FDA
No tobacco product is safe.
But some could be more dangerous than others.
The Tobacco Control Act, which was signed into law in 2009, created a path that companies may use to bring to the market products that are less harmful or reduce the risk of tobacco-related disease. FDA is asking for public comment on draft guidelines for the tobacco industry regarding scientific evidence the industry must submit to FDA to be able to sell and market such products, which are defined as Modified Risk Tobacco Products (MRTP).
A Food and Drug Administration scientist has found a lower risk of dying from lung cancer among menthol smokers compared to non-menthol smokers at ages 50 and over.
The scientist, Brian Rostron of the FDA’s Center for Tobacco Products, studied data of 6,074 smokers from 1987 to 2006, including 1,417 who smoked only menthol cigarettes.
The lower risk of dying from lung cancer was found in all age groups, in men and women, and with black smokers compared with white smokers.
ACSH
Last summer, the Tobacco Products Scientific Advisory Committee (TPSAC) released a report that was supposed to help guide the FDA in deciding whether to ban menthol cigarettes from the market. Instead of issuing a specific recommendation, however, the TPSAC report merely suggested that the agency should consider all of the potential effects of a menthol ban if it does consider such a policy. Unlike TPSAC, however, ACSH’s Dr. Gilbert Ross has a strong opinion on the potential menthol proscription: He thinks it’s a bad idea. “The rationale for such a ban is flawed, and the repercussions will be dangerous for public health,” he says.
CS News Online
SILVER SPRING, Md. — The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and National Institutes of Health (NIH) are joining forces to find out why people use tobacco. The two agencies have officially launched a nationwide study they first announced in October.
The $118.3-million “Population Assessment on Tobacco Health Study” (PATH) will recruit more than 40,000 smokers and non-smokers from across the country and study them over the course of five years. Study participants will include about 7,000 youths between 12 and 18 years old.
Tucson, AZ — (SBWIRE) — 02/14/2012 — The website Best Electronic Cigarette Reviews (http://www.bestelectroniccigarettesreview.org/0 has published an article on electronic cigarette health risks, saying this will help consumers understand the truth about electronic cigarettes and make informed choices whenever faced with the challenge of determining whether to use the traditional tobacco cigarettes or move to e-cigs. The web masters have clarified though that what they have basically done is to collect data that is already available from authoritative sources and package it in a systematic format that will be best understood by anyone interested. The revelation consists of two main categories of information. One touches on the results of laboratory research and studies that have been published in credible scientific journals. The second category is composed of opinions and views from medical experts, the FDA and university professors who have taken interest in the subject of electric cigarettes.
