GTNF discusses solutions to youth misuse of harm reduction products, calling for cross-sector collab

  On the afternoon of September 21, the GTNF forum held a discussion themed "Everyone is Responsible for Youth Use of Harm Reduction Products."

【Two Supremes from Seoul, South Korea】On the afternoon of September 21, the 2023 GTNF forum held a discussion on the theme "Everyone is Responsible for Youth Use of Harm Reduction Products." Participants agreed that addressing youth misuse of harm reduction products requires collaboration and effort from various social institutions.

Forum Scene Image Source ｜ Two Supremes

This discussion was moderated by Caifede Kaplan and Stacy Ehrlich, a partner at Becker Law Firm. Participants included Jasjit S. Ahluwalia, a professor of behavioral and social sciences and medicine at Brown University School of Public Health and the Alpert Medical School, Brian A. King, director of the FDA Center for Tobacco Products, Colin Mendelsohn, a general practitioner and founding chairman of the Australian Tobacco Harm Reduction Association, and Stefanie Miller, vice president of external partnerships at JUUL Labs Inc.

Brian A. King, director of the FDA Center for Tobacco Products, stated that the FDA has been focusing on products favored by young people for many years. In addition to issuing warning letters, they have collaborated with the judicial department and the National Institutes of Health to obtain more data on public health communication and to find data on target populations, including unexpected groups, especially teenagers, spending millions of dollars each year to use data to guide their work. The FDA is also continuing educational efforts and launching anti-smoking advertising campaigns.

Stefanie Miller stated that American consumers must scan their ID when purchasing company products, and sales can only be completed after verifying the age through ID scanning. The ID checks the buyer's age and prevents salespeople from selling more than a certain quantity of products to prevent social acquisition of products in schools. This is a point-of-sale technical intervention. At the point of sale, the company has taken actions to ensure that retailers comply with regulations.

Colin Mendelsohn noted that a study in Australia showed that one-third of teenagers aged 14 to 17 had used e-cigarettes, with 16% using them in the past 30 days, but only 3% of kids overall used e-cigarettes, which is consistent with evidence from other similar Western countries. The latest evidence indicates that among never-smokers, the number of children who frequently use e-cigarettes accounts for only 1% to 2% of the total, and very few never-smokers frequently use e-cigarettes. He believes that since the advent of e-cigarettes, smoking rates have continued to decline. When the government tries various methods, such as increasing taxes or restricting flavors to reduce youth use of e-cigarettes, this will lead to more people turning to smoking cigarettes.