Session 3: THR and public health policy Seminars

15:15 - 15:25

Welcome from the Chair

15:25 - 15:40

A Magic Bullet? The Potential Impact of E-Cigarettes on the Toll of Cigarette Smoking:

This paper reports findings from a simulation analysis that compares potential life-years gained by vaping-induced smoking cessation with potential life-years lost by vaping-induced smoking initiation in the U.S. through the year 2100. In addition to varying assumptions about the effect of vaping on smoking cessation and initiation, and the mortality implications, the analysis considers the effects of variables previously never included in such simulations; for example, which types of smokers, defined by difficulty quitting smoking, are most aided by vaping. Out of 360 possible scenarios. 357 (99%) yield positive estimates of life-years saved (LYS), most scenarios resulting in millions of individuals quitting smoking due to vaping through the year 2100. On average, vaping-induced quitters gain an extra 1.2-2.0 years of life compared to smokers who quit without vaping. While the numbers of LYS are generally large across all scenarios, they often represent a small fraction of the toll of smoking. Thus, while vaping is highly likely to reduce smoking-produced mortality, it is not “the” answer to the public health crisis created by smoking. Rather, it may well be an important tool to add to the armamentarium of effective tobacco control measures.


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Speaker

  • Prof Kenneth Warner Avedis Donabedian Distinguished University Professor Emeritus of Public Health and Dean Emeritus - University of Michigan School of Public Health
15:40 - 15:55

Taking the measure of youth addiction to nicotine in the USA

The starting point for US policy towards e-cigarettes has been and continues to be the notion of an emerging epidemic of youth addiction to nicotine.  This epidemic is taken to be a matter of fact, and is evidenced by the recent rapid increase in past 30 day e-cigarette use in high school students, peaking at 27% in 2019. However, youth tobacco use in the USA is characterized by a diverse range of products, both combustible and non-combustible, traditional and novel,  with prevalence and patterns of use evolving rapidly over time.

The National Youth Tobacco Survey (NYTS) includes two well-established self-report indicators of nicotine dependence (craving for tobacco; time to first use of the day).  This paper reports NYTS data from high school students and examines self-reported dependence by product used and over time, and attempts to estimate the evolving overall burden of nicotine dependence in the whole population.  Dependence in otherwise tobacco-naïve e-cigarette users appears to be low, and there is little evidence for any substantial change in population burden of nicotine dependence over time as product preference has shifted from cigarettes towards e-cigarettes.


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15:55 - 16:10

Transitioning Dual Users off Combustible Cigarettes: Maximizing Complete Switching

This presentation will highlight data from an observational study of adult dual cigarette and e-cigarette users, focusing on multi-level factors that might enhance complete switching to e-cigarette use and implications for research and intervention designs. Opportunities for enhancing switching during the time of COVID-19 will be discussed.


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Speaker

  • Prof Robin Mermelstein Distinguished Professor of Psychology & Director, Institute for Health Research and Policy - University of Illinois, Chicago
16:10 - 16:25

An update on Australia’s ban on sales of e-Cigarettes:

Australia has effectively banned the sale of electronic nicotine delivery devices (ENDS) by using poisons regulations that only allow access to ENDS products demonstrated in randomized control trials to improve smoking cessation. No such products are available. Smokers can, with difficulty, import nicotine if they have a prescription, but few doctors are prepared to prescribe it. The minority of smokers who use ENDS have often illicitly accessed nicotine over the internet. This restrictive policy has been supported by the most of the Australian tobacco control community. Alarm at increased ENDS use among Australian adolescents has prompted a proposal to make access even more difficult by abolishing personal importation and only allowing dispensing of approved products by pharmacists on a prescription.  Illicit importation will attract fines of up to AUD200,000. This paper critically analyses the arguments used to justify Australian ENDS policy and describes how ENDS could be regulated for recreational use in ways that address the concerns about adolescent use raised by those who support a ban.


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Speaker

  • Prof Wayne Hall Professor Emeritus, National Centre for Youth Substance Use Research - The University of Queensland
16:25 - 16:55

Panel discussion and Live Q&A

Session Responder

  • Prof Tikki Pang Former Director, Research, Policy & Cooperation, World Health Organization - Geneva, Switzerland

Speakers

  • Prof Kenneth Warner Avedis Donabedian Distinguished University Professor Emeritus of Public Health and Dean Emeritus - University of Michigan School of Public Health
  • Prof Robin Mermelstein Distinguished Professor of Psychology & Director, Institute for Health Research and Policy - University of Illinois, Chicago
  • Prof Wayne Hall Professor Emeritus, National Centre for Youth Substance Use Research - The University of Queensland
16:55 - 17:00

Closing remarks