Read articles from North America

March 29, 2024 by filtermag.org

Canada's handling of nicotine pouches has been criticized for going against its principles of peace, order, and good government. Health Canada initially discouraged their use but later authorized Zonnic for smoking cessation. Despite proven effectiveness, public health groups criticized Zonnic's marketing towards youth. Politicians have proposed restrictions, with British Columbia limiting sales to pharmacies. The controversy highlights missteps by all parties involved, impacting smokers seeking harm reduction. The push for flavor bans on such products may hinder smoking cessation efforts and encourage illicit markets.

March 29, 2024 by gfn.tv

Mexico's President is seeking to solidify Mexico's hardline approach to vaping with a proposal to ban vaping through a constitutional amendment, to the consternation of vaping advocates who fear smokers will lose access to these safer alternatives in the country. Joining us to today is Tomás O'Gorman, co-founder of "Pro-Vapeo Mexico" and a member of INNCO’s Board, who highlights the hardening of Mexico's anti-vaping stance and the impact this could have on smokers' ability to quit in Mexico.

March 28, 2024 by bloomberg.com

For Big Tobacco, the ideal user of one of its nicotine pouches is an older ex-smoker who indulges in the tiny packets to get their daily dose of the stimulant. But so-called “Zynfluencers” cropping up on TikTok to extol the virtues of Zyn, produced by Philip Morris International Inc., are sparking a frenzy over whether young people who have never smoked are getting hooked on them. The debate over Zyn, as well as Velo from rival British American Tobacco Plc, is eerily similar to that which engulfed vaping around five years ago.

March 27, 2024 by richmond.com

Virginia faces impending disaster if Gov. Youngkin signs Senate Bill 550 and House Bill 1609, which effectively bans most vaping products while favoring those from big tobacco. The bills hinder harm reduction, jeopardize public health, and stifle innovation. Advocates urge a balanced approach to protect consumers and businesses. By pushing these measures, big tobacco aims to eliminate competition, benefiting only themselves. Gov. Youngkin should consider the implications on public health and the economy before making a decision. It is vital to maintain alternatives for smokers and resist big tobacco's influence for the well-being of Virginians.

March 26, 2024 by ndtv.com

A recent study by the University of Kentucky sheds light on why women may find quitting smoking harder than men. The research suggests the female sex hormone, estrogen, might be playing a key role in nicotine addiction. The study found that women become dependent on nicotine faster than men and experience more difficulty quitting. Researchers led by Sally Pauss investigated this disparity and discovered a potential link to olfactomedin, a protein involved in the brain's reward system.

March 25, 2024 by filtermag.org

From vapes to snus and nicotine pouches, we have a growing array of much safer substitutes for the combustible cigarettes that cost almost a half million lives each year in the United States. That’s crucial, when individuals who switch from smoking have a variety of different needs. Some won’t find vaping helpful until they hit upon the right flavor, for example. To some, hand-to-mouth action and inhalation are essential elements for harm reduction products to replace; for others, it’s more about the nicotine, and oral products are more convenient.

March 22, 2024 by chicagotribune.com

Illinois lawmakers are considering two bills aimed at blocking children and teenagers from obtaining and concealing electronic cigarettes. One bill would ban e-cigarettes that are designed to look like objects commonly carried by schoolchildren, such as highlighters and markers, and therefore not spotted for what they actually are by adults. “We should do everything in our power to make it impossible for children to obtain and conceal tobacco products,” state Sen. Julie Morrison, a Deerfield Democrat who is co-sponsoring the bill that would ban the marketing of vapes that might be mistaken by adults for something else, said at a news conference in Springfield on Tuesday.

March 19, 2024 by gfn.tv

Despite the overwhelming evidence indicating that safer nicotine products are significantly less harmful than smoking, vaping misinformation has stoked mistrust of safer products, most notably seen in fears surrounding EVALI and youth vaping. In this episode, Will Godfrey looks at a recent study tracking the decreasing trust in vapes amongst the general public, and the real-world consequences that vaping misinformation has on public health.

March 19, 2024 by dailycaller.com

In January, Democratic New York Sen. Chuck Schumer, called on the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to investigate a product called “Zyn,” due to supposed concerns about marketing and health effects. Despite recent data from the FDA and CDC indicating that nicotine pouch use among youth is “exceptionally low,” anti-smokers are already raising the specter of youth use in their attempt to create a similar moral panic to the one they created about vaping products.

March 18, 2024 by dallasnews.com

Dallas is weighing recommendations from a citizen-led advisory group to ban vaping in public spaces to protect vulnerable populations from what it considers harmful secondhand exposure. At a Parks, Trails and the Environment committee meeting this month, Folashade Afolabi, with the Dallas Environmental Commission, said her group recommends the city expand its definition of smoking to include e-cigarettes, cigars and vapes that create an aerosol or vapor.