Tag: Vaping

7/13/21--Juul Labs is facing scrutiny for funding and working on studies of their products, and paying a journal to publish them. Juul teamed up with healthcare consultants Pinney Associates and the Centre for Substance Use Research (CSUR), chiefly, to examine its tobacco vaping device, as FDA weighs whether to grant the company a Premarket Tobacco Product Application (PMTA) as a safer alternative to cigarettes. Read

7/6/21--Vaping is becoming an increasing concern for schools and parents, and this webinar will provide up-to-date and relevant information on the research around vaping and trends in use among youth. Information will also be provided on how to best prevent e-cigarette and vaping use among youth. Read

7/6/21--Tailored, interactive text messages improved quit rates among young adults using e-cigarettes, a randomized trial in JAMA Internal Medicine reported. The trial’s 2588 participants, aged 18 to 24 years, expressed a strong desire to quit using e-cigarettes. Nearly all vaped daily and had previously attempted to quit. Three-quarters of the participants were current students and more than 80% were White. Read

6/29/21--The reporting of clinical trials sponsored by Juul Labs, the largest e-cigarette company in the USA, is assessed against accepted reporting standards. Findings raise substantial concerns regarding these trials. Clinicians, public health professionals, and the public cannot make informed choices about the benefits or hazards of e-cigarettes if the results of clinical trials are not completely and transparently reported. Clarification and potential enforcement of reporting laws may be required. Read

6/28/21--Juul Labs has agreed to pay North Carolina $40 million to settle the first of a spate of lawsuits brought by states and localities claiming the e-cigarette company’s marketing practices fueled widespread addiction to nicotine among young people and created a new public health problem. Read

6/23/21--House members told FDA Acting Commissioner Janet Woodcock, MD, at a hearing on youth vaping that the FDA should be doing more to stop kids from getting addicted to e-cigarettes. Subcommittee chairman Raja Krishnamoorthi (D-Ill.) began the hearing by laying out statistics on the problem and he focused some of his questions on flavored e-cigarettes, noting that the agency's 2020 e-cigarette "flavor ban" included two exemptions: one for tobacco and menthol flavors for Juul and other cartridge-based devices, and another for all flavors of disposable e-cigarettes. Read

6/21/21--A new WHO report “Litigation relevant to regulation of novel and emerging nicotine and tobacco products: comparison across jurisdictions” offers governments examples of the legal arguments that industry has used in attempts to evade or minimize regulation, as well as how courts have addressed those arguments. Read

6/18/21--This study evaluates the impact of ENDS flavor manipulation on user’s puffing behavior, subjective experience, harm perception and nicotine exposure among college-aged ENDS users. Results of this pilot study provides evidence that ENDS flavors have a substantial effect in enhancing young current ENDS users’ experiences, product appeal and motivation to use the product in the future. It highlights that limiting flavors could play a potential role when designing strategic policies to reduce the appeal of ENDS use among young people. Read

6/18/21--This study examines whether observing the use of this device would elicit similar responses in smokers. Exploratory analyses were also conducted to determine whether JUUL can act as a smoking cue for former smokers. Study results conclude that the use of JUUL affects the user and elicits responses in observers, It is the study first to demonstrate that exposure to JUUL use may act as a smoking cue and exposure to JUUL use may affect tobacco control efforts. Read

6/2/21--Altria Group Inc. and the Federal Trade Commission are squaring off over allegations that the Marlboro maker engaged in anticompetitive practices ahead of its 2018 investment in e-cigarette startup Juul Labs Inc. If the FTC prevails, it could unwind Altria’s 35% interest in Juul. The agency is seeking to force Altria to divest its stake and terminate the companies’ noncompete agreement. The case is being heard by an administrative law judge, who will make an initial decision; the agency’s commissioners will then vote on the matter. Read

5/20/21--In 2019, JUUL Labs began marketing in the European Union ‘new technology’ pods that incorporated a new wick that it claimed provided ‘more satisfaction’. In this study,  design and materials of construction, electrical characteristics, liquid composition and nicotine and carbonyl emissions of new technology JUUL pods were compared to their predecessors. Read

5/17/21--The results of a double-blind randomized clinical trial examining a text messaging intervention that uses cognitive and behavioral coping skills to promote abstinence of e-cigarette use among 18- to 24-year-olds indicate that when compared to the control, the intervention significantly increased the rate of 30-day point prevalence abstinence at 7 months postrandomization (18.6% vs 24.1%). Read

5/17/21--In a randomized clinical trial designed to determine the effectiveness of a text message program for vaping cessation among 2588 young adults vs assessment-only control, postrandomization abstinence rates were 24.1% among participants assigned to the text message intervention and 18.6% among participants assigned to an assessment-only control at 7 months, which is a statistically significant difference. No baseline characteristics moderated the treatment-outcome relationship, including nicotine dependence. Read

5/1/21-This study was conducted by creating several scenarios to estimate the percentages of JUUL’s net revenue from adults and youth in the US in 2018. Survey results indicate that a substantial proportion of JUUL’s profits in 2018 were a result of use by youth. It could be required that all e-cigarette companies actively ensure that use by youth is below a pre-determined small fraction of their sales, requiring that a high penalty be paid by those that fail to do so. Read

5/7/21--Laura Barufaldi and her colleagues at the National Cancer Institute of Brazil recently published Risk of smoking relapse with the use of electronic cigarettes: A systematic review with meta-analysis of longitudinal studies that identified six relevant studies from the US, UK and France, three of which have quantitative results. They found that risk of relapse is doubled among former smokers who use e-cigarettes than among non-users. Read

5/7/21--In a study comparing and examining the prevalence of self-reported frequent vaping of cannabis (defined as using ≥10 times in the past month) between 2018 and 2019 cohorts, frequent vaping of cannabis is increasing among adolescents in the United States, particularly among selected subgroups. Read

4/27/21--A group of Juul scientists have published “Modeling the population health impact of E.N.D.S in the U.S.” that concludes that “the availability of ENDS is projected to reduce smoking and prevent 2.5 million premature deaths by 2100.” Read

4/20/21--Researchers with the West Virginia University School of Medicine are investigating severe lung injuries occurring among e-cigarette users in rural Appalachia. In a recent study, Sunil Sharma—section chief of pulmonary/critical care and sleep medicine at the School of Medicine—and his colleagues present a case study of patients with EVALI (electronic cigarettes and vaping-associated lung injury) admitted to WVU hospitals from August 2019 to March 2020. Read

4/6/21--A recent study uncovered that participants exposed to any electronic cigarette product placement or imagery in music videos were more likely to have used an electronic cigarette in the past month compared to participants with no exposure.the Tobacco Master Settlement Agreement of 1998 prohibits product placement for cigarettes and chew tobacco in television, music videos and motion pictures, but those restrictions do not apply to electronic cigarettes. Read

3/23/21--The 43 House Democrats sent the letter to Acting FDA Commissioner Janet Woodcock urging the agency to take all flavored e-cigarettes off the market. The lawmakers want the FDA to ban all flavored e-cigarettes upon further review and nix the exemption the FDA has for methanol and disposable e-cigarettes. Read

3/16/21--According to data from the National Youth Tobacco Survey (NYTS), 19.6% of high school students (3.02 million) and 4.7% of middle school students (550,000) reported current (within the preceding 30 days) e-cigarette use in 2020 — 1.8 million fewer than in 2019.2 However, e-cigarette use among youth remains prominent and the landscape of devices is evolving, both of which pose a public health challenge. The changes in device type–specific e-cigarette use during 2019 and 2020 was accessed. Read

3/3/21--This study provides preliminary evidence that adolescents' cannabis use with Electronic nicotine delivery systems (ENDS) may have negative health consequences. Lifetime cannabis use with ENDS was substantially associated with higher odds of respiratory symptoms. Read

3/3/21--Teenagers who vape pot are more likely to wheeze and cough than those who smoke or vape nicotine, new survey data reveals. Reports from U.S. kids 12 to 17 show they have a higher risk of wheezing, suffering from a dry cough, and having their sleep, speech or exercise impeded by wheezing if they vape marijuana products, according to results from the U.S. federally funded Population Assessment of Tobacco and Health Study. Read

3/3/21-- According to results from the U.S. federally funded Population Assessment of Tobacco and Health Study, teenagers who vape pot are more likely to wheeze and cough than those who smoke or vape nicotine. Survey responses from nearly 15,000 teens showed that vaping pot increased their risk of wheezing or whistling in the chest by 81%, compared with a 15% increased risk from cigarettes and a 9% increased risk from nicotine e-cigarettes. Read

3/2/21--Two recently finalized rules provide tobacco product manufacturers with additional information on federal requirements they must meet to get their products on the market. Then-FDA Commissioner Stephen Hahn, MD, said finalization of the rules “is an important milestone in the FDA’s regulation of tobacco products.” Read

2/22/21--Vaping among teens has recently skyrocketed, and many believe it is a safe activity. About 1 in 5 high school students vape, exposing them to nicotine, a highly addictive substance found in tobacco. It is recommended that parents talk to their child early about vaping and the facts about the harmful chemicals that people breathe in when they vape. Read

2/21/21--This study is the first to demonstrate the methodology for constructing county-specific exogenous measure of ENDS-related communication on Twitter and assessing its statistical fitness for use. Results indicate that Juul-related content grew exponentially on Twitter and spread across the entire country during the time when the brand was gaining market share. Read

2/10/21--New research shows chocolate-flavored e-cigarettes are "particularly harmful" to the lungs. In fact, scientists found all 10 flavors tested caused some level of toxicity in the cells lining the lungs, resulting in cell death in some instances. The toxins also significantly reduced the ability of immune system cells to remove bacteria and regulate inflammation. Read

1/22/21--Schools and communities have an important role to play in reaching students to make informed choices to pertaining to vaping. Vaping: Know the truth, a national youth vaping prevention curriculum developed as part of Truth Initiative’s nationally recognized youth anti-vaping truth® campaign, gives young people the facts about e-cigarette use and provides resources to quit with This is Quitting, a first-of-its-kind text message program that is already helping nearly 250,000 young people. Read

2/10/21--Even in the midst of Covid-19, teenagers are still vaping in high numbers, putting their health at risk. This youth vaping epidemic highlights the urgent need to understand the science of nicotine addiction and the potential long term health effects of compounds found in vapes. This symposium will convene experts from academic, clinical, public health, and policy communities to discuss new approaches for prevention — with a focus on emerging science to support evidence-based policy recommendations. Read

1/20/21--HEXO Operations Inc. is voluntarily recalling three SKUs of their all-in-one vape pens due to a hardware defect. This is a voluntary recall due to product quality, in which prolonged auto-ignition may lead to excess heat in the battery cell, which in turn may cause melting of the plastic shell. Please note that HEXO vape distillate, along with HEXO vape cartridge hardware are not impacted by this voluntary recall. Read

1/22/21--The California Flavored Tobacco Products Ban Referendum is on the ballot in California as a veto referendum on November 8, 2022. Proponents of the veto referendum seek to overturn Senate Bill 793 (SB 793), which was signed into law on August 28, 2020 and designed to ban the sale of flavored tobacco products and tobacco product flavor enhancers with a few exceptions. Retailers would be fined $250 for each sale violating the law. Read

1/23/21--In 2019, Juul undertook an aggressive effort to rewrite San Francisco’s e-cigarette regulations and prohibit the City from enacting new rules without requiring that the new rules be taken to an expensive direct vote of the people. Health groups benefitted from having an established campaign network that recently defended the flavor ban, arguing that Juul’s measure could nullify San Francisco’s prohibition on selling flavored tobacco products. Read

1/22/21--The World Health Organization has issued their latest, hard-hitting warning about vaping and concludes that e-cigarettes are not safe and do increase the risk of heart disease and lung problems. The organization said there is ‘no doubt’ that e-cigarettes are harmful, but said it was too early to tell the long-term impact. Read

1/7/21--New research indicates the chemicals found in e-cigarettes disrupt the gut barrier and trigger inflammation in the body, potentially leading to a variety of health concerns. The study found that chronic use of nicotine-free e-cigarettes led to a "leaky gut," in which microbes and other molecules seep out of the intestines, resulting in chronic inflammation. Read

1/11/21--Young vapers are much more likely to become daily cigarette smokers in the future, according to a new study. Researchers have found that 12 to 24-year old vapers were three times as likely to become daily cigarette smokers in the future. Read

1/6/21--Trade body the UK Vaping Industry Association is lobbying government to classify vape shops as essential retailers. The lobbying effort has been ongoing since the first national lockdown in March, but the association has redoubled its efforts, warning that former smokers who have made the switch to electronic alternatives “could be tempted back”. Read

1/19/21--Multiple studies have shown that smoking is associated with increased severity of COVID-19 disease. However, because vaping, which is the use of nicotine-containing electronic or e-cigarette products, is relatively new, there is less data. Yet, physicians are adamantly advising patients to do all they can to remain healthy—including not smoking or vaping. Read .

12/22/20--Findings of this cross-sectional study suggest that cannabis vaping is associated with increased risk of bronchitic symptoms and wheeze in young adults. Further research is needed to understand the temporality of the association and the mechanisms underlying the difference between nicotine and cannabis vaping in the risk of bronchitic symptoms and wheeze. Read

12/23/20--The recent legislation Congress passed to fund the government included a provision extending the PACT Act’s prohibition on sending cigarettes through the mail to include e-cigarettes. The law also requires FedEx, UPS and other delivery services to verifying age of the recipient in person and getting a signature before delivering e-cigarettes. Read

12/28/20--Two new studies from the University of Rochester Medical Center (URMC) have uncovered an association between vaping and mental fog. Both adults and kids who vape were more likely to report difficulty concentrating, remembering, or making decisions than their non-vaping, non-smoking peers. It also appeared that kids were more likely to experience mental fog if they started vaping before the age of 14. Read

12/3/20--In a national, online, cross-sectional survey study of 2167 youth and young adults using e-cigarettes, 1198 respondents reported changing their amount of e-cigarette use, with 810 reducing or quitting e-cigarette use. During the COVID-19 pandemic, youth e-cigarette users reported changes in e-cigarette use, point-of-purchase, and ability to purchase e-cigarettes without age verification. Read

12/3/20--Results from a national, cross-sectional survey showed a decrease in e-cigarette use among teens and young adults during the COVID-19 pandemic, according to a study published in JAMA Network Open. Read

12/3/20--A new study by Gaiha and colleagues examines the associations of the COVID-19 pandemic with patterns of youth e-cigarette use, drawing on a national sample of 2167 underage youth and young adults sampled between May 6 and 14, 2020. Among the key findings of the study were that more than half of participants (1198 ) reported change in their e-cigarette use since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic. Among 1197 participants reporting on the type of change, one-third of youth (388 participants ) quit vaping, and another one-third (422 participants ) reduced their use of e-cigarettes. Read

11/23/20--Results of this study indicate that messages linking smoking with COVID-19 may hold promise for discouraging smoking and may have the added benefit of also discouraging vaping. Read

11/23/20--Although self-reported use of e-cigarettes by high school and middle school students decreased over the past year, Dr. Robert R. Redfield, director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, cautioned, “Youth e-cigarette use remains an epidemic.” Read

10/1/20--In a study examining health consequences of e-cigarette use in adolescence with asthma, results indicate that e-cigarette use was significantly associated with asthma in recent data on adolescents, controlling for several disease-relevant covariates. The results are consistent with studies based on previous generations of e-cigarettes and support the significance of e-cigarettes as a continuing public health concern. Read

11/6/20--A systematic review and meta-analysis of results on respiratory disorder was conducted from studies of general-population samples in consideration of mapping the results to findings about biological processes linked to e-cigarettes in controlled laboratory studies. This study concludes that e-cigarette use has consequences for asthma and COPD, which is of significant concern for respirology and public health. Read

10/28/20--According to data published in JAMA Network Open, the prevalence of e-cigarette use increased from 2018 to 2019 among current, former and never adult smokers in the United States. Researchers examined the distribution of e-cigarette use among 135,211 adults (mean age, 47.5 years; 52% women) from the 2018-2019 Tobacco Use Supplement to the Current Population Survey to examine current e-cigarette use by demographic characteristics and cigarette smoking status. Read

11/4/20--The popularity of Puff Bar on Google Search suggests that users may replace cartridge-based vaping products with disposable e-cigarettes in the circumvention of the partial flavour ban. Continuous surveillance and further assessment are needed to prevent potential loopholes in tobacco regulation. Read

10/19/20--According to a study, cannabis vaporizer companies reach thousands of consumers through brand-owned social media accounts. Strategies to promote their products on these channels include posts that may appeal to sociodemographic groups and leveraging social media influencers and other companies to increase overall reach. Read

10/31/20--Rhode Island students in middle and high school reported using e-cigarettes at much higher rates than cigarettes, a youth risk behavior survey by the state Department of Health found. And from 2017 to 2019, the percentage of high school students using e-cigarettes in Rhode Island jumped from 20% to 30%, as traditional cigarette use declined. Read

10/18/20--As of April 28, 2020 there were 19 peer reviewed papers that had data on smoking and COVID disease progression, 17 from China, 1 from Korea, and 1 from the US. This peer reviewed meta-analysis of these 19 papers found that smoking was associated with more than a doubling of odds of disease progression in people who had already developed COVID. Read

10/20/20--According to the 2020 National Youth Tobacco Survey, conducted by researchers at the FDA and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, youth e-cigarette use declined by a third after 2 years of increases. It showed that 19.6% of high school students (3.02 million) reported e-cigarette use, down from 27.5% (4.11 million) in 2019. Among middle school students, 4.7% (550 000) reported e-cigarette use compared with 10.5% (1.24 million) in 2019. Read

10/2/20--Public records indicate that tobacco giant Altria has been trying to claim a long-term stake in the marijuana industry by patenting cannabis technology. The parent company of cigarette brands including Marlboro and Parliament filed two patent applications for vaporizer devices specifically designed for cannabis, according to United States Patent and Trademark Office filings. Read

10/6/20--In this cohort study, the prevalence and type of nicotine vaping and cannabis vaping developmental trajectories from late adolescence to young adulthood were similar. Polysubstance vaping was common from late adolescence to young adulthood, particularly among those reporting more frequent vaping use. The findings suggest that public health policy and clinical interventions should address polysubstance vaping in both adolescence and young adulthood. Read

10/5/20--The National Association of Attorneys General is asking several major Hollywood talent unions to help "protect young audiences from tobacco use" by limiting its exposure in streaming shows. Support from the Directors Guild of America, Producers Guild of America, Screenwriters Guild of America, Screen Actors Guild-American Federation of Television and Radio Artists, and International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees has been requested for this effort. Read

9/21/20--The objective of this Industry Watch article is to describe how Puff Bar e-cigarettes, a leading disposable e-cigarette brand among youth,3 are portrayed on the popular Beijing-based video-sharing social media platform TikTok. The focuse was on TikTok specifically because 60% of the platform’s 26.5 million active users in the USA in 2019 were between the ages of 16 and 24.6. Read

9/21/20--According to a study using Twitter data to understand salient themes regarding JUUL, sentiment towards JUUL, and underage JUUL use, findings suggest that a vast majority of Twitter users are not using JUUL to aid in smoking cessation nor do they mention the potential health benefits or detriments of JUUL use. Using machine learning algorithms to identify tweets containing underage JUUL mentions can support the timely surveillance of JUUL habits and opinions, further assisting youth-targeted public health intervention strategies. Read

9/17/20--Young people with high exposure to tobacco images in television shows were three times as likely to start vaping compared to peers with no exposure, according to landmark Truth Initiative research that is the first to establish the link. Read