A Public Participation Forum for the FDA Center for Tobacco Products and its Federal Advisory Committee (TPSAC)

The Federal Register’s public inspection list of notices to be published on July 27^th included a reference to a meeting of a TPSAC Menthol Report Subcommittee.  The index of the public inspection documents contained the following entry but did not include the actual announcement:

Meetings:

Menthol Report Subcommittee of the Tobacco Products Scientific Advisory Committee

 2010-18338
[Docket No. FDA-2010-N-0001; Filed: 07/26/10 at 8:45 am;  Publication Date: 7/27/2010]

 The index entry of the meeting was removed a few hours later for unknown reasons.

By: Jacob Grier
Special to The Examiner
07/22/10 3:51 PM EDT

An FDA panel is currently holding hearings to determine whether the agency should forbid the sale of menthol cigarettes. The Tobacco Control Act signed in 2009 banned other flavorings that made up an insignificant part of the cigarette market but exempted menthol, which accounts for about a third of US cigarette sales, to win the support of Philip Morris. If the FDA moves forward to ban menthol Philip Morris may find that its support was terribly short-sighted.

July 16 End of Day

General Discussion of the Two Day Meeting  by TPSAC Members

 TPSAC Views

 [A Communications Travesty] What are the rules that govern communications among TPSAC members subsequent to the July meeting?

 Editors Note:  This is the issue that CRE has identified from the onset. TPSAC members are not experts in FACA law, nor should they be. FDA lawyers are calling the shots so as to dominate the TPSAC proceeding by making it difficult for TPSAC members to communicate on a regular basis.

Where is DQA at CTP/TPSAC?

On July 7, CTP officials would not answer questions as to whether briefing materials for TPSAC Tobacco Constituents Subcommitte met DQA rules

Repository Site for Menthol Science, News and Information

GREENSBORO, N.C., June 28 /PRNewswire/ — Lorillard Tobacco Company today launched a new website, “Understanding Menthol,” that focuses on the scientific evidence surrounding the public health impact of menthol in cigarettes.  The new website is located at www.understandingmenthol.com. 

Legislation signed into law last year authorized the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to regulate cigarettes and other tobacco products.  One provision of the law mandated the creation of a new Tobacco Products Scientific Advisory Committee, which will submit a report and recommendation on the use of menthol in cigarettes to the FDA.