“Under the Zynfluence” at the 2024 Annual CTFH Stakeholders Meeting

Dr. Tim McAfee delivering his keynote address at the 2024 CTFH Stakeholder Meeting

On October 24, 2024, close to one hundred tobacco prevention advocates gathered at the ‘Alohilani Resort in Waikīkī to assess the current landscape of tobacco use in Hawai‘i and look ahead to future solutions. The day’s theme was “Under the Zynfluence” – a nod to the increasingly popular nicotine pouches, ZYN, produced by Philip Morris International. The keynote speaker of the day was Dr. Tim McAfee, a former Director of CDC’s Office on Smoking and Health. Dr. McAfee is currently a professor at the University of California at San Francisco where he works on their Project Discovery Tobacco Project.

Dr. McAfee’s presentation highlighted the savviness of the tobacco industry and its cunning ability to stay ahead of efforts to regulate its products. One of the more recent and notable efforts to get ahead of public health is the introduction of “smoke-free alternatives,” such as Vuse or ZYN nicotine pouches and heated tobacco products like IQOS. Dr. McAfee took the audience on a journey, explaining that while public health deals with the implications of e-cigarettes and vapes, Big Tobacco companies, such as Philip Morris International, have already moved on to their next generation products aimed at the next generation of consumers.

Dr. McAfee also pointed out Big Tobacco is taking a page from its own book and utilizing social media influencers to usher in this next generation of “smoke-free” tobacco products. So much so that the term “Zynfluencer” has been coined, and people, such as Tucker Carlson, have adopted it for themselves. This shift away from cigarettes and toward “smoke-free” nicotine delivery has led tobacco advocates to consider whether our own tobacco-focused terminology should be amended.

After the keynote address, local advocates were recognized for their outstanding work in tobacco prevention and control with our annual Alaka‘i Awards. The Coalition for a Tobacco-Free Hawai‘i’s Alaka‘i Awards honor dedicated and hard-working individuals and organizations in tobacco prevention and control. All awardees have demonstrated a record of consistent excellence in tobacco control; served as exemplars and role models to others in the tobacco prevention and control movement; demonstrated initiative toward innovative, creative approaches to tobacco control; and have no affiliation with the tobacco industry and does not receive funding from the tobacco industry.

This year’s awardees were:

• Outstanding Advocate of the Year: Shelly Ogata
• Outstanding Community Partners: Courtney DeConto and Lisa Kehl
• Outstanding Service Provider: Cecilia Sakata
• Kanalu Award: Mike Nguyen
• Outstanding Service Award: Don Weisman
• Tobacco Prevention & Control Champion: Representative Bert Kobayashi

Following the Alaka‘i Awards and delicious lunch, we heard updates from our Youth Council member, Merice Jose, and each of our County Coalition Coordinators on Kaua‘i, Maui, Hawai‘i Island, and O‘ahu. Lola Irvin, Administrator for the Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion Division at the Hawai‘i State Department of Health, then gave a presentation and update on the JUUL Consent Judgement and Altria Settlement Agreement. Leslie Yap, Coordinator for the Hawai‘i Tobacco Quitline, then provided a brief update on the Hawai‘i Tobacco Quitline and My Life, My Quit Youth Vaping Cessation program.

The day was wrapped up with a panel discussion titled, “Taking the Lead: Flipping the Script on the Tobacco Industry.” The panel members included:

• Merice Jose, Youth Council Member
• Anne E. Lopez, Attorney General of Hawai‘i
• Tim McAfee, MD, MPH, Professor, University of California San Francisco

Many topics came up, ranging from the representation of smoking in the media to the need for state control of tobacco products. A common thread throughout the discussion was just how bombarded youth are with advertisements and imagery of smoking, vaping, and smokeless tobacco products on social media. Overall the meeting was a great success and we can’t wait to see what 2025 will bring!