Today, the Surgeon General released a new report on electronic cigarettes, purporting to provide a scientific summary of the evidence regarding e-cigarettes and vaping products. However, the report is scientifically dishonest and it essentially lies about the single most important fact that the public needs to understand about e-cigarettes and vaping products: that they do not contain tobacco and therefore, …
Paper Concludes that São Paulo Smoking Ban Reduced Heart Attack Deaths Despite Striking Increase in Heart Attack Deaths Following Ban
One of the things I always teach my public health students about research is that when you conduct any type of longitudinal or time-series data analysis, you should always start by graphing the outcome variable over time and visually inspecting the data. A perfect demonstration of what might happen if you fail to do this was published last week in …
Senator Johnson Calls on FDA to Halt Implementation of E-Cigarette Deeming Regulations Pending the New Administration
In a letter written last week to the FDA, Senator Ron Johnson (R-WI) called on the FDA to halt implementation of the e-cigarette deeming regulations pending the change in administration coming this January.Senator Johnson wrote: “The incoming administration and the 115th Congress will likely re-examine and unwind burdensome regulations imposed by the Obama Administration. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s …
New Study Shows the Blatant Bias in Modern-Day Tobacco Control Research and Demonstrates Why You Need to Look at the Actual Data
A new study published online ahead of print in the journal Tobacco Control purports to demonstrate that a smoke-free bar and restaurant law implemented in San Paulo, Brazil in August 2009 resulted in a 11.9% decline in the heart attack death rate for the first 17 months after the law was in effect (through December 2010).The paper used a time-series …
Dishonesty of Vaping Opponents (Health Agencies) is Out of Control; Urgent Action is Needed
The misleading information being spread to the public by vaping opponents, including prominent health agencies like federal, state, and local health departments, has become out of control. It threatens to do immense public health damage by protecting cigarette sales at the expense of a much safer alternative – electronic cigarettes – and at the same time it also threatens the …
CDC-Funded Pasadena Health Department Campaign Calls Vapers “Stupid Sheep”; Rest of the Story Calls for a Public Apology
Federal taxpayer money is being used in a campaign that calls vapers “stupid sheep,” according to an article in the Pasadena Independent. The article reports that a major print advertisement in the campaign contains a headline that reads: “Don’t follow the herd. Vaping effects are unknown, stupid sheep.”An article in the San Gabriel Valley Tribune also reports that: “The advertisements …
New Study on E-Cigarettes and Bronchitis: An Example of Scientific Dishonesty and Deception
A new study published online ahead of print in the American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine along with a press release issued by the American Thoracic Society (publisher of the journal) conclude that youth use of electronic cigarettes contributes to “the burden of chronic respiratory symptoms in youth.” Specifically, the research concludes that there appears to be a …
E-Cigarette Companies: FDA Wants Smokers to Continue Smoking, But We Do Not; On the FDA’s Decimation of the Vaping Industry
Totally Wicked – a Florida-based e-cigarette and e-liquid company that established the first brick shop in the U.S. – has announced that because of the FDA regulations, they have been forced to go out of business in 2018, once the pre-market tobacco application (PMTA) grace period ends. They will join what will certainly be thousands of other e-cigarette businesses and …
Is There a Silver Lining in a Dark Cloud?
From a public health perspective, there are many reasons to be concerned about the outcome of Tuesday’s election. However, there is one reason to potentially be encouraged. With a Trump presidency, and with Republican control of the Senate, we ironically have a tremendous opportunity to once and for all craft a sensible regulatory strategy for electronic cigarettes and vaping products. …
Last Chance to Register for Regulations for E-Cigarettes Conference
An exciting conference – Regulations for E-Cigarettes – will be held December 6-7 in Alexandria, VA. This is the inaugural Regulations for E-Cigarettes event, and it will focus on the complex regulations facing the electronic cigarette and vaping industries. It is of particular interest to those in the e-cigarette, testing, research, public health, and public policy fields. I will be …