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CHANGE
Flavour bans, the PMTA deadline and EVALI
shaped the narrative this year
Words: Gordon Stribling
T
he year 2019 will go down as one of the most
tumultuous in the history of vaping. A slew of studies
further reinforced that not only are e-cigarettes far
less harmful than combustible tobacco, they are far more
effective than nicotine-replacement therapy. But the positive
stories were soon eclipsed by an ever-increasing vape panic
over in the States. And by the time the year drew to a close, the
previously pro-vaping UK was at risk of following America’s lead.
JANUARY
Study shows vaping is twice as effective as patches or gum
The randomised controlled trial was the first of its kind to
compare traditional nicotine-replacement therapy (NRT) to
e-cigarettes.
By the end of the year, 18 percent of the e-cigarette users
on the study had successfully quit smoking, compared to 10
percent of the NRT group
MARCH
Gottlieb steps down
FDA commissioner Scott Gottlieb announced that he was to
step down and after months of conflict with the vape industry.
He would go on to land a job at pharmaceutical giant Pfizer three
months later.
FDA seizure investigation
The first big scare story of the year came when the FDA
announced their investigation into seizures linked to the use
of vape products. The agency received 35 reports between
2010 and 2019.
APRIL
Study finds that flavours may help reduce cravings
80 VM26
An American Psychological Association study found that
inhaling pleasant aromas can decrease a smoker’s urge to
light up.
All the participants reported a reduced urge to smoke after
smelling each odour. However, the greatest reduction was
found with pleasant odours rather than tobacco.
MAY
Vaping three times more effective than NRT
University College London’s cross-sectional survey of almost
20,000 quit attempts revealed that vapers were 95 percent
more likely to successfully quit smoking than those who went
cold turkey. Traditional nicotine-replacement therapy such as
patches and gums had a quit rate of just 34 percent.
Royal College of Midwives urges smokers to switch
Royal College of Midwives (RCM) guidelines advised pregnant
smokers to switch to vaping if unable to quit cold turkey.
“If a pregnant woman who has been smoking chooses to
use an e-cigarette and it helps her to quit smoking and stay
smokefree, she should be supported to do so.”
JUNE
FDA issues final PMTA guidance
The Premarket Tobacco Product Application (PMTA) requires
manufacturers to prove that their products are ‘appropriate
for the protection of public health.’
No nicotine vape product has yet been authorised by the FDA.
ASH survey finds youth vape numbers remain very low
Just 0.8 percent of 11-18-year-old never-smokers in the UK
vape, with only 0.1 percent of this demographic vaping more
than once a week. Zero never-smokers reported vaping on a
daily basis.