Periodic Reporting for period 1 - EUREST-RISE (European Regulatory Science on Tobacco - Research and Innovation Staff Exchange)
Reporting period: 2021-06-01 to 2023-05-31
Smoking and other forms of tobacco consumption are considered the single most important cause of preventable morbidity and premature mortality worldwide. Efforts to reduce the devastation of tobacco-related deaths and illnesses in the EU consist of the Tobacco Products Directive (TPD), and the ongoing implementation of the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC). These two instruments provide the EU Member States (MS) with the framework of actions that, if appropriately implemented, would significantly reduce tobacco use initiation, monitor tobacco product evolution, and reduce demand for tobacco products.
Tobacco product design and additives provide a primary industry tool for innovations that may undermine public health programs and support tobacco use and dependence. The past years have seen the development and adoption of many new cigarette technologies and design features, including new tobacco blends, filters, ventilation and additives, including flavours. Within this evolutionary process, novel tobacco products have emerged -including e-cigarettes and heated tobacco products, that further perpetuate the complexity of understanding and subsequently effectively regulating products.
Within EUREST-RISE, an integrated series of research studies are proposed that will facilitate the training of researchers (ESR and ER) to examine tobacco product systems, their mechanisms and purpose, and interactions between key design characteristics and their assessment in populations of users. This research training will be coupled with training on communicating to stakeholders, policymakers, the media and the general public. The complex and multidisciplinary nature of tobacco product regulation involving public health, epidemiology, toxicology, chemistry, sensory science and public policy, are constructs of training which have yet to be formulated into any formal academic training process in the EU such as a Masters, or Postgraduate Degree. It is this gap that the EUREST-RISE project will cover through the creation of a cohort of researchers who will be trained as scholars on state-of-the-art aspects of European tobacco product regulatory science.
The project will achieve its goal through 5 specific objectives (WPs):
1 – To facilitate smooth implementation of secondments and research exchanges;
2 – To facilitate the exchange of expertise on complex dataset analysis and interpretation at both the product and population level through unique secondary dataset analyses;
3 – To exchange expertise on the sensory and chemical analysis of tobacco, e-cigarettes and novel product flavour additives;
4 – To exchange expertise and gain experience in advocacy, policy integration and communication on tobacco control;
5 – To ensure dissemination and communication of the results to stakeholders.
Tobacco product design and additives provide a primary industry tool for innovations that may undermine public health programs and support tobacco use and dependence. The past years have seen the development and adoption of many new cigarette technologies and design features, including new tobacco blends, filters, ventilation and additives, including flavours. Within this evolutionary process, novel tobacco products have emerged -including e-cigarettes and heated tobacco products, that further perpetuate the complexity of understanding and subsequently effectively regulating products.
Within EUREST-RISE, an integrated series of research studies are proposed that will facilitate the training of researchers (ESR and ER) to examine tobacco product systems, their mechanisms and purpose, and interactions between key design characteristics and their assessment in populations of users. This research training will be coupled with training on communicating to stakeholders, policymakers, the media and the general public. The complex and multidisciplinary nature of tobacco product regulation involving public health, epidemiology, toxicology, chemistry, sensory science and public policy, are constructs of training which have yet to be formulated into any formal academic training process in the EU such as a Masters, or Postgraduate Degree. It is this gap that the EUREST-RISE project will cover through the creation of a cohort of researchers who will be trained as scholars on state-of-the-art aspects of European tobacco product regulatory science.
The project will achieve its goal through 5 specific objectives (WPs):
1 – To facilitate smooth implementation of secondments and research exchanges;
2 – To facilitate the exchange of expertise on complex dataset analysis and interpretation at both the product and population level through unique secondary dataset analyses;
3 – To exchange expertise on the sensory and chemical analysis of tobacco, e-cigarettes and novel product flavour additives;
4 – To exchange expertise and gain experience in advocacy, policy integration and communication on tobacco control;
5 – To ensure dissemination and communication of the results to stakeholders.
During the first 24 months of implementation of the project, ENSP has coordinated the overall administrative and financial management of the project by providing scientific support and mentorship in individual WPs through facilitating, as possible within the context of the COVID-9 pandemic, the smooth exchange of researchers that were seconded. Two secondments took place during this RP-1 within the context of Task 2.1: a) Secondment 1.1 (ENSP >> UOC) EU-CEG analysis on cigarette ingredient data about their function, weight and chemical registration and evaluate trends and product associations (ENSP» UOC). The primary outcome of this secondment was a study on the “Reflection around the Corporate Social Responsibility carried out by two companies:Pfizer Inc” and “Philip Morris International” b) Secondment 2.1 (ENSP >> ICO) EU-CEG analysis on tobacco product design data to assess product submissions, descriptors and other product-level data to investigate cross-EU MS comparability and map unique and emerging product characteristics (ENSP>>ICO). Six secondments commenced to train ESR on the use of population-based secondary datasets (Task 2.2.) that indicated the population impact of regulatory actions of the Tobacco Products Directive through specific research questions (R&I): a) Secondment 5.1 (ICO >> ENSP) and Secondment 5.2 (ICO >> ENSP), to identify available tobacco- and nicotine-related indicators by systematically mapping the questions used in the Eurobarometer from 1992 to 2020. The ultimate goal was to produce a set of recommendations that could be taken into account by the Commission when updating the Eurobarometer module b) Secondment 6.1 (UNIWA >> ENSP), Secondary analyses on EUREST-PLUS Horizon 2020 data c) Secondment 6.2 (UNIWA >> ENSP), Secondary analyses on EUREST-PLUS Horizon 2020 data. This secondment led to a list of potential manuscripts
and variable datasets on which the remaining secondments within S6 would take place d) Secondment 6.3 (UNIWA>>ENSP) Secondary analyses on EUREST-PLUS Horizon 2020 data e) Secondment 9 (Imperial >>ENSP) Policy implications from secondary analyses on the 2023 Eurobarometer or equivalent international population Dataset. Two policy reports, one position paper on harm reduction were produced, as well as a second paper on novel tobacco and nicotine products in Europe.Secondments within WP3 during this period were delayed due to the fact that all activities of the laboratory were moved online, with only minimal of staff allowed to be able to present in the laboratory during the COVID-19 pandemic. Changes in personnel at CARA and restrictions within the JRC with regard to staff mobility did not allow within RP1 for the secondment of staff between CARA and JRC – this is expected to be addressed in RP2. In the context of WP4, 2 secondments and trainings have been performed and a detailed plan for RP2 has been outlined: a) Secondment 17 (ICO>>ENSP), to perform a scaling up of a smoking cessation project to include and enhance its advocacy and policy components. A Public Event in Brussels was organized to disseminate the Open Educational Resource:INSTrUCT, to both the Tobacco Control Community and Higher Education Institutions b) Secondment 23 (ENSP>>ICO instead of UNIWA) to participate in advocacy activities and training on communication towards the general public and special populations.
and variable datasets on which the remaining secondments within S6 would take place d) Secondment 6.3 (UNIWA>>ENSP) Secondary analyses on EUREST-PLUS Horizon 2020 data e) Secondment 9 (Imperial >>ENSP) Policy implications from secondary analyses on the 2023 Eurobarometer or equivalent international population Dataset. Two policy reports, one position paper on harm reduction were produced, as well as a second paper on novel tobacco and nicotine products in Europe.Secondments within WP3 during this period were delayed due to the fact that all activities of the laboratory were moved online, with only minimal of staff allowed to be able to present in the laboratory during the COVID-19 pandemic. Changes in personnel at CARA and restrictions within the JRC with regard to staff mobility did not allow within RP1 for the secondment of staff between CARA and JRC – this is expected to be addressed in RP2. In the context of WP4, 2 secondments and trainings have been performed and a detailed plan for RP2 has been outlined: a) Secondment 17 (ICO>>ENSP), to perform a scaling up of a smoking cessation project to include and enhance its advocacy and policy components. A Public Event in Brussels was organized to disseminate the Open Educational Resource:INSTrUCT, to both the Tobacco Control Community and Higher Education Institutions b) Secondment 23 (ENSP>>ICO instead of UNIWA) to participate in advocacy activities and training on communication towards the general public and special populations.
The expected results of EUREST-RISE aim to create a cohort of scholars with cutting-edge hands-on training on European tobacco product regulatory science by providing a unique framework of exchange on common research and innovation projects. At the end of this integrated research project, researchers will be able to examine tobacco product systems, their mechanisms and purpose, the interactions between key design characteristics and the assessment of measurable effects in populations of users. EUREST-RISE will result in scientific skills, knowledge, data and publications for the scientific, research and academic communities, policy recommendations and reports for EU and MS policymakers, as well as education and expertise for professionals and other stakeholders involved in tobacco control. EUREST-RISE is expected to have a significant impact on the research sector through the establishment of a network of excellence on European tobacco product regulatory science and the outreach activities planned, thus fostering the availability of knowledge in the field and increasing awareness.