Synthetic cannabinoids found in 13% of school vapes tested

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13% of vapes confiscated from English schools contained synthetic cannabinoids mis-sold as THC. Refillable vapes and social media platforms enable this dangerous trend.

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Is vaping really a gateway to smoking? New review of youth vaping confirms uncertainty

Clinicians who withhold opiates to protect patients from self-harm may be doing more harm than good; is it time to retire this outdated assumption?

Vaping is helping millions quit smoking, but concerns about teen uptake remain. A new blog explores whether the ‘gateway hypothesis’ stands up to scrutiny in the latest umbrella review of vaping harms in young people.

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Social media, smoking and young people: is there any link?

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Ian Hamilton summarises a longitudinal survey study of UK youth, which suggests there is an association between social media exposure and use of e-cigarettes and smoking.

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Are e-cigarettes more addictive than tobacco?

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Tuba Saygin Avsar reviews a study on the perceived addiction of e-cigarettes, which used data from the International Tobacco Control Smoking and Vaping England Survey, to suggest that most UK vapers consider e-cigarettes less addictive than tobacco.

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E- cigarette use worldwide

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This review assessing the epidemiological profile of e-cigarette users worldwide included 43 studies from 28 countries. A majority (60% of studies were considered to be at low risk of bias. The findings provide prevalence estimates and suggest that the highest proportion of e-cigarette users was in the 18- to 24 age group.

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E-cigarettes vs nicotine patches: are either adequate to support pregnant smokers?

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In her debut blog, Tuba Saygın Avşar summarises a recent RCT, which finds that “E-cigarettes might help women who are pregnant to stop smoking, and their safety for use in pregnancy is similar to that of nicotine patches.”

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Adverse effects of E-cigarettes on head, neck, and oral cells

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Iris Vaid takes a look at this review of whether e-cigarettes have a negative impact on the cells in the head, neck, and mouth. 16 in-vitro studies showed that oral cells exposed to e-cigarettes showed aberrant cell morphology, reduced cell viability, and increased apoptosis and/or necrosis.

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Smoking cessation for people with severe mental illness? “Oh yes they can!” SCIMITAR+

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David Shiers and Peter Byrne summarise the new SCIMITAR+ trial out today in The Lancet Psychiatry, which evaluates a bespoke smoking cessation intervention for people with severe mental illness.

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Smoking bans and violence on mental health wards: what’s the link?

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John Baker isn’t convinced by the findings of a systematic review on smoking bans and violence in mental health settings, which concludes that the introduction of smoke-free policies generally do not lead to an increase in violence.

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Nicotine without smoke: new RCP report on e-cigarettes and tobacco harm reduction

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Debutant blogger and vaping activist Lorien Jollye presents a new tobacco harm reduction report from the Tobacco Advisory Group of the Royal College of Physicians.

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