bias here. I vape. I’ve been vaping for four or five years now. Vaping got me off smoking cigarettes. My smoker’s cough has vanished. I breathe easier.
Naturally, since I vape, I’ve been following the vaping-related illness story with more than casual interest. I may have bias, but I don’t have my head in the sand. Obviously, the rash of illness is concerning, so I followed the developing story closely.
As it picked up steam, people who know I vape asked how I could continue doing it with all those people getting sick. Didn’t I know the risk I was taking? How could I not be concerned?
Concerned? Yes. Uninformed? No. Part of the reason I wasn’t overly concerned about vaping-related illness is because of the anomalous nature of it.
Let me explain. There are nine million people who vape in the U.S., around 300,000 in Canada and 3.6 million in the United Kingdom. Outside those three countries, tens of millions more people vape in the rest of the world.
But the illness has been confined to the U.S., save a handful in Canada. And, of the nine million Americans who vape, only 0.002 per cent have gotten sick. Virtually all of them were vaping THC. That rate of illness is even lower in Canada. Compared to the number of people regularly vaping, the rate of vaping-related illness is barely statistically significant.
Now, vaping has grown steadily in popularity over the past five years, with more and more smokers quitting cigarettes in favour of vaping, but vaping-related illness wasn’t a thing before this year. It appeared suddenly, with new cases popping up rapidly over a period of months, before plateauing and falling off. Few new cases are now being reported.
That so few people became sick in such a small window of time, it seems highly likely the illness is related not to the practice of vaping itself, but to the liquid those who became sick were vaping. This bolsters the CDC’s finding that vitamin E acetate is the culprit.
I’m not saying vaping is entirely safe. Of course not. As with any substance taken internally, there is risk and there are also going to be people who are sensitive or allergic to the chemicals in vape liquid. It does appear though, that negative reactions are fairly rare.
Here, too, data provides insight. The U.K., which has embraced vaping as a valuable tool in the fight against tobacco use, has been collecting data on vaping for years. Over the past five years and out of 3.6 million people vaping, there have been only 200 cases of health problems linked to vaping. Some (49 of 200) of those were serious, pneumonia and heart disorders, most were not.
Here again, the rate of adverse reactions is so low, it’s practically insignificant.
An adverse reaction that has grabbed more than its share of headlines is something called “popcorn lung” because it’s linked to the chemical diacetyl, which is used to add buttery flavouring to food. It’s called popcorn lung because the severe lung damage it may cause was first observed in eight workers in a single U.S. microwave popcorn factory.
It’s exceedingly rare and isn’t endemic to popcorn factory workers (as might be expected). Dozens of news stories link diacetyl as a flavouring agent in vape liquid to popcorn lung. It has been found in small amounts in some vape liquids, that’s true, but what those stories fail to report is that diacetyl is also found in cigarettes — in concentrations hundreds of times higher than in vape liquid — but there are no cases of popcorn lung among smokers.
Despite this data though, officials in public health and the health-care sector in Canada are using the anomalous vaping-related illness to attack the practice of vaping itself, despite ample evidence from the United Kingdom that, coupled with strong legislation and regulation, vaping is 95 per cent safer than cigarettes, is highly effective at getting people off tobacco, poses no risk for second-hand exposure and doesn’t create a generation of young nicotine addicts.
Canada does regulate vaping, but the federal government could go a step further and cap the strength of nicotine-salt vape pods at 25 mg, as the U.K. does. No one needs a 50-nic pod. Canada could limit the sale of vape products to vape stores (most of which don’t allow customers under age 19) and ban them from gas stations and corner stores.
But this practice of going after flavours (hint: adults like sweet things as much as kids do) and demonizing something that has helped hundreds of thousands of people quit smoking is wrongheaded, misguided and counterproductive.
Tobacco is the No. 1 cause of preventable death worldwide. Where the U.K. has chosen to tackle this scourge (which directly kills thousands a day and sickens even more) critically and rationally, Canada’s health-care sector moralizes and persists in being puritanical and parochial. And people who might otherwise be saved continue to die.
Mark Gentili is the editor of Sudbury.com and Northern Life.
From:
www.sudbury.com
EMAIL: wwwebmonitor@yahoo.com
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