Criticism of our meta-analysis of e-cigarettes and disease and our response is published

NEJM Evidence has published two letters to the editor that raised questions about our meta-analysis, Population-Based Disease Odds for E-Cigarettes and Dual Use versus Cigarettes that concluded that for cardiovascular disease, stroke and metabolic disorder e-cigarette risks are similar to cigarettes and for respiratory and oral disease, while lower risk than cigarettes, the risks areContinue reading “Criticism of our meta-analysis of e-cigarettes and disease and our response is published”

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 not renew its authorization allowing PMI to claim modified risk for its Swedish Match General Snus

My colleagues at UCSF and Stanford 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. (The committee is holding a meeting to discuss the application on June 26, 2004.) A PDF of the comment is here. (It will be submittedContinue reading “FDA should not renew its authorization allowing PMI to claim modified risk for its Swedish Match 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”

English vaping reverses nicotine decline

In England, the country that has most aggressively embraced e-cigarettes, authorities have long minimized the effects of e-cigarettes on youth and argued that they were improving public health by attracting smokers or displacing cigarette use. Now Harry Tattan-Birch and colleagues have blown those arguments away. Their May 23, 2024 paper Trends in vaping and smokingContinue reading “English vaping reverses nicotine decline”

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”

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”