Nicotine Science and Policy

By Harry Shapiro Jan. 9, 2025

Harry’s blog 126: Tobacco harm reduction and ‘Podsnappery’

Mr Podsnap is a minor character in Charles Dickens’ novel Our Mutual Friend. Mr Podsnap was “well to do, and stood very high in Mr. Podsnap's opinion”. He was noted for his ignorant and wanton dismissal of anything he disagreed with – “I don’t want to know about it; I don’t choose to discuss it; I don’t admit it … I have also said that if [such things] do occur (not that I admit it), the fault lies with the sufferers themselves”.

Recent GFN-TV Interviews

February 07, 2025 by wfu.edu

Tobacco Age Restrictions May Not Be Working, New Research Shows

Based on survey data, young adults covered by Tobacco 21 (T21) laws say they are smoking less. Biomarkers paint a smokier picture. Despite recent reports of tobacco bans’ success, new research shows 18 to 20-year-olds are finding ways to get cigarettes and vapes. Traces of nicotine and tobacco in their bodies prove it.





February 07, 2025 by scmp.com

Malaysia Has to Clear the Air on Vaping Laws

Malaysia’s government appears shrouded in a haze of indecision on vaping, as its leaders vacillate between wanting to stamp out potential health risks to the nation’s youths and keeping young entrepreneurs in business. Without a clear and unified strategy, the country risks rising youth addiction, mounting healthcare costs and an expanding underground market for e-cigarettes.


20.90% of the adult population are current smokers. There are approximately 5.2 million current smokers in Malaysia 40.80% of men are current smokers but only 0.50% of women.
SOURCE: GSTHR

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February 07, 2025 by vapingpost.com

Quitting Difficulties and Lives Lost to Smoking vs the Challenges and Benefits of Vaping

As the UK's NHS launches its first vaping cessation clnic, three different studies from University College London (UCL), looked into aspects of smoking and vaping.



February 07, 2025 by dhakatribune.com

Experts Call for Exposing Tobacco Industry’s Deceptive Tactics to Protect Public Health

Speakers have called for increased efforts to expose the deceptive tactics of the tobacco industry, emphasizing the need to protect public health.



February 07, 2025 by vaping360.com

Chinese-Made Vapes Now Subject to 35% Tariff

The first punitive tariffs on Chinese products imposed by the second Trump administration took effect Feb. 4. The new tariffs impose an across-the-board 10 percent levy on products from China, including the vast majority of vapes used by American consumers. China reacted immediately, imposing a retaliatory 15 percent tariff on (...)


24.90% of the adult population are current smokers. There are approximately 293.5 million current smokers in China 47.30% of men are current smokers but only 2.00% of women.
SOURCE: GSTHR

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February 06, 2025 by washingtontimes.com

Trump, RFK Jr. and The Case for Revolutionizing Tobacco Regulation

The newly inaugurated administration brings a crucial opportunity to combat chronic diseases, which claim hundreds of thousands of American lives annually, and one leading preventable cause of death – smoking – could be eradicated under the new administration. This could easily be achieved simply by following through with plans to reform the beleaguered U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to make it easier for smokers to quit by making the switch to less harmful products.


19.30% of the adult population are current smokers. There are approximately 52.1 million current smokers in United States 22.90% of men are current smokers but only 15.80% of women.
SOURCE: GSTHR


February 06, 2025 by mipod.com

Vaping: The Most Effective Smoking Cessation Method Ever Devised Per New Review

For years, public health officials and policymakers have debated the role of vaping in smoking cessation. Now, the evidence is undeniable: a newly updated Cochrane Review confirms that nicotine-containing e-cigarettes are the most effective tool for helping smokers quit.



February 06, 2025 by goldwaterinstitute.org

The Long Wait for a Safer Way to Quit Smoking

After a five-year wait, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has finally greenlit marketing for a tobacco-free alternative that’s 95% safer than conventional smoking: Zyn nicotine pouches. Unfortunately, thousands more products to help smokers quit are stuck in regulatory limbo—meaning the FDA is still limiting access to safer alternatives for the estimated 1 in 5 U.S. adults who currently use tobacco.



February 06, 2025 by youtube.com

Smoking Kills, But So Does Misinformation, Dr. Yach Weighs In

Dr. Yach examines the history of harm reduction, vaping’s role in public health, and South Africa’s flawed regulations. He discusses government misinformation, the illicit market, medical stigma, and the future of vaping as a safer alternative.



February 06, 2025 by worldvapersalliance.com

Vaping Under Attack: How States Are Cracking Down on Harm Reduction

A Yale University study found that flavor bans lead to increased cigarette smoking among adults and youth, undermining public health efforts to reduce smoking rates. Researchers concluded that “adults who used flavored e-cigarettes were more likely to quit smoking than those who used tobacco-flavored products,” highlighting the crucial role of flavors in harm reduction.



Blogs

Harry’s blog 126: Tobacco harm reduction and ‘Podsnappery’

Mr Podsnap is a minor character in Charles Dickens’ novel Our Mutual Friend. Mr Podsnap was “well to do, and stood very high in Mr. Podsnap's opinion”. He was noted for his ignorant and wanton dismissal of anything he disagreed with – “I don’t want to know about it; I don’t choose to discuss it; I don’t admit it … I have also said that if [such things] do occur (not that I admit it), the fault lies with the sufferers themselves”.

Harry’s blog 125: Deal with what’s in front of you

The introduction to the government’s 294-page risk assessment of the Tobacco and Vapes Bill which has yet to become law as it passes through the various stages of parliamentary procedure states:

Harry’s blog 124: Giving a voice to the voiceless.

Imagine the outcome if your local park football team took on Real Madrid. This is equivalent to the challenge faced by tobacco harm reduction consumer activists trying to take on the well-funded and well-organised global cartel opposing the use of safer nicotine products. Consumers are shut out of the international debate and denied a seat at the table while their lived experiences are ignored or dismissed as utterances in the service of Big Tobacco.