Nicotine Science and Policy
By Harry Shapiro July 10, 2026
Harry’s Blog 132: “Zyn! Went The Strings Of My Heart” (with apologies to Judy Garland)
FDA approval of 20 nicotine pouch products is another step forward for tobacco harm reduction
The FDA in the U.S. has granted marketing authorisation for Zyn nicotine pouch products (five variations on mint plus five other flavours in two different strengths).
In its letter to PMI (who own Zyn manufacturers Swedish Match), the FDA wrote:
Based on our review of your MRTPAs [Modified Risk Tobacco Applications] we determined that the proposed modified risk tobacco products, …as actually used by consumers would significantly reduce harm and the risk of tobacco-related disease to individual tobacco users and benefit the health of the population as a whole, taking into account both users of tobacco products and persons who do not currently use tobacco products. Therefore, we authorize marketing of the tobacco products as modified risk tobacco products with the following modified risk information – “Using ZYN instead of cigarettes puts you at a lower risk of mouth cancer, heart disease, lung cancer, stroke, emphysema and chronic bronchitis”.
July 27, 2026 by thecritic.co.uk
Time to scrap the smoking ban
A smoking ban may look like a clean public health victory, but bans rarely stay simple once they meet real life. Adults who smoke are still adults, and policy has to balance harm reduction with autonomy, enforcement and unintended consequences. The better question is not how far restrictions can go, but whether they actually reduce smoking-related harm without pushing people into stigma, avoidance or less visible use. Public health should persuade, support and reduce risk — not rely on prohibition as its default language.
11.80% of the adult population are current smokers. There are approximately 6.7 million current smokers in United Kingdom 13.60% of men are current smokers but only 10.10% of women.
SOURCE: GSTHR
July 27, 2026 by clearingtheair.eu
US youth vaping rate down 74% as scientist questions ‘epidemic’ label
A 74% fall in youth vaping changes the way the problem should be described. If use is declining sharply, the “epidemic” label may no longer reflect the evidence — and policy should adapt accordingly. Youth access still requires enforcement, but exaggerating the scale of the issue can distort public perception and justify restrictions that also harm adult smokers. Good public health depends on accurate labels, not outdated alarm.
14.10% of the adult population are current smokers. There are approximately 39.8 million current smokers in United States 17.10% of men are current smokers but only 11.10% of women.
SOURCE: GSTHR
July 27, 2026 by yahoo.com
Op-Ed: No air conditioning, but Brussels wants to ban Zyn
Heat is no longer an abstract climate issue when people are trying to sleep, work or stay safe in homes built for a cooler past. The air-conditioning debate shows how quickly adaptation becomes political: some see cooling as wasteful, others as basic protection against extreme heat. A serious response should not shame people for needing relief, but make cooling cleaner, more efficient and more accessible. Climate policy has to help people live with the risks already here, not only argue about the emissions still to come.
July 27, 2026 by tobaccoharmreduction.net
South Africa Tobacco Regulation: The Case for Proportionate Risk
A regulation that treats every nicotine product as equally dangerous starts from the wrong premise. South Africa’s tobacco policy should recognise that the greatest harm comes from combustion, not nicotine itself. Risk-proportionate regulation would still control access, protect young people and set product standards, but it would not make lower-risk alternatives harder to use than cigarettes. The aim should be to move smokers down the risk continuum, not trap them at the most harmful end.
23.30% of the adult population are current smokers. There are approximately 10.9 million current smokers in South Africa 39.30% of men are current smokers but only 8.50% of women.
SOURCE: GSTHR
July 27, 2026 by substack.com
Safety of high-powered sub-ohm devices (part I)
Power, temperature and device design are often discussed as if they automatically translate into higher danger. With sub-ohm vaping, the more important question is what the evidence actually shows about emissions, exposure and real-world use. High-powered devices should be assessed carefully, but not through assumptions that ignore how experienced users control settings, airflow and liquid consumption. Safety debates need measurements, context and comparison with the risks of continued smoking.
July 27, 2026 by substack.com
Safety of high-powered sub-ohm devices (part II)
High-powered vaping devices are easy to frame as alarming because they produce more vapour and use …
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Blogs
Harry’s Blog 132: “Zyn! Went The Strings Of My Heart” (with apologies to Judy Garland)
FDA approval of 20 nicotine pouch products is another step forward for tobacco harm reduction
The FDA in the U.S. has granted marketing authorisation for Zyn nicotine pouch products (five variations on mint plus five other flavours in two different strengths).
In its letter to PMI (who own Zyn manufacturers Swedish Match), the FDA wrote:
Based on our review of your MRTPAs [Modified Risk Tobacco Applications] we determined that the proposed modified risk tobacco products, …as actually used by consumers would significantly reduce harm and the risk of tobacco-related disease to individual tobacco users and benefit the health of the population as a whole, taking into account both users of tobacco products and persons who do not currently use tobacco products. Therefore, we authorize marketing of the tobacco products as modified risk tobacco products with the following modified risk information – “Using ZYN instead of cigarettes puts you at a lower risk of mouth cancer, heart disease, lung cancer, stroke, emphysema and chronic bronchitis”.
Harry’s Blog 131: Hidden harms
New publications from K•A•C discuss the challenge of smoking in treatment services caring for those who are HIV positive or coping with drug problems.
Smoking rates among those who are HIV positive and those who use drugs (as well as those with mental health problems where there may well be overlap) are anything from two to four times higher than the general adult smoking rates of most developed countries. One study of those receiving opiate substitute treatment recorded a smoking prevalence rate of 85%. Why should this be?
Harry’s blog 130: Follow the science not the money
For the sake of public health, end virtue signalling about THR funding
I arrived into the world of tobacco harm reduction (THR) from drugs and HIV harm reduction in 2015. I was invited into KAC by two valued colleagues from my previous world who were perfectly up front (and have never hidden the fact) that the funding for the organisation came from the Foundation for a Smoke Free World which in turn was funded by Philip Morris International. And the reason that they were prepared to use this money to further the cause of THR was that no other prospective funders for a harm reduction project were interested. Nobody back in the day was excited by the fact that if you could separate nicotine use from combustion the relative risk was massively reduced and the potential health gains enormous.