Secondhand cannabis and tobacco smoke both increase cancer risk

The pro-cannabis advocacy group California NORML recently reported that it had successfully kept an exemption for cannabis use in the smokefree multiunit housing provision of the draft ordinance that the Oakland City Council approved on first reading on November 12, 2024.  Their posting includes two inaccurate statements dismissing the cancer risks of secondhand cannabis andContinue reading “Secondhand cannabis and tobacco smoke both increase cancer risk”

Oakland City Council should advance law making bar patios smoke-free and make multi-unit housing tobacco and cannabis smoke-free at November 12 hearing

On November 12, the Oakland City Council will hold a public hearing on a proposed Oakland Smoke-Free Bar Patios and Smoke-Free Multi-Unit Housing Ordinance introduced by Councilperson Dan Kalb.  The ordinance as proposed would close a loophole that allows smoking on outdoor bar patios and also make multi-unit housing tobacco smoke-free.  Unfortunately, the current draft ordinanceContinue reading “Oakland City Council should advance law making bar patios smoke-free and make multi-unit housing tobacco and cannabis smoke-free at November 12 hearing”

Smokers who use e-cigs as for smoking cessation are more likely to end up dual users than to “switch completely” or stop smoking and vaping

E-cigarette enthusiasts, including the FDA and the NHS and others in England, and some in New Zealand and Canadian governments continue to promote “switching completely” from cigarettes to e-cigarettes as a form of harm reduction. I just found another paper that shows that the reality is that adult smokers who use e-cigarettes as a smokingContinue reading “Smokers who use e-cigs as for smoking cessation are more likely to end up dual users than to “switch completely” or stop smoking and vaping”

Longtime tobacco control leader Neil Collishaw dies

I was saddened to hear that Neil Collishaw succumbed to small cell bladder cancer on October 10, 2024. Neil shared the news of his diagnosis friends and colleagues in early 2023, but continued contributing good ideas and feedback to tobacco control activities until near the end. For most of his career Neil epitomized the soft-spokenContinue reading “Longtime tobacco control leader Neil Collishaw dies”

Wide-ranging podcast with ProfGlantz

Douglas County Oregon Public Health recently released an hour long interview Mitchell Kilkenny conducted with me covering everything from how I got involved with tobacco control through secondhand smoke’s effects to our recent research showing that for for many diseases e-cigarettes have indistinguishable risks to smoking, why the tobacco free generation” is a bad idea,Continue reading “Wide-ranging podcast with ProfGlantz”

Implications of 2024 NYTS: Ban nicotine salts and clamp down on Zyn

Last week the FDA and CDC released their analysis of the 2024 National Youth Tobacco Survey. The 2024 report moved beyond earlier FDA and CDC summaries of NYTS results by including details on how heavily youth were using e-cigarettes and nicotine pouches, as well as details on brand preferences and specific flavor preferences, including “ice”Continue reading “Implications of 2024 NYTS: Ban nicotine salts and clamp down on Zyn”

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”

Glantz and Duffy appear on The Newsmakers to discuss England’s misguided approach to ecigs

Last week Sheila Duffy, Chief Executive of ASH Scotland, appeared in an English language episode of Turkish Radio and Television Corporation‘s “The Newsmakers” to discuss England’s approach to e-cigarettes. They also has the director of the tobacco industry front group Consumer Choice Center. Sheila was quite strong in pointing out that Scotland, Wales and IrelandContinue reading “Glantz and Duffy appear on The Newsmakers to discuss England’s misguided approach to ecigs”

Surprise! PM and BAT condemn ANVISA decision to keep e-cigarettes out of Brazil

Philip Morris and BAT both issued statements condemning ANVISA’s decision to maintain and strengthen e-cigarette regulations to keep the products (and other ENDS products) out of Brazil. Not surprisingly, they use the same generic arguments Big Tobacco uses against almost all regulations. The reality is that, as I noted in my post congratulating ANVISA, whileContinue reading “Surprise! PM and BAT condemn ANVISA decision to keep e-cigarettes out of Brazil”

Brazil strengthens its ban on ENDS, including e-cigarettes and heated tobacco products

On Friday, April 19, 2024, the board of ANVISA, the Brazilian Health Regulatory Agency strengthened its already-strong ban on electronic nicotine systems (ENDS), which includes e-cigarettes and heated tobacco products. In stark contrast to the US Biden Administration, which just caved to industry pressure and blocked the FDA’s well-conceived ban on menthol cigarettes and flavoredContinue reading “Brazil strengthens its ban on ENDS, including e-cigarettes and heated tobacco products”