An expert independent evidence review published today by Public Health England (PHE) concludes that e-cigarettes are significantly less harmful to health than tobacco and have the potential to help smokers quit smoking.

Key findings of the review include:

the current best estimate is that e-cigarettes are around 95% less harmful than smoking
nearly half the population (44.8%) don’t realise e-cigarettes are much less harmful than smoking
there is no evidence so far that e-cigarettes are acting as a route into smoking for children or non-smokers
The review, commissioned by PHE and led by Professor Ann McNeill (King’s College London) and Professor Peter Hajek (Queen Mary University of London), suggests that e-cigarettes may be contributing to falling smoking rates among adults and young people. Following the review PHE has published a paper on the implications of the evidence for policy and practice.

The comprehensive review of the evidence finds that almost all of the 2.6 million adults using e-cigarettes in Great Britain are current or ex-smokers, most of whom are using the devices to help them quit smoking or to prevent them going back to cigarettes. It also provides reassurance that very few adults and young people who have never smoked are becoming regular e-cigarette users (less than 1% in each group).

However, the review raises concerns that increasing numbers of people think e-cigarettes are equally or more harmful than smoking (22.1% in 2015, up from 8.1% in 2013: ASH Smokefree GB survey) or don’t know (22.7% in 2015, ASH Smokefree GB survey).

Despite this trend all current evidence finds that e-cigarettes carry a fraction of the risk of smoking.

Emerging evidence suggests some of the highest successful quit rates are now seen among smokers who use an e-cigarette and also receive additional support from their local stop smoking services.

Professor Kevin Fenton, Director of Health and Wellbeing at Public Health England said:

Smoking remains England’s number one killer and the best thing a smoker can do is to quit completely, now and forever.

E-cigarettes are not completely risk free but when compared to smoking, evidence shows they carry just a fraction of the harm. The problem is people increasingly think they are at least as harmful and this may be keeping millions of smokers from quitting. Local stop smoking services should look to support e-cigarette users in their journey to quitting completely.

Professor Ann McNeill, King’s College London and independent author of the review, said:

There is no evidence that e-cigarettes are undermining England’s falling smoking rates. Instead the evidence consistently finds that e-cigarettes are another tool for stopping smoking and in my view smokers should try vaping and vapers should stop smoking entirely.

E-cigarettes could be a game changer in public health in particular by reducing the enormous health inequalities caused by smoking.

Professor Peter Hajek, Queen Mary University London and independent author of the review said:

My reading of the evidence is that smokers who switch to vaping remove almost all the risks smoking poses to their health. Smokers differ in their needs and I would advise them not to give up on e-cigarettes if they do not like the first one they try. It may take some experimentation with different products and e-liquids to find the right one.

Professor Linda Bauld, Cancer Research UK’s expert in cancer prevention, said:

Fears that e-cigarettes have made smoking seem normal again or even led to people taking up tobacco smoking are not so far being realised based on the evidence assessed by this important independent review. In fact, the overall evidence points to e-cigarettes actually helping people to give up smoking tobacco.

Free Stop Smoking Services remain the most effective way for people to quit but we recognise the potential benefits for e-cigarettes in helping large numbers of people move away from tobacco.

Cancer Research UK is funding more research to deal with the unanswered questions around these products including the longer-term impact.

Lisa Surtees, acting director at Fresh Smoke Free North East, the first region where all local stop smoking services are actively promoted as e-cigarette friendly, said:

Despite making great strides to reduce smoking, tobacco is still our biggest killer. Our region has always kept an open mind towards using electronic cigarettes as we can see the massive potential health benefits from switching.

All of our local NHS Stop Smoking Services now proactively welcome anyone who wants to use these devices as part of their quit attempt and increase their chance of success.

Background
PHE’s remit letter for 2014 to 2015 requested an update of the evidence around e-cigarettes. PHE commissioned Professors Ann McNeill and Peter Hajek to review the available evidence. The review builds on previous evidence summaries published by PHE in 2014.

The full list of authors of the report are:

McNeill A, Brose LS, Calder R, Hitchman SC: Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, National Addiction Centre, King’s College London and UK Centre for Tobacco & Alcohol Studies

Hajek P, McRobbie H (Chapters 9 and 10): Wolfson Institute of Preventive Medicine, Barts and The London School of Medicine and Dentistry Queen Mary, University of London and UK Centre for Tobacco & Alcohol Studies

Implications of the evidence for policy and practice: Based on the findings of the evidence review PHE advises that:

e-cigarettes have the potential to help smokers quit smoking, and the evidence indicates they carry a fraction of the risk of smoking cigarettes but are not risk free

e-cigarettes potentially offer a wide reach, low-cost intervention to reduce smoking in more deprived groups in society where smoking is elevated, and we want to see this potential fully realised

there is an opportunity for e-cigarettes to help tackle the high smoking rates among people with mental health problems, particularly in the context of creating smokefree mental health units

the potential of e-cigarettes to help improve public health depends on the extent to which they can act as a route out of smoking for the country’s eight million tobacco users, without providing a route into smoking for children and non-smokers. Appropriate and proportionate regulation is essential if this goal is to be achieved

local stop smoking services provide smokers with the best chance of quitting successfully and we want to see them engaging actively with smokers who want to quit with the help of e-cigarettes

we want to see all health and social care professionals providing accurate advice on the relative risks of smoking and e-cigarette use, and providing effective referral routes into stop smoking services

the best thing smokers can do for their health is to quit smoking completely and to quit for good. PHE is committed to ensure that smokers have a range of evidence-based, effective tools to help them to quit. We encourage smokers who want to use e-cigarettes as an aid to quit smoking to seek the support of local stop smoking services

given the potential benefits as quitting aids, PHE looks forward to the arrival on the market of a choice of medicinally regulated products that can be made available to smokers by the NHS on prescription. This will provide assurance on the safety, quality and effectiveness to consumers who want to use these products as quitting aids

the latest evidence will be considered in the development of the next Tobacco Control Plan for England with a view to maximising the potential of e-cigarettes as a route out of smoking and minimising the risk of their acting as a route into smoking

From October this year it will be an offence to sell e-cigarettes to anyone under the age of 18 or to buy e-cigarettes for them. The government is consulting on a comprehensive array of regulations under the European Tobacco Products Directive.

Photo by pixelblume, used under Flickr Creative Commons

Public Health England press office
Wellington House
133-155 Waterloo Road
London
SE1 8UG

Email
phe-pressoffice@phe.gov.uk

The post Cigarros electrónicos são cerca de 95% menos prejudiciais que o cigarro convencional first appeared on 4-vapor.

Inside the illegal THC-infused vaping empire two brothers ran from rented Wisconsin condo: Raids find 120K vape cartridges, eight guns, 57 mason jars filled with liquid THC and $59,000 in cash – amid vape disease epidemic

• Tyler Huffhines, 20, and Jacob Huffhines, 23, were arrested on September 5
• Cops in Kenosha, Wisconsin, say they ran an illegal THC vape cartridge empire
• Ran assembly line making illicit vape cartridges in condo rented in false name
• Paid team of ‘juicers’ $20 an hour to fill cartridges with potent THC liquid
• Huffhines brothers were arrested at home with their parents and grandparents
• CDC reports six deaths and 380 cases of lung illness in 36 states linked to vaping
• Cops now probing whether Huffhines operation is linked to any illnesses

By KEITH GRIFFITH FOR DAILYMAIL.COM
PUBLISHED: 17:47 BST, 13 September 2019 | UPDATED: 21:15 BST, 14 September 2019

A police raid has exposed an illegal THC vape cartridge empire that cops say was run by two Wisconsin brothers.
Tyler Thomas Huffhines, 20, and Jacob David Huffhines, 23, were arrested last week in Kenosha County, Wisconsin after simultaneous raids on their home and a secret headquarters in a rented condo.

Cops discovered 31,200 vape cartridges filled with one gram of THC each and another 98,000 unfilled cartridges in the condo during the raid on September 5.

Police also recovered eighteen pounds of raw marijuana and 57 Mason jars filled with approximately 1616 ounces of refined liquid THC, which investigators believe was purchased from California.
‘This is a major, major operation,’ Kenosha County Sheriff David Beth said at a press conference announcing the charges.

Local investigators are now cooperating with federal officials to determine whether the illicit operation is linked to any of the six deaths and 380 cases of severe lung illness that have been tied to vaping across the country.

• This pile of vape cartridges was recovered in a sparsely furnished condo in Bristol,

which was rented under a false name and used to run a crude assembly line filling the cartridges with THC

• Cartridges boasting of fruity flavors are seen packaged for distribution at the rented condo

• The secret drug lair was in a condo in this nondescript building in Bristol, Wisconsin
Cops say that the vast operation was uncovered after parents of a teenager in Waukesha discovered that he was selling vape cartridges at a high school and hauled him in to cooperate with police.
‘The parents were focused on holding their son accountable,’ said Capt. Dan Baumann of the Waukesha Police Department.
‘These parents were courageous for what they did and should be commended.’
Investigators worked up through five layers of dealers before they discovered the Huffhines brothers’ secret lair in a Bristol condominium, which had been rented under a false name.
Aside from the drug operation, the sparsely furnished condo had only a table, chairs and television.
A bust in Wisconsin high school led cops up the distribution chain to the condo vape lair

• Some of the illegal vape cartridges even imitated popular candy such as Sour Patch Kids

• Jacob Huffhines is seen flashing a stack of hundred dollar bills in a 2017 Instagram photo

• The brothers are seen together in an Instagram photo posted in May
Cops say that the brothers employed a team of under-the-table workers known as ‘juicers’ to fill cartridges on a crude assembly line, using syringes to inject the potent liquid THC into each cartridge.
Initially, the brothers paid workers $20 an hour and even maintained time cards, Sheriff Beth said.
But they later discovered they could maximize profits by paying workers 30 cents per cartridge filled, according to Beth.
The filled cartridges were packaged in brightly colored boxes touting the names of fruit or candy flavors.
‘It looks like candy in these vaping cigarettes. It’s not candy, it’s highly potent drugs,’ said Beth.

• Police conducted a simultaneous raid on the home (above) that the brothers shared with their mom and grandpa, finding drugs, guns and $59,000 in cash
A simultaneous raid was conducted on the Huffhines home in nearby Paddock Lake, where the brothers lived with their mother and grandfather.
Inside that home, police recovered $59,000 in cash and eight firearms and ammunition.
Also found were nine cell phones, 0.6 Grams of cocaine, 10.6 grams of marijuana, and nine Xanax pills.
In a report this week, the Centers for Disease Control said that six have died and at least 380 have been severely sickened from vaping-related illness.
In nearly all cases, patients reported using THC vape cartridges before falling ill, though a few said they only used nicotine e-cigarettes, the CDC said.

• Kenosha County Sheriff David Beth talks about the THC-infused vaping cartridges that were part of a large-scale marijuana operation during a news conference in Kenosha
Now investigators are probing whether the Huffhines brothers’ operation was linked to any of the illnesses.
‘Their focus was on making money,’ remarked Sheriff Beth. ‘The health of others or the safety of others was never a serious concern.’
Both brothers are being held in the Kenosha County Jail without bond. It was unclear whether they had attorneys to speak on their behalf.
Tyler Huffhines is charged with manufacturing THC more than 10,000 grams, possession with intent to manufacture, distribution of THC more than 10,000 Grams, maintaining a drug house, and unauthorized use of individual’s personal identifying information.
Jacob Huffhines is charged with being a felon in possession of a firearm, possession of cocaine, and a felony probation hold.
The investigation continues.

WHAT TO KNOW ABOUT VAPING LUNG-RELATED ILLNESS

U.S. public health officials are investigating more than 450 cases of severe lung illnesses after at least six deaths have been related to e-cigarette products.

WHAT WE KNOW

The CDC has received reports of cases from 33 states.
The CDC is studying use of both nicotine and THC, the psychoactive component of cannabis, to determine the cause of the illness.
So far, no single product has been identified in all of the cases.
It is not yet clear whether the illness is unique to the US, though some health agencies, such as Canada’s, say they have not had any cases so far.
The CDC is also investigating whether the illnesses are caused by ingredients in the vaping products or by vaping habits in general.

SYMPTOMS

Early symptoms include fatigue, coughing, nausea, vomiting and fever.
People should also look out for shortness of breath, which can escalate and become so severe it would lead to an ER visit.
The vaping-related illness often looks like pneumonia on lung scans, but so far, no infection has been found, according to the NYT.

WHAT STAKEHOLDERS SAY

The CDC urges consumers to refrain from all vaping until a cause is identified to avoid more patient deaths and illnesses.
The FDA has warned consumers to avoid vaping products purchased outside of retail stores as well as THC liquids or other illicit substances.
The American Medical Association has urged all consumers to avoid vaping. The organization has urged doctors to warn their patients of the potential harms of e-cigarettes and has called for regulation.
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Inside the illegal THC-infused vaping empire two brothers ran from rented Wisconsin condo

By KEITH GRIFFITH FOR DAILYMAIL.COM
PUBLISHED: 17:47 BST, 13 September 2019 | UPDATED: 21:15 BST, 14 September 2019

The post Irmãos terão provocado onda de mortes com droga em cigarros eletrónicos first appeared on 4-vapor.

By Neil Humber – July 12, 2019

As I reported in last week’s Vaping News the UK’s NHS has now totally confirmed its support of vaping with not one but two vape shops opening within hospitals.
Yes America, you read that right, vape shops plying their trade inside NHS hospitals. Put that in your ban all the vaping things pipe and vape on it 
EcigWizard are the pioneers of this exciting new frontier of vape sales, and reactions from the wider vaping community to the news has, as you might expect, been extremely positive, to say the least.

The two shops will open in the foyers of both Sandwell General Hospital in West Bromwich and City Hospital, Birmingham. Sandwell has recently banned smoking from the hospital grounds and is imposing £50 fines on smokers caught in the act. Shelters once used by smokers are now to be only used by vapers, though vaping in the grounds is perfectly acceptable.
EcigWizard’s head of retail, Joe Lucas, said:
We’re incredibly happy to announce the opening of our two shops at Sandwell and City Hospital, supporting the Trust’s smoke-free status.
We are keen to offer vaping as an alternative to smoking, as a means to help people cut down or quit.
Sandwell and West Birmingham NHS Trust chose to partner with Ecigwizard because of our attention to detail on quality and safety, from testing e-liquids in a purpose-built laboratory and state of the art cleanroom.
He was joined by the company’s director, Ben Potter, who praised the NHS trusts for taking the bold step adding:
We are thrilled that Sandwell and West Birmingham NHS Trust has taken positive steps forward in combating tobacco smoking.
The UK continues to show the world that vaping products are a valuable tool in the long-term goal of creating a smoke-free world.
As I said, are you watching America!?
Long Standing Close Ties To the NHS
EcigWizard are no strangers to working alongside the NHS either. The announcement of the opening of the shops on the company’s website states:
Ecigwizard, are celebrating their eight-year anniversary as one of the leading retailers in the e-cigarette industry and have been working with stop smoking services for the past 5 years.
Throughout the year, they have attended various NHS events where they have handed out free e-cigarette starter kits along with supplying information about vaping, in an attempt to encourage smokers to seek alternatives to conventional cigarettes.

Dr David Carruthers is the medical director of the trusts involved and he was extremely positive about the shops opening:
The Trust’s Board, and our clinical leaders, are united in the view that smoking kills. Given that simple truth, we can no longer support smoking on our sites, even in shelters or cars.
Every alternative is available and we ask visitors and patients to work with us to enforce these changes. Giving up smoking saves you money and saves your health.
No more passive smoking on our sites is a public health necessity.
Louise Ross from the New Nicotine Alliance has also worked closely with the company:
EcigWizard has been working closely with the Leicester City Stop Smoking Service since 2014.
Their enthusiasm for helping smokers to switch to a safer product was clear from the outset, and the New Nicotine Alliance applauds this innovative partnership.
Peterborough based EcigWizard was founded in 2011 and say they’re the largest UK based online and bricks and mortar vape chain supplying around 600 independent vape shops up and down the country. They also supply white label e-liquid to 80 companies and have 45 owner owned franchise shops.
Positive Reactions From The Wider UK Vape Community
Last year Public Health England published its E-cigarettes and heated tobacco products: evidence review report in which it called for among many other recommendations, NHS grounds to become smoke-free and most importantly to allow e-cigarettes and nicotine replacement therapies to be sold within hospitals. The review also recommended creating ‘vape lounges’ within hospitals and allowing vaping in designated single rooms.
I wrote a detailed article on that: Resounding Support Of Vaping In New Public Health England Review and never for the life of me thought we’d see vape shops opening up!

It would seem Sandwell and Birmingham NHS trusts have not only embraced the PHE’s recommendations but positively run with them.
John Dunne, director of the UK Vaping Industry Association was delighted:
As the government is expected to announce a plan to completely eradicate smoking by 2030, we’re going to need more people, organisations and institutions to take progressive and bold steps towards vaping, just like those taken by Sandwell and West Birmingham NHS Trust.
Prohibitive policies that treat vaping in the same way as smoking simply continue to expose people to tobacco harm and run the risk of missing out on the massive public health prize represented by vaping.
Absolutely, and sorry for repeating myself, are you watching America?
The New York Times has picked up on the story and quoted Dr Debbie Robson, a researcher in tobacco addiction at King’s College London, who said:
It’s not as radical as it might first appear
To us here in the UK maybe it’s a natural step and hardly a radical move, but it sure is a big one – a case of one small step for e-cig shops but one giant leap for vaping in the UK  For American’s in particular, I’m pretty sure this is gobsmacking!
A point that the NNA’s Bernice Evans picked up on however she feels the smoking fines are a little too punative:
The announcement that vape shops will be operating from NHS premises has raised much media interest and been seen as controversial by many, but it shouldn’t be.
The government’s tobacco control plan spoke of exploring the benefits of reduced-risk products for smokers who are considering quitting, so this is a logical step.
Unfortunately, it is overshadowed by other overly coercive policies towards smokers, and the imposition of fines which are draconian and divisive.
Smokers will have better success when they are ready to quit rather than feeling they are being forced to.
We look forward to more hospitals adopting an enlightened harm reduction approach
Sadly I doubt any of the manic and hysterical anti-vape crowd of America will take any notice, which is not only a shame, it’s bordering on criminal given the threat vaping is under over the pond.

By Neil Humber – July 12, 2019 on https://www.ecigclick.co.uk

The post No Reino Unido a Ecig Wizard abre lojas de cigarros eletrónicos no hospital geral de Sandwell e no hospital da cidade de Birmingham first appeared on 4-vapor.

Passa-se em Inglaterra.

Os hospitais querem ajudar os fumadores a largar o cigarro!

Confira aqui a notícia.

The post Vape shop’s abrem em dois hospitais. . . first appeared on 4-vapor.