Popular lore is that Chinese pharmacist Hon Lik invented e-cigarettes in 2003 to help people quit smoking. The Times of London reported that it didn’t work for him. Instead of “switching completely” he is a dual user, vaping and smoking at the same time. Hon Lik’s experience is what you would expect from the strongContinue reading “E-cig inventor Hon Lik is still smoking”
Author Archives: Stanton Glantz
New meta-analysis confirms that e-cigs do not help smokers quit in the real world
Linnea Hedman and colleagues in Sweden just published a new meta-analysis of the relationship between e-cigarette use and smoking cessation, Electronic cigarette use and smoking cessation in cohort studies and randomized trials: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Like our earlier meta-analysis, did separate analyses of population-based observational studies and randomized trials of e-cigarettes provided asContinue reading “New meta-analysis confirms that e-cigs do not help smokers quit in the real world”
World Heart Federation highlights cardiovascular risks of e-cigs, calls for strict regulation, supports countries with bans
On October 18, 2021 the World Heart Federation released a policy brief “E-cigarettes: A new threat to cardiovascular health,” (press release) that provides an overview of the evidence that e-cigarette use has a wide range of adverse effects on the cardiovascular system that are reflected as an increased risk of heart attack at a populationContinue reading “World Heart Federation highlights cardiovascular risks of e-cigs, calls for strict regulation, supports countries with bans”
Science FDA (and everyone else) needs to actively engage as they think about whether to authorize Juul and the other ecigs
When I read the FDA’s Technical Project Lead summary of its scientific justification for authorizing the sale of RJ Reynolds’ Vuse Solo e-cigarette, I was struck by the fact that it ignored the broad scientific literature on e-cigarettes and seemed to accept industry-framed arguments. For example: They ignored the evidence that as consumer products, e-cigarettesContinue reading “Science FDA (and everyone else) needs to actively engage as they think about whether to authorize Juul and the other ecigs”
FCTC stimulated smoking bans and pictorial warnings but not tax increases or ad bans
The WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC) committed Parties to, among other things, implement tobacco demand reduction measures including smokefree laws, strong health warning labels and increase tobacco taxes. Previous studies, including some of our work, have generally shown that countries followed treaty ratification by implementing at least some of these policies. Now HeikkiContinue reading “FCTC stimulated smoking bans and pictorial warnings but not tax increases or ad bans”
E-cigarettes don’t help smokers stay off cigarettes
Last week the FDA authorized the sale of RJ Reynolds’ (BAT’s US subsidiary) Vuse e-cigarette despite heavy use by kids because “the manufacturer’s data demonstrates its tobacco-flavored products could benefit addicted adult smokers who switch to these products – either completely or with a significant reduction in cigarette consumption – by reducing their exposure toContinue reading “E-cigarettes don’t help smokers stay off cigarettes”
PM’s modified risk tobacco product application for IQOS 3 ignores new published research on toxic emissions in IQOS aerosol and does not demonstrate benefits to individual or population health; FDA should deny its application to make reduced exposure claims
My UCSF TCORS colleagues and I submitted this public comment to the FDA opposing Philip Morris’ application for authorization for them to make modified risk claims for its new IQOS 3 heated tobacco product. A PDF of the comment is here. The Regulations.gov tracking number is kur-iypq-uf1v. Here is the comment: The supplemental modified riskContinue reading “PM’s modified risk tobacco product application for IQOS 3 ignores new published research on toxic emissions in IQOS aerosol and does not demonstrate benefits to individual or population health; FDA should deny its application to make reduced exposure claims”
How Big Tobacco worked behind the scenes in Louisiana for “tort reform”
Tanner Wakefield and I just published “The Tobacco Industry’s Tort Reform Campaign to Avoid Liability in Louisiana” in Addictive Behaviors. This paper uses previously secret internal tobacco industry documents to describe how the tobacco companies worked through intermediaries to promote “tort reform” that would shield it from legal liability for all the death and destructionContinue reading “How Big Tobacco worked behind the scenes in Louisiana for “tort reform””
Thousands of chemicals in ecig liquid and aerosol
One of the main arguments that e-cig advocates have used is that the aerosol is much less toxic than cigarette smoke because it contains many fewer chemicals. For example, the article “Balancing consideration of the risks and benefits of e-cigarettes” organized by Ken Warner says “The number of chemicals in cigarette smoke, greater than 7000,Continue reading “Thousands of chemicals in ecig liquid and aerosol”
Facebook IS like Big Tobacco
In her opening statement in her testimony about Facebook to the Senate Commerce Subcommittee on Consumer Protection on October 5, 2021 Frances Haugen compared Facebook to Big Tobacco, as did Subcommittee Chair Richard Blumental (who sued the tobacco companies in the 1990s) and several other senators. I watched the whole 3 1/2 hour hearing and,Continue reading “Facebook IS like Big Tobacco”
Stanton Glantz blog 