Nicotine Science and Policy
By Harry Shapiro Aug. 13, 2026
Harry's blog 134: Filtering out lies and misinformation
The only major global journal focused on harm reduction has gone bust. Since 2017, Filter has advocated through journalism for rational and compassionate approaches to drug use, drug policy and human rights, while also standing out for its coverage of tobacco harm reduction. Its closure is a significant loss - particularly at a time when well-funded opponents of tobacco harm reduction continue to thrive.
September 21, 2026 by snusforumet.se
Alex Wodak: ‘The safer nicotine option should be the easier option’
The safer nicotine option should be the easier option. That principle is simple, but many policies still do the opposite by keeping cigarettes familiar, affordable or accessible while making lower-risk alternatives harder to find or understand. Adult smokers need a path away from combustion that is practical in the real world, not only acceptable in theory. Harm reduction works best when regulation makes the less harmful choice the obvious one.
September 21, 2026 by regulatorwatch.com
Science Inside | NicoLeaks Supercharges Nicotine Pouch Testing | RegWatch
Nicotine pouch testing should be driven by science, not suspicion by category. Better data on ingredients, emissions, exposure and product performance can help regulators distinguish between responsible smoke-free products and those that fail basic standards. That matters because credible harm reduction depends on transparency as much as access. The stronger the testing framework, the harder it becomes to dismiss pouches with fear — or to defend products that do not meet the evidence.
September 21, 2026 by substack.com
Mike Bloomberg's gift to Big Tobacco
Tobacco control can end up protecting cigarettes even when that is the opposite of its intention. Policies that restrict or stigmatise lower-risk nicotine alternatives may leave combustible tobacco with less competition and adult smokers with fewer viable exits. That is the uncomfortable contradiction at the heart of many anti-vaping campaigns. Public health should scrutinise industry influence, but it should also ask whether its own strategies are keeping the most harmful product in the strongest position.
September 21, 2026 by desmoinesregister.com
FDA finally embraces harm reduction, sees role for vaping | Opinion
Tobacco control embracing harm reduction would mark a shift from fighting nicotine use in the abstract to reducing the harms that actually kill. FDA vaping policy should recognise that adult smokers need legal, evidence-based alternatives capable of moving them away from combustion. That does not weaken prevention or youth protection; it makes the overall strategy more realistic. Public health progress depends on helping people stop smoking, not on treating every nicotine product as the same threat.
14.10% of the adult population are current smokers. There are approximately 39.8 million current smokers in United States 17.10% of men are current smokers but only 11.10% of women.
SOURCE: GSTHR
September 18, 2026 by linknky.com
Opinion: From habit to health – new paths forward for veterans who smoke
Veterans who smoke need support that recognises habit, stress, trauma and dependence rather than reducing quitting to willpower. Many have tried to stop before, and some may need lower-risk nicotine options that meet them where they are. Harm reduction can create a more realistic path from habit to health by reducing exposure to combustion while keeping people engaged in care. Better cessation support should be practical, respectful and tailored to the lives of those it aims to help.
14.10% of the adult population are current smokers. There are approximately 39.8 million current smokers in United States 17.10% of men are current smokers but only 11.10% of women.
SOURCE: GSTHR
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Blogs
Harry's blog 134: Filtering out lies and misinformation
The only major global journal focused on harm reduction has gone bust. Since 2017, Filter has advocated through journalism for rational and compassionate approaches to drug use, drug policy and human rights, while also standing out for its coverage of tobacco harm reduction. Its closure is a significant loss - particularly at a time when well-funded opponents of tobacco harm reduction continue to thrive.
Harry’s blog 133: Silence is consent
Two tobacco control consultations that demand your attention
I’m sure there are many of you like me who are deeply cynical about public consultations. They often feel like political tick box exercises allowing the issuing authority from local councils to international organisations to say they have ‘consulted with the people’, when in truth they knew exactly what they were going to do from the get-go.
Harry’s Blog 132: “Zyn! Went The Strings Of My Heart” (with apologies to Judy Garland)
FDA approval of 20 nicotine pouch products is another step forward for tobacco harm reduction
The FDA in the U.S. has granted marketing authorisation for Zyn nicotine pouch products (five variations on mint plus five other flavours in two different strengths).
In its letter to PMI (who own Zyn manufacturers Swedish Match), the FDA wrote:
Based on our review of your MRTPAs [Modified Risk Tobacco Applications] we determined that the proposed modified risk tobacco products, …as actually used by consumers would significantly reduce harm and the risk of tobacco-related disease to individual tobacco users and benefit the health of the population as a whole, taking into account both users of tobacco products and persons who do not currently use tobacco products. Therefore, we authorize marketing of the tobacco products as modified risk tobacco products with the following modified risk information – “Using ZYN instead of cigarettes puts you at a lower risk of mouth cancer, heart disease, lung cancer, stroke, emphysema and chronic bronchitis”.