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A survey in Ireland found that 75% of ex-smokers believe banning flavoured vapes would increase youth smoking. 90% of vapers fear a black market would emerge if flavours were banned. Experts argue that vape flavours aid smoking cessation, with 98% of ex-smokers crediting vaping for quitting. Restrictions could push vapers back to smoking and discourage smokers from switching. Vetoed bans, like in Florida, risk blocking safer alternatives for smokers. Studies show flavoured vapes help adults quit smoking better than tobacco flavours. Experts urge careful consideration of the impact of flavour bans on smoking rates and public health.

Banning disposable vapes will not be "effective", the boss of the UK's largest tobacco firm has told the BBC. Tadeu Marroco, chief executive of British American Tobacco (BAT), also said raising the smoking age would have "non-intended consequences". The government plans to outlaw disposable vapes next April as part of the "biggest public health measure in decades". BAT is the UK's third-largest vape seller. Sales of disposable vapes - which give a few hundred puffs of nicotine-containing liquid before being thrown away - have skyrocketed in recent years in Britain. It is estimated hundreds of millions are now sold every year, many of them illegal.

The rising popularity of nicotine pouches in the United States, in particular Zyn, has been met with backlash and misinformation, despite the proven efficacy of safer nicotine products in helping smokers quit. In today's episode we're joined by Martin Cullip of the Taxpayers Protection Alliance, who takes a closer look at the motivations behind this backlash and the actual evidence at stake.

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.

Belgium will ban the sale of disposable e-cigarettes effective Jan. 1, 2025, making it the first EU country to do so, reports The Brussels Times, citing Federal Health Minister Frank Vandenbroucke. The country has received approval from the European Commission for the ban. “The disposable e-cigarette causes a lot of damage to society and the environment,” said Vandenbroucke. “This harmful product mainly targets our young people. I am therefore pleased that we can remove this from the market.”

In comparison to tobacco smoking, the use of e-cigarettes and smokeless, non-combustible tobacco has often been considered to be less harmful. However, recent studies have highlighted some of the potential adverse effects linked to e-cigarette use, including DNA damage and endothelial dysfunction. Therefore, it is imperative to understand the molecular changes and their long-term effects on health.

Thai Academics are warning about a new type of e-cigarette called "toy pods" which look like replicas of popular cartoon characters to target school and university students. Srirach Lapyai, a project manager at Tobacco Control Research and Knowledge Management Centre (TRC), said e-cigarette businesses have adjusted the appearance of their products to look more like figurines of famous cartoon characters or cute miniatures of toys, food, stationery items, and so forth.

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.

The World Health Organization (WHO) has called for governments to treat electronic cigarettes, commonly known as vapes, with the same regulatory framework as traditional tobacco products and to implement a ban on all flavors. This recommendation could pose challenges for major tobacco companies, which have been banking on a transition to cigarette alternatives, aiming for 50% of revenues from ‘non-combustible’ products by 2035.

New Zealand said Wednesday it will ban disposable e-cigarettes, or vapes, and raise financial penalties for those who sell such products to minors. The move comes less than a month after the government repealed a unique law enacted by the previous left-leaning government to phase out tobacco smoking by imposing a lifetime ban on young people buying cigarettes. New Zealand’s Associate Health Minister Casey Costello said Wednesday that e-cigarettes remain “a key smoking cessation device” and the new regulations will help prevent minors from taking up the habit.