While most countries, including the US FDA, regulate menthol as a “characterizing flavor” — at levels that impart a discernible taste — previously secret tobacco industry documents show that tobacco companies have long used menthol at subliminal levels — below levels that impart a discernible taste — to reduce smoke harshness, reduce dryness, increase smokeContinue reading “Tobacco companies use subliminal menthol to achieve the same goals as menthol as a characterizing flavor. Regulators should prohibit all menthol, not just as a characterizing flavor.”
Category Archives: FDA
Altria uses dubious claims of preventing youth use to justify dangerous two-way bluetooth communication between NJOY ecigs and Altria
Altria submitted a Premarket Tobacco Product Application to FDA requesting permission to market its NJOY 2.0 device, which features bluetooth technology theoretically designed to prevent underage usage by authenticating the user before unlocking the device. (Additional news coverage) This is the same argument Juul made for its Juul 2 device when it submitted a PTMAContinue reading “Altria uses dubious claims of preventing youth use to justify dangerous two-way bluetooth communication between NJOY ecigs and Altria”
Why is the FDA still pushing e-cigs as lower risk based on ancient evidence?
Today (April 16, 2024) the FDA released a new web page on The Relative Risks of Tobacco Products that irresponsibly promotes e-cigarettes as a lower risk alternative to cigarettes. This recommendation is based on the 2018 National Academy of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine report on e-cigarettes that concluded that e-cigarettes reduce exposure to some toxicContinue reading “Why is the FDA still pushing e-cigs as lower risk based on ancient evidence?”
FDA needs to reconsider its promotion of the “continuum of risk” for e-cigarettes
As of February 22, 2024, the FDA was continuing to embrace the idea that there is a “continuum of risk” with combusted tobacco as the riskiest and e-cigarettes being substantially less risky. As a result, FDA promotes e-cigarettes as a way for smokers to reduce risk. This view is based on the fact that e-cigarettesContinue reading “FDA needs to reconsider its promotion of the “continuum of risk” for e-cigarettes”
E-cigs have similar risks to cigs for some diseases and nearly as high for others. Dual use riskier than smoking alone
It is an article of faith among e-cigarette advocates that they are substantially less risky than cigarettes. Rather than being based on the actual associations between e-cigarette use and disease, this belief is based on the fact that e-cigarettes do not burn tobacco, so avoid the toxic combustion products that cigarettes produce. In recent years,Continue reading “E-cigs have similar risks to cigs for some diseases and nearly as high for others. Dual use riskier than smoking alone”
Banning menthol leads a quarter of menthol smokers to quit
The two justifications for the FDA’s proposed product standard prohibiting menthol cigarettes and cigars are (1) it will reduce youth initiation, and (2) it will help menthol smokers to quit. Now Sarah Mills and colleagues have published a review and meta-analysis of the effects of menthol bans around the world, The Impact of Menthol CigaretteContinue reading “Banning menthol leads a quarter of menthol smokers to quit”
Replacing 50% of cigs with ecigs or HTP had no lung benefit
E-cigarette advocates and tobacco harm reduction advocates, as well as the FDA, have long promoted a 50% reduction in cigarette smoking as a positive outcome when assessing the value of e-cigarettes (recent example). The FDA’s use of this benchmark is particularly surprising because in 2021 FDA scientists published a meta-analysis of the effects of smokers reducingContinue reading “Replacing 50% of cigs with ecigs or HTP had no lung benefit”
More evidence that ecigs cause lung disease in youth like cigs; dual use is worse
Richa Mukerjee and colleagues’ new paper, “ENDS, cigarettes, and respiratory illness: Longitudinal associations among US youth,” adds strong evidence to the conclusion that e-cigarettes cause lung disease (bronchitis, pneumonia, or chronic cough) among young people (age 12-17). They used 6 years of longitudinal data (where you follow the same people forward in time) to measureContinue reading “More evidence that ecigs cause lung disease in youth like cigs; dual use is worse”
WHO issues important call to action on ecigs
The World Health Organization has released a call to action and supporting technical note that provides detailed guidance for countries on how to battle the e-cigarette epidemic. The WHO both supports countries who have prohibited the import and sale of e-cigarettes and provides detailed evidence-based guidance for those who allow sale of e-cigarettes. The Biden WhiteContinue reading “WHO issues important call to action on ecigs”
Biden follows Obama and Trump by caving to industry pressure to delay menthol ban
Last week the Biden White House announced it was delaying a decision on the FDA’s well-reasoned product standards that would end the use of menthol in cigarettes and cigars, sparking outrage from leaders in the African American community: The White House is ignoring the real human cost of delay. Based on the Biden FDA’s analysis, everyContinue reading “Biden follows Obama and Trump by caving to industry pressure to delay menthol ban”
Stanton Glantz blog 