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** 08 July 2020
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** UK
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** Fewer than one in seven people in Britain are now smokers (#1)
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** International
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** US: FDA authorises marketing of IQOS tobacco heating system with 'reduced exposure' information (#2)
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** Big Tobacco’s decisive defeat on plain packaging laws won’t stop its war against public health (#3)
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** US: Colorado sues e-cigarette maker Juul alleging its marketing deceptively targets youths (#4)
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** Opinion: Vapour products can save lives by helping smokers quit (#5)
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** UK
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** The number of smokers in the UK has continued to fall, with fewer than one in seven still smoking, new data by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) reveals. In the UK, 14.1% of the population over 18, smoked cigarettes last year, down from 14.7% in 2018. The proportion of smokers has declined fast since 2011 when more than one in five people were cigarette smokers. Additionally, the number of smokers who have quit, has overtaken the number of current smokers.

Of the 14.1% of adults who smoked in 2019, unemployed people smoked more than employed or economically inactive people. The most recent data which includes sexual orientation is from 2018, which says that more LQBTQ+ people, 22.2 %, smoked than heterosexual people, 15.5%.

Martin Dockrell, Tobacco Control Lead at PHE, said: “It is encouraging to see that the number of smokers continues to fall, a step closer to making smoking obsolete. Since the start of the pandemic, we have also seen a sharp increase in smokers trying to quit. Unfortunately, the biggest increase has been in people trying to quit "cold turkey", which is the least effective way. Smokers are much more likely to quit successfully if they get behavioural support and use effective nicotine replacement products.”

Source: Mail Online, 7 July 2020
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** See also: Adult smoking habits in the UK: 2019 ([link removed])
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** International
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** On Tuesday (7 July), the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced it had approved labels for three Marlboro Heat sticks (one plain and two menthols) with language stating they reduce exposure to harmful chemicals. But the agency also noted that it rejected Philip Morris's request for a separate "reduced-risk" designation, saying "the evidence did not support [it] at this time."

The agency emphasised that it does not "approve" tobacco products and does not consider them safe; it merely authorises them for marketing under legislation enacted in 2009.

Source: MedPage Today, 7 July 2020
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** Writing in the Conversation, Genevieve Wilkinson, lecturer in Intellectual Property and Human Rights, University of Technology Sydney discusses why big tobacco’s decisive defeat on plain packaging laws will not stop its war against public health.

“[…] Australia’s tobacco plain packaging laws were a world-first – the final step in a national preventative health strategy to deter smoking by eliminating all avenues for tobacco promotion. It followed Australia banning cigarette advertising on radio and television in 1976, prohibit the broadcast or publication of any form of tobacco promotion (such as through sponsorship of sports). In 1993, requirements for text-only health warnings on tobacco products in 1995, and warnings featuring graphic images of smoking health impacts in 2006.

“[…] The tobacco lobby sought to thwart the Australian law through a variety of legal challenges. ….The WTO [World Trade Organization] case was initiated in 2013 by tobacco exporters Cuba, the Dominican Republic, Honduras, Indonesia and Ukraine, with tobacco industry help. They argued Australia had restricted trade and trademark use more than needed to protect public health, contravening international trade rules. The WTO rejected these arguments in 2018. Its Appellate Body affirmed that decision on June 9 [2020], rejecting the appeal by Honduras and the Dominican Republic. […]

“It [WTO] agreed Australia’s policy was supported by the public health objectives and evidence, including a 2016 review showing reduced smoking rates. It also noted Australia’s obligations to reduce smoking as a signatory to the World Health Organisation’s 2003 Framework Convention on Tobacco Control. The convention’s guidelines recommend “measures to restrict or prohibit the use of logos, colours, brand images or promotional information on packaging”.

“So, this is a comprehensive vindication of Australia’s leadership on tobacco packaging. It should encourage other nations to follow suit. More than ten have already done so. The latest is Singapore, where plain packaging laws came into effect on July 1. But do not expect Big Tobacco to stop using litigation and other tactics to deter nations following suit.

“[….] For poorer nations, such costs are an even greater deterrent. [...]Researchers have suggested the threat of legal action using trade deals delayed New Zealand’s introduction of tobacco plain packaging laws by years. For poorer nations such costs are an even greater deterrent. Uruguay, for example, won its six-year plain packaging battle with Phillip Morris only with aid from US billionaire Michael Bloomberg.

“With about 80% of the world’s 1.3 billion smokers living in low- and middle-income countries, we can expect tobacco interests to rely on their financial might, if not their legal right, to defend their profits. Their war against the human right to health will continue.”

Source: The Conversation, 6 July 2020
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**
Colorado is suing e-cigarette maker Juul Labs, Inc., alleging the company intentionally marketed its products to youth and misrepresented them as a healthy alternative to cigarettes.

The lawsuit comes after a nearly yearlong investigation led by Attorney General Phil Weiser. He claims Juul violated the Colorado Consumer Protection Act by targeting young smokers with flavours and designs, as well as misleading information about the risks of vaping. The lawsuit claims that Juul targeted “cool kids” who would want to vape their products through ads and social media campaigns. They also used ambassadors to give out free samples at convenience stores and leveraged influencers to reach kids and young adults, contributing to Colorado’s e-cigarette “epidemic”.

According to the lawsuit, Juul allegedly paid hundreds of thousands of dollars to search engine optimization consultant, Quit Media, LLC, which operated a fake smoking cessation website under the name “Quit Smoking Community,” the statements read.

Officials said the website appeared to be operated by a nonprofit group focused on helping smokers, when in fact, it was a tool for Juul to engage in prohibited marketing.
Weiser and the Consumer Protection Division seek compensation for the damage caused to locals and called for Juul to halt these marketing practices.

Source: The Denver Post, 7 July 2020
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** Dimitris Agrafiotis is the executive director of the Tennessee Smoke Free Association, an e-cigarette and smokeless tobacco product advocacy and trade member organisation.

“[…] There has been promising and positive research released in the last few months related to vaping and vapor products, much of it seems to have gotten lost in the mix as news outlets almost exclusively covered the pandemic, rightfully so. …

“First came the news that tobacco or non-nicotine vaping products were not responsible for a string of hospitalisations and deaths, as initially publicised — instead, the primary cause was tainted THC in illegal marijuana vaping products. The misinformation was an unfortunate blow to the e-cigarette and vaping industry, and we are still working to correct the image of vapour products.

“Second, two recent studies show that the smoking rate of 12th graders fell by an unprecedented 35% among lifetime users in 2019 compared to 2014, and we are also very encouraged by the confirmation that using vapour products does not typically lead to smoking traditional tobacco products.

“In one of these studies, researchers in the UK analysed the results of the 2014-2017 US National Youth Tobacco Survey and concluded that less than 1% of US adolescents who use e-cigarettes first became established cigarette smokers. […]

“Third, banning flavours or restricting the sale of e-cigarettes may have an overall negative effect, as many users may simply return to smoking traditional tobacco products.

“[….] There is no doubt in my mind that vaping has saved my life. I was a heavy smoker for many years before switching to safer vaping products. Therefore, I find the continued misinformation around vaping so alarming: because there are 34 million tobacco smokers in this country and hundreds of thousands dying each year from smoking-related illnesses.”

Source: Tennessean, 7 July 2020
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ASH Daily News is a digest of published news on smoking-related topics. ASH is not responsible for the content of external websites. ASH does not necessarily endorse the material contained in this bulletin.

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