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** 22 January 2026
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** UK
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** Vaping after quitting smoking linked to lower relapse risk (#1)
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** Childhood ADHD may increase risk of smoking and related health problems (#2)
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** International
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** Canada flavour bans on vapes linked to higher cigarette sales, study finds (#3)
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** Varma removes automatic tobacco ban in responsible investment overhaul (#4)
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** UK
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** Vaping after quitting smoking linked to lower relapse risk

New research led by Queen Mary University of London suggests that smokers who quit with the help of e-cigarettes and continue to vape are less likely to relapse back to smoking. The findings come from a secondary analysis of a large randomised controlled trial involving 886 smokers, which compared relapse rates among people who quit using e-cigarettes with those who used nicotine replacement therapies, as well as between quitters who continued vaping and those who did not. Across follow-up periods ranging from four weeks to one-year, continued vaping was associated with a reduced risk of relapse.

Professor Peter Hajek, who led the study, said the results suggest that ongoing vaping, which carries far lower health risks than smoking, may help former smokers maintain abstinence rather than undermining it.

Source: Medical Xpress, 21 January 2026

See also: Hajek, et al. Continuing use of e-cigarettes after stopping smoking and relapse: Secondary analysis of a large randomised control trial. Addiction. 2026. DOI: 10.1111/add.70294 ([link removed])
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** Childhood ADHD may increase risk of smoking and related health problems

Research from University College London and the University of Liverpool indicates that children with higher ADHD traits are more likely to develop long-term physical health problems, partly linked to higher rates of smoking. Analysing data from 10,930 participants in the 1970 British Cohort Study, the study found that individuals with high ADHD traits at age 10 had increased odds of experiencing multiple health conditions -including those associated with tobacco use, such as cancer and diabetes - by age 46.

The researchers suggest that impulsivity and difficulties with self-regulation in ADHD may contribute to behaviours like smoking, which in turn affect long-term health. Lead author Dr Amber John highlighted that timely support for people with ADHD could reduce these risks.

Source: The Independent, 21 January 2026

See also: Stott J, O’Nions E, Corrigan L, et al. Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder Traits in Childhood and Physical Health in Midlife. ([link removed].) JAMA Network Open. 2026.
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** International
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** Canada flavour bans on vapes linked to higher cigarette sales, study finds

Researchers from the University of Missouri and Yale University report that restrictions on flavoured vaping products in Canada may have led some consumers to return to smoking. Analysing convenience store sales data from six provinces between 2018 and 2023, they found cigarette sales rose by 9.6% in provinces with flavour bans compared with provinces without restrictions. While flavoured and menthol vapes largely disappeared from shelves, sales of tobacco-flavoured and unflavoured vapes surged by 123.4%. The researchers caution that such policies may unintentionally increase cigarette consumption, potentially offsetting the public health benefits of reducing flavoured vape use.

Source: The Cool Down, 21 January 2026

See also: Davis, B., Friedman, A., Pesko, M. Restricting Sales of Flavored Nicotine Vaping Products: Effects on Cigarette and Nicotine Vaping Product Sales in Canada. ([link removed]) 2025.
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** Varma removes automatic tobacco ban in responsible investment overhaul

Finnish pension insurer Varma, which manages €67bn in assets, has ended the automatic exclusion of tobacco companies as part of an update to its responsible investment approach for 2026–2030. Tobacco will now be treated as a heightened-risk sector and assessed through enhanced due diligence and active ownership rather than blanket ethical screening. Varma says the change does not mean tobacco companies are automatically investable, but reflects its view that engagement is more effective than divestment in influencing company behaviour in public markets.

Source: IPE, 21 January 2026
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ASH Daily News is a digest of published news on smoking-related topics. ASH is not responsible for the content of external websites. ASH does not necessarily endorse the material contained in this bulletin.

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