New well-done RCT shows that giving smokers free e-cigarettes creates more dual users than switchers or quitters

Matthew J. Carpenter and colleagues recently published what is probably the most informative randomized controlled clinical trial of the effect of giving current cigarette smokers free e-cigarettes on their nicotine consumption: Effect of unguided e-cigarette provision on uptake, use, and smoking cessation among adults who smoke in the USA: a naturalistic, randomised, controlled clinical trial. They recruitedContinue reading “New well-done RCT shows that giving smokers free e-cigarettes creates more dual users than switchers or quitters”

Juul damages vascular function in people as much as a cigarette

There are several studies in people showing that earlier generations of e-cigarettes inhibit normal blood vessel function as well as studies in animals showing that this is the case for a wide variety of e-cigarettes, including Juul. Now Ziyad Ben Taleb and colleagues have shown that Juul inhibits blood vessel function just like cigarettes doContinue reading “Juul damages vascular function in people as much as a cigarette”

FDA tiptoes toward enforcement of rules prohibiting unauthorized ecigs

It is currently illegal to sell almost every e-cigarette on the market. (The exceptions are a few e-cigarettes produced by RJ Reynolds, NJOY and Logic Technologies.) But FDA has been very slow to take strong formal enforcement actions. As of October 2022, FDA, working through the Department of Justice, had sought injunctions against 6 small-timeContinue reading “FDA tiptoes toward enforcement of rules prohibiting unauthorized ecigs”

FDA should finalize its updated list of Harmful and Potentially Harmful Constituents by December 2023

In April 2022, I pointed out that one of the nerdy, but very important, parts of the FDA tobacco product regulatory process is the list of “Hazardous and Potentially Hazardous Compounds” (HPHC) list that FDA released in 2012. This list contains 93 bad chemicals — mostly carcinogens — that FDA identified as important when assessingContinue reading “FDA should finalize its updated list of Harmful and Potentially Harmful Constituents by December 2023”

FDA (and others) should integrate the relationship between cannabis and tobacco use

My UCSF colleagues and I submitted a public comment to the FDA Center for Tobacco Products regarding its upcoming strategic plan urging FDA to more strongly integrate the crossover between tobacco and cannabis use into its planning. While FDA does not (yet) have jurisdiction over cannabis, there is no question that growing cannabis use hasContinue reading “FDA (and others) should integrate the relationship between cannabis and tobacco use”

Juul 2: Facebook merges with a drug cartel

E-cigarette company Juul has applied to the FDA for permission to market its Juul 2 e-cigarette, which allows two-way communication with the device, nominally to prevent youth use. Juul reports that the Juul 2 pairs with a phone app to verify a user’s age: “The user must upload their photo ID and take a real-timeContinue reading “Juul 2: Facebook merges with a drug cartel”

More evidence that comprehensive smokefree laws are a good idea: Less youth vaping

It’s been well-established for a long time that tobacco control policies, particularly comprehensive 100% smokefree laws and taxes, are associated with less smoking among youth.  Now Brian Kelly and colleagues recently published “Tobacco Policy & ENDS Policy Influences on Adolescent Vaping across U.S. States” have extended this literature to state e-cigarette laws.  They linked theContinue reading “More evidence that comprehensive smokefree laws are a good idea: Less youth vaping”

UC publishes oral history of Stanton Glantz: Putting Cardiovascular, Epidemiological, Economic, Political, and Policy Research into Action at UC San Francisco and Beyond

Today the Oral History Center at the University of California Bancroft Library published an oral history of my career, which is freely available to all. Beginning in elementary school in Cleveland, Ohio, the history follows me through college and gradual school.  It discusses my work to develop the emergency protocols for the Apollo 5 missionContinue reading “UC publishes oral history of Stanton Glantz: Putting Cardiovascular, Epidemiological, Economic, Political, and Policy Research into Action at UC San Francisco and Beyond”

Federal Judge orders Philip Morris to release documents from Juul litigation. Meanwhile, after more than two years, Juul’s documents under NC settlement have not been made public.

Thanks to the efforts of the public health intervenors led by the Campaign for Tobacco Free Kids, Judge Paul Friedman has ordered Philip Morris to make 875,000 documents produced in the multi-party litigation against Juul public under the document disclosure provisions of the federal Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organization case against the big cigarette companies.Continue reading “Federal Judge orders Philip Morris to release documents from Juul litigation. Meanwhile, after more than two years, Juul’s documents under NC settlement have not been made public.”

England paying pregnant smokers to switch to e-cigs while evidence of damage to developing fetuses grows

At the same time England is paying pregnant smokers to switch from cigarettes to e-cigarettes new research shows that e-cigarette use inhibits lung and skeletal development in developing fetuses just like cigarette smoking does.  The British authorities should read Yunus Ozekin and colleagues’ impressive paper “Intrauterine exposure to nicotine through material vaping disrupts embryonic lungContinue reading “England paying pregnant smokers to switch to e-cigs while evidence of damage to developing fetuses grows”