Vape News in Brief – April 23, 2017 Edition

 

 

 

You know the drill, let's look at some of the latest developments in the world of vaping, from a mainstreamer's take…

 

The big news in the last week is that the US Navy has issued a "temporary" ban on all vape hardware aboard its ships, aircraft, and other heavy equipment. The ban, which takes effect May 14, is due to a rash of exploding-battery stories, both within and from outside the military. The government says it'll consider rescinding the ban after conducting a study on both the safety of vape hardware and the efficacy in helping its personnel quit smoking – we're going to take this opportunity to remind readers yet again of how critically important battery safety is to you and everyone around you.

 

 

The federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have found that e-cigarettes are a much more popular option for aspiring quitters than health industry-touted products like pharmaceutical drugs Zyban or Chantix, nicotine gums and patches, and "quit lines" smokers can call for encouragement. More importantly, a recent study released by the group suggests vaping is part of a host of strategies including gradual tapering off of combustible cigarettes that can be used to achieve more lasting success than simple "cold turkey" or drug-aided abrupt quits.

 

Another new study, this one funded by Big Tobacco, finds that vaping causes significantly less damage to DNA than smoking. Alterations to DNA are behind the formation of cancers and a host of other ills. While any science funded by the tobacco industry is suspect, the fact that they're letting this one go public suggests once again that the writing is on the wall and smoking as a vice may finally be on its way out, aided in large part by the switch to vaping.

 

Just like the situation in New York that we covered extensively a few weeks ago, Iowa is including provisions for vapor regulation in a massive omnibus bill primarily related to budget concerns. The portion of Iowa's bill that's related to vaping looks to establish a new framework for online sales within the state, though several legislators have argued that such a significant change in regulations should be addressed and debated on its own merits rather than tossed into a larger bulk package.

 

We've previously mentioned that President Trump's pick to head the FDA, Scott Gottlieb, has ties to the vaping industry that suggest he might turn the agency away from the harshest possible implementation of the industry-decimating deeming regulations released last year. It seems vaping opponents have picked up on the same thing and are now using those ties (Gottleib says if confirmed he'll sell his stake in a small chain of vape shops) to attack his qualifications for the job. This is a big issue concerning the future of vapor, so we'll definitely be checking back on this one.

 

 

San Francisco is now pushing what could be the harshest anti-flavor regulations yet, not only banning all flavoring additives in tobacco and tobacco-related products (read: e-liquid) but even going so far as to ban menthol e-juice and cigarettes within the city. The proposal has the support of county supervisors (the city and county of San Francisco share the same boundaries), as well as the mayor.

 

Following up on that news, here's an excellent opinion piece that ties together plenty of evidence to explain that flavored vapes not only appeal to adults just as much as youth, but can be helpful in breaking the tie between tobacco and nicotine as nicotine users begin to disassociate the taste of smoke from the use of a legal stimulant that accompanies the much more harmful compounds found in smoke. It also lays out the evidence with regard to youth use: (illegal) vaping by minors is indeed rising, but (also illegal) use of tobacco products is declining at the same time. Perhaps it's time to acknowledge that some teens will always seek out (and find) nicotine products despite the best efforts of responsible distributors, and determine which method of consumption will prove less harmful to those who are somehow able to get their hands on the stuff. Keep in mind, though, that here at Breazy we're fully supportive of any and all age-restriction laws and remain committed to enforcing them vigorously, as our customers already know via our required verification processes.

 

Getting back to that Navy vaping ban we mentioned at the top, Rep. Duncan Hunter (R – eastern San Diego) is firing back. The longtime vape advocate and member of the House Armed Services Committee is pressing Navy brass to consider enacting stronger battery safety standards rather than taking a knee-jerk response and banning vape devices entirely.

 

We'll end with a well-researched takedown of a scathing *New York Times* editorial insinuating that anyone opposed to the FDA's deeming regulations must be in the pockets of Big Tobacco and intent on causing harm to the overall health of the nation.