Using e-cigarettes (vaping) has been promoted as a much safer alternative to smoking cigarettes. However, a new head-to-head comparison of actual disease in e-cigarette users compared to cigarette smokers published in Public Health Reports shows that this assertion is wrong. This new analysis of 124 studies on the association of e-cigarette use with disease outcomesContinue reading “E-cigarettes are nearly as risky as cigarettes; dual use is worse: The evidence continues to pile up”
Category Archives: youth
DOJ spying on Congress’ viewing of Epstein files echos tobacco company spying on researchers
On February 9, 2026, as required by Epstein Files Transparency Act, the Department of Justice gave members of Congress access to the unredacted Epstein files, but just made four computer terminals at available. This reminded me of a similar situation back in 1999, when the British American Tobacco (BAT) company opened its Guildford Depository toContinue reading “DOJ spying on Congress’ viewing of Epstein files echos tobacco company spying on researchers”
Spinola et al support Brazil’s e-cigarette ban while defending implementation criticism
Shortly before the 11th WHO Framework Convention On Tobacco Control Conference of the Parties in November 2025, Vitoria Borges Spinola, Lucas Porto Santos, Hamilton Roschel, Bruno Gualano, and Megan E. Roberts published “Weak enforcement of Brazil’s E-cigarette ban and the expansion of a dangerous illicit market” in The Lancet Regional Health – Americas arguing thatContinue reading “Spinola et al support Brazil’s e-cigarette ban while defending implementation criticism”
DOJ should have been able to easily release properly redacted Epstein files by December 19, 2025 based on our experience managing the UCSF Industry Documents Library
The issue of redactions – both redacting names of victims and not redacting participants in Jeffery Epstein’s “social circle” — documents has been in the news. There have also been questions about why it took so long for DOJ to release around 3.5 million pages of documents, plus about 2,000 videos and 180,000 images. WorkingContinue reading “DOJ should have been able to easily release properly redacted Epstein files by December 19, 2025 based on our experience managing the UCSF Industry Documents Library”
UCSF makes 60,000 more Juul documents public, bringing total to 4.9 million documents so far
The UCSF Industry Documents Library added close to 60,000 Juul Labs documents produced by the Settling States in the multistate litigation against Juul Labs. Files include memos, emails, flavor focus group reports, prospective investor reports, support tickets and more. This brings the total number of Juul Labs files to 4.9 million documents and growing! CheckContinue reading “UCSF makes 60,000 more Juul documents public, bringing total to 4.9 million documents so far”
FDA broke the law when it did not allow TPSAC to vote on whether to allow PMI to make modified risk claims for ZYN
The FDA held a meeting of its Tobacco Products Scientific Advisory Committee (TPSAC) on January 22, 2026 to discuss Swedish Match’s application to make the modified risk tobacco product (MRTP) claim for its ZYN flavored nicotine pouches “Using ZYN instead of cigarettes puts you at a lower risk of mouth cancer, heart disease, lung cancer,Continue reading “FDA broke the law when it did not allow TPSAC to vote on whether to allow PMI to make modified risk claims for ZYN”
The gateway has two doors in England, too
With some notable exceptions. e-cigarettes have been embraced by British tobacco control advocates and public health authorities more enthusiastically than anywhere else in the world, including authorities at Action on Smoking and Health (ASH) and University College London (UCL). Now, Emily Banks, Andrew Bush, Charlotta Pisinger, and Sam Egger have published Signs of increased smokingContinue reading “The gateway has two doors in England, too”
Plain language summary of meta-analysis of ecigs and disease available
Last year we published “Population-Based Disease Odds for E-Cigarettes and Dual Use versus Cigarettes” that showed that some disease risks of e-cigarettes are indistinguishable from cigarettes and for others they on only slightly lower. This paper continues to attract interest, so I prepared a one page plain language summary, together with some frequently asked questions.Continue reading “Plain language summary of meta-analysis of ecigs and disease available”
How e-cigarettes compromise children’s human rights
The new paper “How e-cigarettes compromise children’s human rights” by Tom Gatehouse and colleagues provides more evidence to inform e-cigarette policy making by reminding the delegates to the FCTC Conference of the Parties next week that they need to prioritize protecting kids over any “harm reduction” benefits for adults that the tobacco industry claims forContinue reading “How e-cigarettes compromise children’s human rights”
WHO position on Tobacco Control and Harm Reduction
In the face of a major push by the tobacco companies and their allies to trick Parties to the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC) to integrate the industry’s “harm reduction” marketing message into FCTC guidelines, the WHO has issued a position paper on harm reduction (below). The WHO’s bottom line: “When it comesContinue reading “WHO position on Tobacco Control and Harm Reduction”
Stanton Glantz blog 