Tobacco harm reduction expert Joe Gitchell joins AVM's Jim McCarthy to discuss the Forecast for 2025 and Beyond.

AVM's Jim McCarthy sits down with Alex Clark, CEO of Consumer Advocates for Smoke-Free Alternatives (CASAA), for another deep-dive analysis of 'The Vaping Wars' podcast series on Audible. On this episode of Shaping Vaping, Clark and McCarthy examine the neglected history of the vaping industry, overlooked by journalists in a rush to attack JUUL; the Iron Law of Prohibition and the predictable rise of black market vapes; the foolishness of the aggressive drug war tactics employed against small vape shops and their customers.

Tobacco harm reduction expert Joe Gitchell joins AVM's Jim McCarthy to discuss the wildly popular Audible podcast series "Vaping Wars." The series, hosted by two veteran journalists, may be the most balanced mainstream media treatment of nicotine vaping so far. But could it have been even better? McCarthy says yes, pointing out that the podcast failed to mention some key facts about the benefits of nicotine vaping. Gitchell, though acknowledging the series' limitations, says "Vaping Wars" will help shift the public's understanding of tobacco harm reduction in the right direction.

Follow Joe Gitchell @jgitchell

Please explore Braver Angels as an approach to fortify our American democracy. https://braverangels.org/

Please consider the following books:
I Never Thought of It That Way - Guzman https://www.moniguzman.com/book
The Righteous Mind: Why Good People Are Divided by Politics and Religion - Haidt https://righteousmind.com/
The Constitution of Knowledge: A Defense of Truth - Rauch https://www.brookings.edu/books/the-constitution-of-knowledge/
High Conflict - Ripley https://www.amandaripley.com/high-conflict
Galileo's Middle Finger - Dreger https://alicedreger.com/gmf/
How Minds Change - McRaney https://www.davidmcraney.com/howmindschangehome

Please check out these podcasts:
A Braver Way https://braverangels.org/a-braver-way-episode-guide/
You Are Not So Smart https://youarenotsosmart.com/

Please read these articles:
The Difference Between Critics and Bullies - George https://heterodoxacademy.org/blog/viewpoint-diversity-critics-bullies/
A 1920s doctor with a phony insanity cure was hailed as a hero. It’s a cautionary tale for today. - Rosenfield https://www.bostonglobe.com/2024/05/09/opinion/kat-rosenfield-experts-henry-cotton/
Why Smart People Are Vulnerable to Putting Tribe Before Truth - Kahan https://www.scientificamerican.com/blog/observations/why-smart-people-are-vulnerable-to-putting-tribe-before-truth/
How Misinformation Spreads and Why We Trust It - O'Connor and Weatherall https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/how-misinformation-spreads-and-why-we-trust-it/
Five Features of Better Arguments - Friedersdorf https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2018/06/5-features-of-better-arguments/563672/

On this episode of Shaping Vaping, AVM’s Jim McCarthy sits down with journalist Jacob Grier to discuss the rapidly encroaching threat of vaping prohibition. As increasing numbers of smokers switch to vapes and give up cigarettes forever, many governments are making these life-saving products harder to access—and punishing consumers forced to acquire them illegally. 

Why would public health officials so aggressively attack a technology that is helping millions of people lead healthier lives? And what can be done to turn back their assault? Grier offers intriguing answers to both questions.

Jacob Grier writes about tobacco, public policy, and other vices. His articles have appeared at Slate, Reason, The Atlantic, The Washington Post, The Los Angeles Times, The Daily Beast, Eater, Imbibe, and many other publications. He is the author of The New Prohibition: The Dangerous Politics of Tobacco Control, among several other books. Follow him on Twitter @JacobGrier.

Follow AVM on Twitter @vaporamerican

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On this episode of Shaping Vaping, AVM Vice President Alli Boughner sits down with Dr. Michael Siegel to discuss the tobacco-control movement’s rejection of harm reduction. There’s an abundance of evidence that tobacco harm reduction helps smokers give up cigarettes; yet many US public health authorities deny that vapes and other low-risk alternatives to smoking should be used for cessation. Why? Dr. Siegel’s answer may surprise you.

Michael Siegel is a professor of public health and community medicine at Tufts University School of Medicine. Visit his website and read his blog. 

Alli Boughner is the vice president of the American Vapor Manufacturers (AVM). Follow her on Twitter @Alli_vapes.

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The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit handed down a major ruling in Bidi Vapor v. FDA, holding the agency accountable for the way it has mishandled the approval process for vaping products. Attorney and legal expert Azim Chowdhury join co-hosts Amanda Wheeler and Greg Conley to discuss the ruling and map out the other fights against FDA’s Marketing Denial Orders in the courts. Plus, some media criticism - our favorite!

Links:

Vaping360: Federal Court Rules Against FDA in Six MDO Appeals

Lindsey Stroud: Public health agencies – not judges – need to be promoting tobacco harm reduction

Jonathan Adler: Eleventh Circuit Finds FDA Treatment of Vaping Product Marketing Applications to be Arbitrary & Capricious

Intro music: Last Summer by Ikson - https://www.iksonmusic.com

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Tobacco Harm Reduction advocates won the argument about the best way to help improve public health and defeated a Colorado bill that would have banned flavored vaping products. Amanda Wheeler and co-host Char Owen are joined by an all-star panel of guests who worked on the front lines to defeat the ban. This week’s panel includes Tim Andrews of Americans for Tax Reform, Lindsey Stroud of the Taxpayers Protection Alliance, Criminal Justice and Drug Policy Reformer Art Way, and Government Relations Pro Joe Miklosi.

Links:

• Denver Post: Bill to ban flavored vaping liquid dies in Colorado legislature

• Filter Magazine: Colorado Flavored Vape Ban Voted Down in Big Loss for Prohibitionists

• CDC: 40% or approx. 5 million e-cigarette smokers are former cigarette smokers.

• Letter from ATR Opposing Colorado Flavor Ban

• Yale Study: Ban on flavored vaping may have led teens to cigarettes

• New England Journal of Medicine: The E-Cigarette Flavor Debate — Promoting Adolescent and Adult Welfare

Intro music: Last Summer by Ikson - https://www.iksonmusic.com

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Advocate Matthew Milby of the Maryland Vapor Alliance joins Amanda Wheeler and Char Owens, the intrepid ladies of AVM, for a discussion on the latest happenings in the vaping world of Maryland. They also lament how vape shop owners have no idea where future enforcement of onerous vaping regulations will come from. Plus, listener questions.

Links

• Amanda Wheeler for the Washington Times: “How FDA’s Mitch Zeller blew it on nicotine policy”

• Matthew Milby: Vape shop owners "are getting killed" due to confusion.

Intro music: Last Summer by Ikson - https://www.iksonmusic.com

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Dimitris Agrafiotis, Executive Director of the Tennessee Smoke Free Association, joins guest host Char Ownes for this week's episode of Shaping Vaping. The two discuss the proactive approach the EU has taken to vaping policy, the role of vape shop owners in helping people quit, and share what it has been like to be in the vaping fight for so long.

Links

• FDA asks Congress for more money for e-cigarette oversight

• Our Very Own Amanda Wheeler quoted in Filter Mag.

Intro music: Last Summer by Ikson - https://www.iksonmusic.com

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The Institute for Economic Affairs’ Head of Lifestyle Economics Christopher Snowdon joins guest host Jim McCarthy to discuss the coming crackdown on vaping in the U.S. and how UK vaping policy outshines other parts of the world. Plus, this week’s Media Lap Dogs.
Links:

• Video: Snowdon interviews Lionel Shriver to discuss the hysteria surrounding vaping.

• BBC: E-cigarettes could be available on NHS to tackle smoking rates

• BBC Radio: U.S. war on e-cigarettes

• Our Outreach to the New York Times on Its Slanted Vaping Reporting

• Marc Gunther: When the good news about smoking is bad news for anti-smoking groups

Intro music: Last Summer by Ikson - https://www.iksonmusic.com