Health, Science, and Technology Newsletter Q1 2020 - Foundation for a Smoke-Free World

First Quarter, 2020

Welcome to the latest issue of the Health, Science, and Technology (HST) newsletter. HST, a division of the Foundation for a Smoke-Free World, strives to advance global tobacco research to end smoking in this generation.

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SECTOR NEWS & RELEASES

Do Bans Help Modern Public Health? Science.
CDC Steps Back From Broad Recommendation to Refrain From E-Cigarettes. Wall Street Journal.
Evidence, alarm, and the debate over e-cigarettes. Science.
WHO warning on vaping draws harsh response from U.K. researchers. Science.
What if a Vaping Tax Encouraged Cigarette Smoking? New York Times.
Illicit THC-containing products also containing Vitamin E Acetate linked to Vaping Illnesses. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Smoking Cessation: A Report of the Surgeon General. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Tobacco Harm Reduction and the Right to Health: Global State of Tobacco Harm Reduction 2020 Briefing Paper. Knowledge Action Change.
FDA releases Guidance for Industry on enforcement priorities for ENDS without premarket authorization. Federal Register.
PODCAST: The Truth About the Vaping Crisis (Ep. 398). By Stephen Dubner. Freakonomics.

PROJECTS IN THE SPOTLIGHT
Centre of Research Excellence: Indigenous Sovereignty & Smoking (COREISS)

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The Centre of Research Excellence: Indigenous Sovereignty & Smoking (COREISS) was established in 2018 by Dr. Marewa Glover in Auckland, New Zealand. Rates of smoking are disproportionately high among indigenous peoples; nevertheless, they have been largely neglected by researchers and public health organizations. COREISS aims to correct this oversight by accelerating the end of smoking in indigenous peoples and other minorities. Their approach consists of three steps: first, understand the socioeconomic determinants of high smoking rates; second, test solutions; and, third, share accumulated knowledge and building skills.

Now entering the second year of their grant, the Centre has already written a country story exploring tobacco smoking among the iTaukei people in Fiji. The country stories aim to advance knowledge about global indigenous tobacco use, with the goal of developing more effective interventions. Additionally, COREISS will be giving Building Capacity Grants to Indigenous researchers in countries where little is known about smoking prevalence. One study will assess information needs and design training programs that enable community health workers to better support cessation among members of marginalized groups.

To read more about COREISS and its projects, click here. The iTaukei country story and further publications can be found here.

Analytisch Biologisches Forschungslabor (ABF)

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Based in Munich, Germany, ABF is an independent laboratory with expertise in toxicity testing and biomonitoring. In 2018, ABF received a grant under the Foundation’s official request for biomarkers proposals. With this support, they conducted a systematic literature review to identify biomarkers that distinguish between various nicotine product-use groups. Following the completion of this review, ABF drafted a manuscript detailing their methodology.

The ABF team, led by Prof. Dr. Gerhard Scherer

Using the biomarkers identified in their review, ABF has launched a clinical study of different nicotine user groups. The trial assesses six groups: those who use combustible cigarettes, heat-not-burn products, e-cigarettes/vapes, oral tobacco, and oral nicotine, as well as never users. The final report on this study, expected in the first quarter of 2021, will summarize validated biomarkers that can differentiate user groups and specify the levels of exposure within each group.

UPCOMING EVENTS
Society for Research on Nicotine & Tobacco (SRNT) 26th Annual Meeting
New Orleans, Louisiana, March 11-14 2020
SRNT’s Annual Meeting provides an excellent opportunity for attendees of all backgrounds to participate in a high-caliber discussion of research in the field of nicotine and tobacco research.
American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) Annual Meeting
San Diego, California, April 24-29 2020
This annual meeting covers the latest discoveries across the cancer research field. It touches on everything from population science and prevention to cancer biology, translational research, and clinical studies.

The E-Cigarette Summit USA
Washington DC, May 4 2020
The 2020 E-Cigarette Summit USA provides an evidence-based environment to encourage respectful dialogue on current science and public health topics, with the goal of reducing smoking-related death and disease.
Food and Drug Law Institute (FDLI) Annual Conference
Washington DC, May 7-8 2020
FDLI aims to address complex legal, regulatory, compliance, and policy issues in all facets of the FDA-regulated landscape. Congregating stakeholders and experts from multiple interlinking sectors, the conference offers in-depth discussions and analyses on a wide variety of timely topics.
7th Global Forum on Nicotine
Warsaw, Poland, June 11-13 2020
The theme for GFN 20 is ‘Nicotine: science, ethics and human rights.’ The conference will examine advances in the science of nicotine alongside related ethical and moral issues. Discussions will pay particular attention to human rights concerns relevant to consumers and those who advocate for the right to health.

The closing date for abstracts for GFN oral presentations is February 9th 2020. For more information, click here.

OPPORTUNITIES FOR PARTNERSHIP
Interested in working with the Foundation to advance science that will save lives worldwide? Keep a lookout for our next request for proposals. Alternatively, you may contact us directly at support@smokefreeworld.org to discuss any ideas you might have on how to end smoking in this generation. We seek partnerships with public and private organizations that have experience working on tobacco issues in countries where most smokers live; we are also interested in collaborating with organizations not currently working on smoking, but that are interested in applying their expertise to this major global health challenge. To learn more about our agenda and opportunities to work with us, click here.

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