When I got the first box of around 4000 pages of secret tobacco industry documents on May 12, 1994, I thought they would have an impact, but didn’t have a clue as to how big that impact would be. Being able to look inside the tobacco companies to appreciate — in their own words —Continue reading “Tobacco documents: The end of the beginning”
Category Archives: tobacco companies
FDA’s recent press release raises 3 issues on how CTP is judging e-cigs
On August 26, 2021, FDA denied marketing orders for around 55,000 flavored e-cigarettes because the manufacturers had not made the case that authorizing the sale of these products was “appropriate for the protection of public health,” the standard in the 2009 Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act that gave the FDA jurisdiction over tobaccoContinue reading “FDA’s recent press release raises 3 issues on how CTP is judging e-cigs”
New WHO report highlights falling cigarette use and challenges that new tobacco products pose to public health and implementation of the FCTC
On July 27, 2021 the WHO released the WHO report on the global tobacco epidemic 2021: addressing new and emerging products, its eighth such report. The good news is that it documents solid progress in reducing tobacco use. After over a century of growth, “between 2007 and 2019, smoking rates decreased from a global averageContinue reading “New WHO report highlights falling cigarette use and challenges that new tobacco products pose to public health and implementation of the FCTC”
“The Devil’s Playbook” is a great read
My definition of a good book on tobacco is that I learn things I didn’t already know from reading it. Lauren Etter’s new book, The Devil’s Playbook, easily meets and surpasses this standard. Deeply researched beginning with key events in the 1980s, she documents the rise and decline on Juul e-cigarettes and how, at leastContinue reading ““The Devil’s Playbook” is a great read”
NC Juul settlement: It’s a start
On June 28, 2021, North Carolina Attorney General Josh Stein announced the first settlement of a state lawsuit against Juul for its marketing to youth “to hold JUUL accountable for its instrumental role in sparking the epidemic of youth vaping and its resulting nicotine addiction.” While the settlement represents a first step, a close readingContinue reading “NC Juul settlement: It’s a start”
Yet another incomplete economic analysis claims menthol ban would hurt economy, this time in LA
Los Angeles is debating a comprehensive ban on the sale of flavored tobacco products. Like clockwork, the California Fuels & Convenience Alliance, who represents gas stations and convenience stores, has delivered a report to the City Council claiming that banning menthol would cost the city jobs and taxes. To reach this conclusion”Economic Impact of theContinue reading “Yet another incomplete economic analysis claims menthol ban would hurt economy, this time in LA”
Juul fails to properly report clinical trial results
Drug and medical device companies have a long history of selective reporting the results of clinical trials used to test their new products and even of burying results they don’t like. In an effort to make it harder for companies to manipulate reporting of results, the federal government (NIH) created ClinicalTrials.gov, where companies and othersContinue reading “Juul fails to properly report clinical trial results”
Can you believe the papers in the AJHB issue Juul financed?
When I wrote “Surprise! Juul publishes a paper concluding that e-cigs save lives” criticizing a paper in American Journal of Health Behavior for being based on questionable risk estimates, my first draft said I was surprised that the paper got past independent peer reviewers. But then I realized that all but one of the 13 papersContinue reading “Can you believe the papers in the AJHB issue Juul financed?”
Federal court adding RICO claims to lawsuits against Juul opens up opportunity to inform the public and FDA
On April 13, 2021, federal judge William H. Orrick granted plaintiffs’ motion to add allegations that Altria (owner of Philip Morris and part of Juul) and the Founder and Director Defendants violated the federal Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act (“RICO”). Specifically, Judge Orrick allowed allegations that the “company and those persons allegedly conducted actsContinue reading “Federal court adding RICO claims to lawsuits against Juul opens up opportunity to inform the public and FDA”
The ACLU has a long history of taking money from and supporting the tobacco industry
I was not surprised when the American Civil Liberties Union came out against the FDA’s plan to end menthol cigarettes, repeating baseless industry arguments that getting rid of menthol would lead to more police violence against African Americans. Why? Because the ACLU has been carrying the tobacco industry’s water for decades. The ACLU has opposedContinue reading “The ACLU has a long history of taking money from and supporting the tobacco industry”
Stanton Glantz blog 