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

Newsday

Cigarettes kill, but menthol isn’t the culprit. Nevertheless the Food and Drug Administration is moving toward regulating, maybe even banning, menthol in cigarettes, while leaving cigarettes without the minty, cool additive available for public consumption. That makes no sense.

OK, it makes a little sense. Just not enough to justify banning menthol smokes.

More than 440,000 people in the United States die every year due to tobacco use, according to the FDA, which nailed tobacco as the nation’s leading cause of preventable death and disease. But the agency found no evidence that menthol cigarettes are more toxic than non-menthol brands, or pose a heightened risk of disease for smokers.

From: FDA

The FDA wants to correct inaccuracies in an August 22, 2013 article in the Wall Street Journal, titled “FDA Discusses Banning Online Sales of E-Cigarettes.”

The FDA frequently meets with members of the tobacco industry, as well as with public health groups and other stakeholders, to better understand any concerns or questions they may have. As part of this effort, “listening sessions” with e-cigarette companies have been held at their request and have given the FDA an opportunity to listen to their concerns or views.

From: Science Daily

With the third and largest of the U.S. tobacco companies planning an e-cigarette product launch this fall, this next frontier for “Big Tobacco” provides renewed presence in a declining marketplace. It’s also a potential gateway to new smokers, particularly among teens and in emerging/foreign markets, according to behavioral scientists at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center.

Also issues 10,000th tobacco retailer warning letter

Editor’s Note:  CRE applauds FDA actions to control adulertated tobacco products. However we encourage FDA to go a step farther and respond to CRE requests to address the adverse health effects of counterfeit cigarettes.

Press Trust of India | Updated: August 11, 2013 14:15 IST

The Risk Communication Advisory Committee ( RCAC ) is meeting separately and also jointly  with TPSAC.  The RCAC meeting focuses on the adverse health impacts of counterfeit drugs; the TPSAC meeting focuses on harmful and potentially harmful constituents (HPHCs} of legitimate cigarettes.

 Why not eliminate the silo effect and spend some time on the adverse health impacts of counterfeit cigarettes?

 TPSAC has never addressed this topic notwithstanding public comments supporting their  addressing this important public policy issue.

 In the attached document  CRE delineates the well established public threat to the public in general, and to juveniles in particular, associated with the counterfeit cigarettes.

From: Associated Press

By MICHAEL FELBERBAUM