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1 Million Adult Vapers in England Have Never Regularly Smoked

The AHA! Team — Fri, 15 Nov 2024 06:20:34 +0000

Priyanjana Pramanik, MSc. via News-Medical – This rapid increase between 2021 and 2024 was particularly among younger age groups. In a recent study published in The Lancet Public Health, researchers estimate trends in vaping among adults in the United Kingdom who have not smoked regularly. The health implications of vaping In the past, vaping or the use of e-cigarettes in England was primarily reported among current or former smokers trying to reduce or quit smoking. If vaping were only adopted by those who would otherwise smoke, the overall rate of smoking or vaping would remain constant or show signs of declining rather than increasing. The rising rate of vaping could be attributed to the widespread availability of disposable e-cigarettes in recent years, which has led to a rapid increase in vaping among regular and non-regular smokers. Although e-cigarettes may be less harmful than smoking, these devices contain toxic chemicals that the user consumes. In fact, several studies indicate that vapers are exposed to higher levels of toxicants than non-users. About the study Researchers collected data using a monthly cross-sectional survey across England, Wales, and Scotland to ensure a nationally representative sample. Approximately 2,450 individuals participated in the survey each month between 2016 and early 2024. The vaping status of adults who reported never regularly smoking was evaluated using questions about their current e-cigarette use, daily or non-daily e-cigarette use, as well as as the type of device and strength of nicotine used. Study participants also provided sociodemographic data such as gender, age, and social class, as well as lifestyle information such as alcohol consumption. Statistical models were used to calculate trends in the prevalence of smoking after adjusting for alcohol consumption and sociodemographic characteristics. These trends were then assessed according to age, with the prevalence of vaping compared before and after the increased availability of disposable e-cigarettes. Study findings The analysis included 94,107 unique never-regular smokers, as well as younger individuals who had never smoked. Vaping among never-regular smokers was stable at approximately 0.5% until 2021. From 2021 onwards, vaping increased rapidly to 3.5% in April 2024. This increased prevalence of vaping was primarily attributed to younger adults under the age of 24, 14.4% of whom vaped, as compared to those over the age of 48, less than 1% of whom vaped. Although age differences were significant, trends were similar across social class and gender. Alcohol consumption was positively correlated with vaping prevalence, with heavy drinkers more likely to vape at a rate of 22.1%. Comparatively, only 3% of low-risk drinkers and 1.3% of non-drinkers vaped. Throughout the analysis period, non-daily vaping was less common than daily vaping, but the prevalence of daily vaping was four times greater than that of non-daily vaping. Researchers also found clear indications that disposable e-cigarettes are implicated in these trends. In the post-disposable period, users were more likely to report longer vaping durations, with a reduced prevalence of short-term use. Since disposable devices have become more common, vapers are increasingly younger, heavier drinkers, and more likely to be female. There is also a pronounced shift towards disposable e-cigarettes and devices with higher nicotine strengths. More purchases were also reported from convenience stores or supermarkets, and fewer from vape shops. Conclusions The study findings demonstrate the significant rise in vaping rates in England over the past three years, specifically among those who are not regular smokers, as well as younger adults and heavier drinkers. In 2021, one in 200 never-regular smokers reported vaping. By April 2024, this rate increased to one in 28. Disposable e-cigarettes, which appear to appeal to younger adults and women, may encourage the use of higher nicotine strengths. The health impacts of these behavioral shifts may be significant, particularly among individuals who would not typically engage in vaping, which increases their exposure to toxins they would have otherwise avoided. Addressing these issues is associated with various challenges as policymakers seek to reduce vaping among non-smokers while ensuring that e-cigarettes are available and remain attractive to smokers who would like to quit. Stricter regulations on the appearance, pricing, and marketing of these products may support these public health efforts to reduce the appeal of vaping. Journal reference: Jackson, S.E., Shahab, L., Tattan-Birch, H., & Brown, J. (2024). Vaping among adults in England who have never regularly smoked: a population-based study, 2016–24. The Lancet Public Health. doi:10.1016/S2468-2667(24)00183-X To read the original article click here.

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FDA Bans Juul E-Cigarettes Tied to Teen Vaping Surge

AHA Publisher — Mon, 27 Jun 2022 07:00:15 +0000

Matthew Perrone via CBN News – WASHINGTON (AP) — Federal health officials on Thursday ordered Juul to pull its electronic cigarettes from the U.S. market, the latest blow to the embattled company widely blamed for sparking a national surge in teen vaping. The action is part of a sweeping effort by the Food and Drug Administration to bring scientific scrutiny to the multibillion-dollar vaping industry after years of regulatory delays. The FDA said Juul must stop selling its vaping device and its tobacco and menthol-flavored cartridges. Those already on the market must be removed. Consumers aren’t restricted from having or using Juul’s products, the agency said. To stay on the market, companies must show that their e-cigarettes benefit public health. In practice, that means proving that adult smokers who use them are likely to quit or reduce their smoking, while teens are unlikely to get hooked on them. The FDA noted that some of the biggest sellers like Juul may have played a “disproportionate″ role in the rise in teen vaping. The agency said Thursday that Juul’s application didn’t have enough evidence to show that marketing its products “would be appropriate for the protection of the public health.” A Juul representative did not immediately respond to a request for comment from The Associated Press. In a statement, the FDA said Juul’s application left regulators with significant questions and didn’t include enough information to evaluate any potential risks. The agency said the company’s research included “insufficient and conflicting data” about things like potentially harmful chemicals leaching from Juul’s cartridges. “Without the data needed to determine relevant health risks, the FDA is issuing these marketing denial orders.” Michele Mital, acting director of the FDA’s tobacco center, said in the statement. The agency has granted some e-cigarette applications. Since last fall, the agency has given its OK to tobacco-flavored e-cigarettes from R.J. Reynolds, Logic, and other companies. But industry players and anti-tobacco advocates have complained that those products account for just a tiny percent of the $6 billion vaping market in the U.S. Regulators repeatedly delayed making decisions on devices from market leaders, including Juul, which remains the best-selling vaping brand although sales have dipped. Last year, the agency rejected applications for more than a million other e-cigarettes and related products, mainly due to their potential appeal to underage teens. The American Lung Association called Thursday’s decision “long overdue and most welcome,” and cited Juul for stoking youth vaping. E-cigarettes first appeared in the U.S. more than a decade ago with the promise of providing smokers with a less harmful alternative. The devices heat a nicotine solution into a vapor that’s inhaled, bypassing many of the toxic chemicals produced by burning tobacco. But studies have reached conflicting results about whether they truly help smokers quit. And efforts by the FDA to rule on vaping products and their claims were repeatedly slowed by industry lobbying and competing political interests. The vaping market grew to include hundreds of companies selling an array of devices and nicotine solutions in various flavors and strengths. The vaping issue took on new urgency in 2018 when Juul’s high-nicotine, fruity-flavored cartridges quickly became a nationwide craze among middle and high school students. The company faces a slew of federal and state investigations into its early marketing practices, which included distributing free Juul products at concerts and parties hosted by young influencers. In 2019, the company was pressured into halting all advertising and eliminating its fruit and dessert flavors. The next year, the FDA limited flavors in small vaping devices to just tobacco and menthol. Separately, Congress raised the purchase age for all tobacco and vaping products to 21. But the question of whether e-cigarettes should remain on the market at all remained. The FDA has been working under a court order to render its decisions; anti-tobacco groups successfully sued the agency to speed up its review. FDA regulators warned companies for years they would have to submit rigorous, long-term data showing a clear benefit for smokers who switch to vaping. But all but the largest e-cigarette manufacturers have resisted conducting that kind of expensive, time-consuming research. While Juul remains a top seller, a recent federal survey shows that teens have been shifting away from the company. Last year’s survey showed Juul was the fourth most popular e-cigarette among high schoolers who regularly vape. The most popular brand was a disposable e-cigarette called Puff Bar which comes in flavors like pink lemonade, strawberry, and mango. That company’s disposable e-cigarettes had been able to skirt regulation because they use synthetic nicotine, which until recently was outside the FDA’s jurisdiction. Congress recently closed that loophole. Overall, the survey showed a drop of nearly 40% in the teen vaping rate as many kids were forced to learn from home during the pandemic. Still, federal officials cautioned about interpreting the results given they were collected online for the first time, instead of in classrooms. The brainchild of two Stanford University students, Juul launched in 2015 and within two years rocketed to the top of the vaping market. Juul, which is partially owned by tobacco giant Altria, still accounts for nearly 50% of the U.S. e-cigarette market. It once controlled more than 75%. On Tuesday, the FDA also laid out plans to establish a maximum nicotine level for certain tobacco products to reduce their addictiveness. In that announcement, the agency also noted that it has invested in a multimedia public education campaign aimed at warning young people about the potential risks of e-cigarette use. ___ AP Health Writer Tom Murphy contributed to this report. Copyright 2022 by The Associated Press. All rights reserved. To read the original article click here.

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