My UCSF colleagues and I just submitted this public comment supporting moving marijuana from Schedule I to Schedule III (PDF copy). The Regulations.gov tracking number is lyx-h4jq-93z8. The Department of Justice’s proposed transfer of marijuana from Schedule I to Schedule III of the Controlled Substances Act will facilitate research on the cardiovascular impacts of cannabisContinue reading “DOJ’s proposed transfer of marijuana from Schedule I to Schedule III will facilitate research on cardiovascular impacts of cannabis use”
Category Archives: health
New meta-analysis of e-cigs and cardiovascular disease shows increased risks
Chen Chen and colleagues recently published Assessing the association between e-cigarette use and cardiovascular disease: A meta-analysis of exclusive and dual use with combustible cigarettes that found significantly elevated cardiovascular disease risk in dual users (people who use both e-cigarettes and cigarettes) and former smokers who had switched to e-cigarettes compared to people who hadContinue reading “New meta-analysis of e-cigs and cardiovascular disease shows increased risks”
Tobacco free generation is a bad idea that should be abandoned
In the last few years the idea of a free generation in which tobacco sales would be prohibited to all people born after a certain date has gained some traction. Ever since the idea was first proposed by some Singapore researchers in 2010, I have thought it was a bad idea. Other than declining toContinue reading “Tobacco free generation is a bad idea that should be abandoned”
Smoking gun document ties Al Sharpton to Juul, efforts to protect menthol cigs
Fenit Nirappil’s comprehensive Washington Post story How Black activists became defenders of Big Tobacco (June 21, 2024) includes the 2018 smoking gun document linking Al Sharpton the African American leader who played a key role in convincing Biden to pull FDA regulations ending menthol cigarettes and flavored cigars, as well as other African American andContinue reading “Smoking gun document ties Al Sharpton to Juul, efforts to protect menthol cigs”
FDA should consider the significant public health issues, especially for youth, created by PMI co-marketing of its Swedish Match General Snus and ZYN oral nicotine products and not reauthorize modified risk claims for General Snus
My colleagues at UCSF and I submitted this comment to the FDA Tobacco Products Scientific Advisory Committee opposing extension of PMI’s current authorization to make modified risk claims because its co-marketing with its ZYN nicotine pouch is fundamentally misleading. TPSAC is holding a meeting to discuss the modified risk request on June 26, 2024. AContinue reading “FDA should consider the significant public health issues, especially for youth, created by PMI co-marketing of its Swedish Match General Snus and ZYN oral nicotine products and not reauthorize modified risk claims for General Snus”
Implications of new RCT showing similar effects on quitting for nicotine e-cigs vs varenicline
Almost all the randomized controlled trials of e-cigarettes as clinical interventions for smoking cessation have compared e-cigarettes to nicotine replacement therapy. Varenicline, which is a prescription medication that works by blocking nicotine receptors rather than replacing the nicotine that cigarettes provide, is more effective than NRT. Anna Tsiku and colleagues new paper “Electronic Cigarettes vsContinue reading “Implications of new RCT showing similar effects on quitting for nicotine e-cigs vs varenicline”
FDA did the right thing when it withdrew its 2022 Juul marketing denial order; it should finish the job quickly by prohibiting Juul on solid grounds
On June 6, 2024, two years after the FDA issued, then suspended its Marketing Denial Order for Juul e-cigarettes based on narrow toxicology issues, FDA formally withdrew the MDO. This does not mean that the FDA has authorized Juul for sale in the US, it just lets FDA start over in its assessment of whetherContinue reading “FDA did the right thing when it withdrew its 2022 Juul marketing denial order; it should finish the job quickly by prohibiting Juul on solid grounds”
Evidence that e-cigarettes promote breast cancer
E-cigarette advocates and pro-tobacco forces generally love to point on that nicotine does not cause cancer. While they are correct that nicotine does not cause cancer, i.e., does not lead to cancer initiation, the fact is that once someone has cancer, nicotine makes it worse. In particular, nicotine promotes growth of blood vessels into tumorContinue reading “Evidence that e-cigarettes promote breast cancer”
Recording of ProfGlantz June 4 presentation “Are ecigs safer than regular cigs?” is now available
On June 4, 2004, I gave a presentation to the Clean Air Coalition of British Columbia, which includes the Heart and Stroke Foundation and the Canadian Cancer Society, entitled “Are E-Cigarettes Safer than Regular Cigarettes?” Several people asked if I a recording was available. It is. The link is https://us02web.zoom.us/rec/share/rz8sgGt3JyCFS-wWHJJE94ynyXkVsqNOjKUnxnrHsKJbhcTo-_MQDQUxf_Kl0PYf.E35DQkP5nljY9V95 Passcode: ?FCk!$3& An open accessContinue reading “Recording of ProfGlantz June 4 presentation “Are ecigs safer than regular cigs?” is now available”
ProfGlantz to give public Zoom presentation on disease risks of e-cigarettes on June 4
On Tuesday June 4, 2024 I will be giving a presentation to the Clean Air Coalition of British Columbia Knowledge Exchange, which includes the Heart and Stroke Foundation and the Canadian Cancer Society at 9 to 10 AM Pacific Time. This presentation, which will be designed for a non-technical audience, will include a discussion ofContinue reading “ProfGlantz to give public Zoom presentation on disease risks of e-cigarettes on June 4”