Vaping Isn’t ‘Creating Next Generation of Addicts’ and More! @ Vape-Deals

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Data shows vaping isn’t “addicting a new generation.” Study shows dual use can reduce smoking and help with quitting. AHA director shockingly displays sound logic. CDC cherry-picks data to highlight ‘concerns’ and more!

Scroll to the bottom of this post for a link to the audio/video versions of this post!

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RESEARCH

Dual Use Can Result in Success

Dual use (smoking and #vaping) is often called a PROBLEM with vaping by Tobacco Control. This study suggests dual use may actually be PROGRESS:

“Dual use of cigarettes and e-cigarettes can result in a reduction of smoking and may preclude quitting smoking. Sustained e-cigarette use is not always necessary for quitting success. Success depends on personal context as well satisfaction with vaping.”

READ MORE: How do people quit smoking using e-cigarettes? A mixed-methods exploration of participant smoking pathways following receiving an opportunistic e-cigarette-based smoking cessation intervention

Weak Reporting of a ‘Weak’ Vaping Study

There have been many headlines recently about this study claiming that vaping “might make young adults physically weaker” and even go as far as claiming that the study suggests that vaping “damages young people’s lungs as much as smoking.”

News outlets are uncritically repeating the claims made by researchers, but buried at the very end of this particular article (and not mentioned in many others) it’s reported that the study hasn’t even been published in a peer-reviewed journal yet!

We don’t yet know the limitations of this study, which only tested 20 vapers (who had vaped for at least 2 years.) We don’t know if those vapers had smoked for years before switching, if they were still smoking while vaping or if they were simply less fit than those who didn’t vape. Yet the headlines act as though it’s settled science.

This is another example of irresponsible journalism.

You can read an expert response to this “news” below.

EXPERT REACTION: Expert reaction to unpublished conference abstract on vaping, smoking and exercise

READ MORE: Vaping might make young adults physically weaker

Another Study Fails to Answer “Which came first?” Question

Did this study show that vaping is “linked to cognitive decline?”

No.

Researchers did NOT say they tested the Ecuadorian students’ cognitive function BEFORE they started vaping and compare it to their scores after, so they can’t even claim there WAS any “decline!”

Curiously, this particular news article omits the fact that they also found that the people who smoked exclusively scored higher than the exclusive vapers and the dual users. The fact that people who were exposed to cigarette smoke (a source of carbon monoxide exposure, which is known to negatively impact cognitive function) scored higher than exclusive vapers (who are not exposed to CO) should have been a red flag to researchers that something was amiss.

If the authors were being honest, they’d admit that this study may have only shown that people with lower cognitive function scores might be more likely to vape and the lower the score, the more they vape.

READ MORE: Vaping Linked to Cognitive Decline in College Students, New Study Reveals

 

TOBACCO HARM REDUCTION

Proof Vaping Isn’t ‘Creating Next Generation of Addicts’

The next time someone claims that e-cigarettes are “creating a new generation of nicotine addiction,” are a “gateway to using other tobacco products” or are “reversing progress in reducing youth tobacco use,” you can just show them this.

 

TOBACCO CONTROL

AHA Director Shockingly Displays Sound Logic

A shockingly reasonable take on a proposed PMTA registry bill by Erin Bennett, government relations director for the American Heart Association:

“If they are not getting [permits from the state’s health department,] they are not getting any of the compliance checks that align with those permits.

I don’t believe we need a new regulatory list, agency or what have you. We need enforcement, and that is where we need to start with this process.”

It was also encouraging to hear that some lawmakers knew that “tobacco retailers, like convenience stores and smoke shops, don’t appear to be the source problem, as kids are often obtaining e-cigarettes through other means.” (Of course, we’d also include vape shops in that statement!)

On the other hand, those pushing for more restrictive laws claim “underage vaping is still causing “great concern” among Idaho parents.” That “concern” is not surprising when they’re being misled with claims like “nearly 18% [17.9%] of Idaho high school students said they used e-cigarettes” in 2021.

What those parents don’t know is that 17.9% rate has declined dramatically since 2021 and refers to high school students who even had just 1 puff from an e-cigarette in the past month. Frequent vaping was only 7.1% and daily vaping was 5.2%. That was on par with the national rates.

Meanwhile, high school past 30 day smoking rates in Idaho had dramatically dropped from 14.3% in  2011 to 3.8% in 2021.

Again, that was 3 years ago. In 2024, national past 30 day high school vaping rates had fallen from 18% to just 7.8%. Frequent use fell from 7.3% to 3.3% and daily vaping fell from 5% to 2.3%. Do you think Idaho parents would still have such “great concern” if they knew the truth?

READ MORE: Legislative committee looks to curb youth vaping

Despite Facts, Lawmakers Continue War on Vaping

The “Flavors Hook Kids” campaign in Washington falsely claims that “flavored tobacco products, especially e-cigarettes, have addicted a new generation of kids and threaten to reverse the decades-long progress Washington has made in reducing youth tobacco use.”

We’ve covered these types of statements in previous posts and demonstrated how there has been significant decline in youth tobacco and nicotine use in the past 2 decades.

In Washington, grade 12 smoking dropped from 11% in 2016 to 5% in 2023, and vaping dropped from 20% to 14%. Of those who vaped, 60% said they vaped THC and only 24% said they got the product from a store, internet or vending machine — 71% got the vape from social sources (ie. bumming from a friend, “taking” from a store or family member.)

In 2022, 7.6% of adults in the state reported using vaping products, up from 4.5% in 2017. Meanwhile, adult smoking has declined from 13.5% to 10%.

This baseless scaremongering is being used to support a flavor ban that will negatively impact the lives of nearly half a million Washington adults who currently vape to avoid smoking and the over half a million who currently still smoke and would benefit from switching completely to much safer e-cigarettes.

READ MORE: Washington lawmakers to introduce ban on flavored tobacco products, including menthol cigarettes

CDC Cherry-Picks Vaping Data to Highlight ‘Concerns’

The CDC has recently updated website pages about adult tobacco use with 2022 data, including this one about smoking.

A report, “Tobacco Product Use Among Adults — United States, 2022: 2022 National Health Interview Survey (NHIS) Highlights‎,” shows the trends between 2019-2022 and 2021-2022 and frets about “increased” tobacco use and vaping.

Why do you think they specifically choose 2019 – 2022 and 2021 – 2022?

We’ve found that the story looks a bit different when you go back about a decade to 2015.

Note on our graph how overall tobacco use had stayed nearly the same between 2015 – 2022, yet cigarette smoking had declined 3.5 points? That strongly suggests that some other type of “tobacco” product took the place of cigarettes. Cigar and smokeless tobacco also remained nearly the same, so they don’t seem to have replaced cigarettes. So what’s left, then?

Surprise! It’s e-cigarettes. (We suspect nicotine pouches also played a part, but CDC didn’t include them in this report.)

By cherry-picking the comparison years, was CDC able to highlight “concerns” and avoid showing any evidence suggesting that low-risk vaping had become a substitute for smoking?

The Horrifying Consequences of Bad Public Health Recommendations and Rampant Misinformation
Why The War On Vaping Is Needlessly Killing People

“The FDA’s obstinate, unscientific hostility has cost countless lives.”

~ Steve Forbes

A Baseless ‘Gateway’ Worry

“The worry is that as young people experiment with these products, they may find the pouches don’t continue to satisfy their growing need for nicotine and lead to smoking and vaping down the road.”

First of all, nicotine tolerance isn’t like alcohol and some other drugs. According to a 2023 Gallup poll only 6% of people who smoke were smoking more than 1 pack per day. If people had an unlimited “growing need for nicotine” then the average amount of cigarettes smoked in the US would be a lot more than half a pack!

Secondly, why would this alleged “growing need for nicotine” lead to vaping or smoking rather than just using pouches more frequently? Just as someone who smokes would simply smoke more cigarettes or someone using nicotine gum would use more gum, someone who uses pouches could just use more pouches if they wanted more nicotine. There’s ZERO reason to switch to vaping or smoking.

This has to be one of the most nonsensical “gateway” arguments we’ve seen to date!

READ MORE: Do You Know What a Nicotine Pouch Looks Like? Most Parents Don’t

More Flavor Ban Misinformation in Washington

“What we want to encourage legislators is to research and know the facts,” said Brittany Grant, regional advocacy director for Tobacco-Free Kids.

No, what they want is for legislators to believe their misinformation. If lawmakers really knew the facts, they’d understand that youth don’t vape because of the flavors, and banning flavors would just lead to more sales of unregulated, illicit products and/or more youth (and adult) cigarette smoking.

Australia is real-time evidence of that:

READ MORE: Washington advocates push for state ban on flavored vapes

Pot Meet Kettle

Tobacco Companies: We’re selling e-cigarettes now (which are a far safer alternative to cigarettes.)

Tobacco Control: It’s a trick! Don’t buy e-cigarettes, they’re as bad as cigarettes and made to addict kids! We should ban them!

Tobacco Companies: We’re selling heat-not-burn products now (which are a safer alternative to cigarettes.)

Tobacco Control:  It’s a trick! Don’t buy heat-not-burn products, they’re as bad as cigarettes!

Tobacco Companies: We’re selling nicotine pouches now (which are a far safer alternative to cigarettes.)

Tobacco Control: It’s a trick! Don’t buy nicotine pouches, they’re just trying to addict a new generation and lead them to smoking!

Tobacco Companies: Our e-cigarettes, heat-not-burn products and nicotine pouches aren’t selling and/or are banned, so we’re still selling cigarettes.

Tobacco Control: See! We told you it was a trick! They never really wanted to stop selling cigarettes!

Look, we’re obviously not fans of tobacco companies selling cigarettes, either, but let’s be real. Tobacco Control policies and misinformation clearly have played their own part in keeping safer, smoke-free alternatives from becoming more popular than cigarettes.

READ MORE: Broken Promise: Philip Morris International is Not Quitting Cigarettes (PDF)

Were New Jersey Anti-vaping Laws Necessary? Ask Oklahoma

Ashley Smith, tobacco programs manager at Tobacco-Free for a Healthy New Jersey, suggests that “advanced” state laws, such as a public vaping ban, a 10% tax on e-liquids, the e-cigarette flavor ban and a 2017 Tobacco 21 law, are what helped to drive high school past-30-day vaping down from 27.6% in 2019 to 21.6% (6 points) in 2021.

Interestingly, high school past-30-day vaping in Oklahoma similarly dropped from 27.8% in 2019 to 21.7% (6.1 points) in 2021. However, Oklahoma did NOT prohibit public vaping, tax vapor products or ban flavors, and didn’t pass a state Tobacco 21 law until May of 2020.

Notably, high school past-30-smoking in New Jersey dropped from 3.8% in 2019 to 3.7% 2021, while in Oklahoma it dropped from 9.1% to 4%.

But if New Jersey’s “advanced” laws are what helped reduce youth vaping, how did Oklahoma have the exact same results without having those same laws?

Of course, New Jersey Tobacco Control will turn to these same “effective” methods when attacking the new “threat” to our youth mentioned in the article: nicotine pouches.

And yet, just 360,000 (2.4%) of approximately 15 million US high school students tried nicotine pouches at least once in the past 30 days in 2024, with just 80,000 (0.05%) using them daily.

That’s hardly a cause for panic. Maybe New Jersey lawmakers could save time and taxpayer dollars by following Oklahoma’s just-as-effective policies instead?

READ MORE: NJ teen vaping down — but a new tobacco problem is on the rise

By Any Other Name — It’s Still Prohibition

“Endgame strategies including the birthdate phaseout could create a tobacco/nicotine-free generation and eventually a society free from tobacco product toxins and carcinogens. Millions of lives and billions in health care costs would be saved. But there are substantial barriers to enactment such as loss of state tobacco-tax revenue and opposing business and political pressures.”

Dr. Feldman is ignoring the greatest barrier of all: consumer demand. As long as there is demand, there will be a market — whether it’s regulated by the government or not.

Don’t be fooled by the newfangled terminology. A “birthdate phaseout” is still PROHIBITION — and we all know how bad prohibition has turned out to be.

READ MORE: Dr. Richard Feldman: Could smoking be phased out?

 

IN THE NEWS

A Tragic Loss, but Unlikely Caused by E-cigarettes

First, we’d like to express our sincere condolences to this family for their unfathomable loss.

Sadly, apparently they have also been misled or misinformed about the cause of this tragedy.

The fact is, millions of people all over the world have used vapor products for over 15 years now and there has not been a single confirmed case of “popcorn lung” (bronchiolitis obliterans) caused by nicotine #vaping.

The reporting on this case also doesn’t confirm that this was bronchiolitis obliterans from vaping. In fact, there are no direct statements from the doctors involved in the case — only the family informing us that his doctor reportedly asked if he vaped. And while the article discusses nicotine vapor products in general, it doesn’t make it clear what product(s) he had gotten from his friends that he’d been “vaping on and off for a year.”

The cause of bronchiolitis obliterans is generally thought to be diacetyl, which was once used as a flavoring in microwave popcorn. About 14 years ago, diacetyl was also a fairly common “butter” flavorant in e-liquids. However, once the link between diacetyl and bronchiolitis obliterans was pointed out, the majority of US manufacturers quickly found alternatives for butter flavors due to consumer demand.

Additionally, even if an e-liquid today did still contain diacetyl, there’s no evidence that it would be at sufficient levels to cause bronchiolitis obliterans.

A 2013 study by Cardno ChemRisk, a scientific toxicology and risk assessment consulting company, found that diacetyl “exposures from cigarette smoking far exceed occupational exposures for most food/flavoring workers” and they point out that “smoking has not been shown to be a risk factor for bronchiolitis obliterans.”

In 2006, researchers reported levels of diacetyl in cigarette smoke at 301–433 μg/cigarette, while a 2015 study by Harvard scientists found that nicotine vapor products containing diacetyl exposed the consumer to 239 μg/e-cigarette or less.

It’s illogical and unscientific for public health authorities to claim e-cigarettes cause or are a risk factor for “popcorn lung” due to the presence of diacetyl when even cigarette smoking — with significantly higher levels of diacetyl exposure — hasn’t been shown to be a risk factor.

While truly heartbreaking, this case doesn’t provide evidence that nicotine vaping “on and off for a year” could cause “popcorn lung.” Based on the known facts about diacetyl and over 15 years of vaping statistics, it’s far more likely that he had an existing, undiagnosed medical condition or he was exposed to another substance that can mimic the symptoms of bronchiolitis obliterans in many ways, such as vitamin E acetate.

READ MORE: https://www.wral.com/story/he-died-from-vaping-the-rise-of-vaping-among-teens-in-nc/21634424/

 

Real people. Real Stories.

“Anecdote” #13,544:

Without access to the vaping options that worked for her—such as pleasant flavors and non-nicotine liquids—Patricia would likely still be smoking today. Adults who smoke depend on these products. What happens if those products are then banned?

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On this week’s episode, join Alex and Logan as they discuss hot topics in Tobacco Harm Reduction, including the recent authorization of menthol vaping products, the Supreme Court Chevron decision and the anti-nicotine “end game.”

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