Bill Godshall Update 2014-12-03

Tobacco Harm Reduction Update - December 3rd, 2014

Contents:
FDA Deeming Reg/Ban, FDA MRTP, FDA HPHC, CDC, THR, UK, Germany, Canada, E-cig Business, E-cig Conferences, Litigation, Taxation, E-cig Regulation, Vaping Bans, E-cig Sales Bans To Minors, Government Funded Lobbying, Minimum Age, Smoking Cessation, Junk Science, Propaganda and Lies.
 

FDA Deeming Reg/Ban

US House Speaker John Boehner, Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy and Energy and Commerce Committee Chair Fred Upton urge DHHS Secretary Sylvia Burwell to change FDA proposed “deeming” regulation’s grandfather date from 2007 to 2014 or when FDA issues a Final Rule.
https://mlsvc01-prod.s3.amazonaws.com/cbd370f8401/1cfb48c5-3621-40b7-9fad-ea36083870e5.pdf
Please note that FDA's proposed "deeming" regulation would ban >99.9% of e-cigarettes on the market, while several thousand of these lifesaving products would remain legal if Congress amends the FSPTCA's 2007 grandfather date to 2014 or later for newly deemed products, but e-liquid mixing by vape shops would still be banned.

AVA: FDA overreach on E-vapor products spurs House leadership to act
http://vaping.info/fda-overreach-e-vapor-products-spurs-house-leadership-act

CASAA - A step in the right direction: House leadership calls for a change in the grandfather date for the Tobacco Control Act
http://blog.casaa.org/2014/12/a-step-in-right-direction-house.html

Mike Siegel: US House members urge FDA to change grandfather date in proposed deeming regulation
http://tobaccoanalysis.blogspot.com/2014/12/us-house-members-urge-fda-to-change.html

After inviting many e-cig opponents and just a few objective individuals to speak at its so-called e-cigarette scientific workshop on December 10/11, FDA rescinds previously announced November 25 deadline for the public to sign up to speak and attend (claiming too many people signed up) instead of finding a larger facility for the event.
http://www.fda.gov/TobaccoProducts/NewsEvents/ucm414814.htm

FDA opens docket for public comments about FDA’s scientific workshop on e-cigarettes on December 10/11, public comment deadline April 15, 2015.
http://www.fda.gov/TobaccoProducts/GuidanceComplianceRegulatoryInformation/ucm198169.htm
http://www.regulations.gov/#!documentDetail;D=FDA_FRDOC_0001-5293

FDA MRTP

Smokefree Pennsylvania submits comments to FDA urging fast approval of Swedish Match’s MRTP application for ten snus products
http://www.e-cigarette-forum.com/forum/fda-regulations/626350-alert-deadline-11-59-tonight-fda-comments-swedish-matchs-mrtp-application-tpsac-consideration.html

CASAA’s comment on Swedish Match’s MRTP application
http://blog.casaa.org/2014/11/casaa-comment-to-fda-regarding-swedish.html
http://antithrlies.com/2014/11/25/casaa-comment-on-swedish-matchs-mrtp-application/

Clive Bates: Misleading the public for their own good? Changing the warnings on snus
http://www.clivebates.com/?p=2552

17 public health experts submit comment to FDA on Swedish Match’s MRTP application
http://www.clivebates.com/documents/FDASnusAcademics.pdf
http://www.clivebates.com/?p=2552#part1

Clive Bates’ comment to FDA
http://www.clivebates.com/?p=2552#part2
http://clivebates.com/documents/FDASnusBates.pdf

FDA funded junk scientists and THR opponents at UCSF urge FDA to reject Swedish Match’s MRTP application because they don’t’ want tobacco consumers to know snus is far less hazardous than cigarettes, doesn’t cause mouth cancer, and has helped many people quit smoking
http://tobacco.ucsf.edu/summary-ucsf-public-comments-fda-swedish-match-mrtp-application

After misleading and scaring readers about e-cigs, NY Times’ Matt Richtel greatly exaggerates snus’ negligible risks and downplays benefits for smokers who switch
Studying Snus, a Smokeless Tobacco from Sweden
http://www.nytimes.com/2014/11/30/business/studying-snus-a-smokeless-tobacco-from-sweden.html
A lesser warning? Maybe
http://www.nytimes.com/2014/11/30/business/maker-of-snus-a-smokeless-tobacco-says-its-less-harmful-than-cigarettes.html

Brad Rodu: How dangerous is snus? Don’t ask the New York Times
http://rodutobaccotruth.blogspot.com/2014/12/how-dangerous-is-swedish-snus-dont-ask.html

FDA invites comments on agency’s proposal to study consumer perceptions about smokeless tobacco and other MRTP (including e-cigs if/when FDA imposes the deeming reg/ban) after demonizing and grossly misrepresenting the scientific evidence about MRTP, smokeless tobacco and e-cigarettes since 2009 (to deceive and scare the public, to defend FDA’s unlawful 2009 e-cig ban, to lobby for FDA’s unwarranted and very costly MRTP requirements, and to lobby for FDA’s recently proposed deeming reg/ban) http://www.regulations.gov/#!documentDetail;D=FDA-2014-N-1855-0001
http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/FR-2014-11-19/html/2014-27283.htm

FDA HPHC

FDA and NIH issue funding opportunity announcement (FOA) to support research that will purportedly “inform the development of understandable and accurate public information on harmful and potentially harmful constituents (HPHCs) in tobacco products” even though cigarettes cause >99% of tobacco attributable diseases, disabilities, deaths and healthcare costs (while constituent lists just confuse people, which is why PM, CTFK, GSK, Waxman and Kennedy agreed to require them in the FSPTCA).
http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/pa-files/PA-15-046.html
http://www.fda.gov/tobaccoproducts/guidancecomplianceregulatoryinformation/ucm297786.htm

CDC

CDC NHIS finds adult cigarette smoking rate declined to record low 17.8% in 2013 (with 13.7% daily smokers), refutes false fear mongering claims by Obama’s DHHS and Big Pharma shills that e-cigs renormalize cigarette smoking
http://www.cdc.gov/media/releases/2014/p1126-adult-smoking.html
http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/mm6347a4.htm?s_cid=mm6347a4_e

Note that in September 2014, CDC reported the NHIS found adult cigarette smoking rate had declined to 17.8%, and that it further declined to 17.1% in January-March of 2014
http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/nhis/earlyrelease/earlyrelease201409_08.pdf

ACSH: Smoking rate down a bit, from 18.1% to 17.8%. Wow. Not acceptable.
http://acsh.org/2014/12/smoking-rate-bit-18-1-percent-17-8-percent-wow-acceptable/

THR

Joe Nocera: Nicotine without death
http://mobile.nytimes.com/2014/11/29/opinion/joe-nocera-nicotine-without-death.html

Article on Virginia MSA bond payments says e-cigs have reduced cigarette consumption http://www.dailypress.com/news/politics/dp-nws-evg-tobacco-20141201-story.html
“A decline that had averaged about 3 percent a year since 2000 amounted to nearly 5 percent in 2013, in large part because of the rapid growth of e-cigarettes according to municipal bond analysts at UBS Financial Services.”

Sally Satel: Why anti smoking groups should endorse snus and e-cigarettes
http://www.forbes.com/sites/sallysatel/2014/12/01/why-anti-smoking-groups-should-endorse-snus-and-e-cigarettes/

Jacques Le Houezec: The drag on e-cigarettes
http://opinion.inquirer.net/80474/the-drag-on-e-cigarettes

UK

Clive Bates: Comments on draft BSI standard for vaping products
http://www.clivebates.com/?p=2566

UK survey finds e-cigs almost exclusively used by smokers and ex-smokers (11.8% of smokers, 4.8% of ex-smokers, .14% of never smokers); smoking rate drops to record low
http://www.ons.gov.uk/ons/rel/ghs/opinions-and-lifestyle-survey/adult-smoking-habits-in-great-britain--2013/stb-opn-smoking-2013.html#tab-Use-of-e-cigarettes--and-the-relationship-to-smoking
http://www.ons.gov.uk/ons/dcp171778_386291.pdf
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-30192181
http://www.theguardian.com/news/datablog/2014/nov/25/e-cigarettes-not-gateway-traditional-smoking-great-britain
http://www.breitbart.com/Breitbart-London/2014/11/26/Government-s-own-research-shows-e-cigs-not-a-gateway-to-smoking

Scottish survey finds smoking by 13 and 15 year olds declined to record lows in 2013, and “ever smokers” accounted for the vast majority of teen e-cig use and consumption
http://www.isdscotland.org/Health-Topics/Public-Health/SALSUS/Latest-Report/
http://www.isdscotland.org/Health-Topics/Public-Health/Publications/2014-11-25/SALSUS_2013_Smoking_Report.pdf

Germany

German court rules that e-liquid products are not medicines, and can be sold freely
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/wires/ap/article-2843027/German-court-e-cigarette-liquids-not-medicines.html

Canada

Ontario government proposes to protect cigarette markets and Big Tobacco profits by banning flavored e-cigs, banning vaping; Dave Sweanor interviewed by CBCNEWS
http://www.cbc.ca/player/News/Business/The+Exchange+with+Amanda+Lang/ID/2614591443/

Luisa D’Amato: E-cigarettes are helping tobacco addicts quit and shouldn’t be banned
http://www.therecord.com/opinion-story/5164273-d-amato-e-cigarettes-are-helping-tobacco-addicts-quit-and-shouldn-t-be-banned/

National Post editorial: Kathleen Wynn’s war on evidence (Ontario)
http://fullcomment.nationalpost.com/2014/11/27/national-post-editorial-board-kathleen-wynnes-war-on-evidence/

Nova Scotia bill would ban vaping by falsely redefining smoking to include use of smokefree e-cigs (Canada)
http://nslegislature.ca/legc/bills/62nd_2nd/1st_read/b060.pdf

E-cig Business

E-cigarette boom sparks race for new patents
http://www.reuters.com/article/2014/11/24/us-ecigarettes-patents-idUSKCN0J818W20141124

E-cig Conferences

TMA to hold E-Vapor Research Collaborative Funding Conference on December 8/9
http://conference.tma.org/conference/e-vapor-research-collaborative-funding-conference

Clive Bates: Wells Fargo second annual e-cig conference – some reflections
http://www.clivebates.com/?p=2538

ACSH: Some takeaways from the Wells Fargo annual e-cigarette conference
http://acsh.org/2014/11/takeaways-wells-fargo-annual-e-cigarette-conference/

Litigation

Jury verdict $13.7 million in damages against Reynolds
http://www.journalnow.com/eedition/mapping/another-jury-awards-damages-against-reynolds/article_fdb30765-e67b-5cf8-b4ec-7e38822d8dee.html

Taxation

CA cigarette tax revenue funded 58 county health agency “First 5 California” considers urging state lawmakers to protect dwindling cigarette market and increase agency’s funding by taxing lifesaving e-cigarettes (which have reduced cigarette consumption)
http://www.utsandiego.com/news/2014/nov/27/sin-tax-tobacco-electronic-cigarettes-california/

ACSH’s Gil Ross: E-cigarette tax bad for New Mexico
http://www.santafenewmexican.com/opinion/my_view/reader-view-e-cigarette-taxes-bad-for-new-mexico/article_3c4aeb1b-1542-5259-b4ed-dfc0f9fbe776.html

Arizona legislators urged to protect cigarettes and threaten public health by taxing e-cigs
https://news.azpm.org/p/local-news/2014/11/24/50654-taxes-on-e-cigarettes-could-bring-millions-in-revenue/
http://www.azleg.gov/jlbc/ECigaretteProgramSummary.pdf

South Korea parliament approves 80% hike in cigarette price
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/wires/afp/article-2858571/S-Korea-parliament-approves-80-hike-cigarette-price.html

E-cig Regulation

Newly introduced California bill (SB 24) would require licensure of all e-cigarette retailers, require child proof packaging for e-cigs, ban outdoor ads for e-cigs within 1,000 feet of schools and playgounds, restrict self serve and vending machine sales of e-cigs
http://www.leginfo.ca.gov/pub/15-16/bill/sen/sb_0001-0050/sb_24_bill_20141201_introduced.html
http://www.legislature.ca.gov/cgi-bin/port-postquery?bill_number=sb_24&sess=CUR&house=B&author=hill_%3Chill%3E
http://www.leginfo.ca.gov/pub/15-16/bill/sen/sb_0001-0050/sb_24_bill_20141201_status.html
http://www.leginfo.ca.gov/pub/15-16/bill/sen/sb_0001-0050/sb_24_bill_20141201_history.html

Vaping Bans

American Vaping Associaton: New Orleans vaping ban threatens smokers’ and exsmokers’ health & small business
http://vaping.info/new-orleans-reject-banning-vaping-proposed-smoking-ban

American Vaping Association calls Madison ban unhealthy
http://host.madison.com/news/local/writers/steven_elbow/the-american-vaping-association-yes-there-is-such-a-thing/article_5c17ece4-8d82-5659-8959-979469a59942.html?comment_form=true

CASAA issues Call to Action opposing proposed vaping ban in Madison, WI
http://blog.casaa.org/2014/11/call-to-action-madison-wisconsin-e.html

Brighton (CO) City Council bans vaping everywhere smoking is banned
http://www.denverpost.com/news/ci_27054994/brighton-city-council-bans-use-e-cigarettes-vaporizers

Mike Siegel: Boulder City Council considering legislation to ban vaping in wide-open outdoor areas
http://tobaccoanalysis.blogspot.com/2014/12/boulder-city-council-considering.html

CASAA issues Call to Action opposing proposed vaping ban in Olathe, Kansas; bill set to be voted on at December 2 meeting
http://www.e-cigarette-forum.com/forum/legislation-news/626251-local-actions-kansas-november-2014-a.html

San Anselmo (CA) bill introduced to ban vaping in apartments, condos and other multi unti dwellings
http://www.e-cigarette-forum.com/forum/legislation-news/626246-local-actions-california-november-2014-a.html

Big Pharma shills repeat false fear mongering claims about e-cigs in Baltimore Sun, conflate vapor with smoke, fail to ethically disclose financial conflicts of interest
http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/opinion/oped/bs-ed-vaping-bill-veto-20141124-story.html

E-cig sales ban to minors

AVA’s Greg Conley: Gov. Snyder should sign common sense e-cigarette bills (MI)
http://www.mlive.com/opinion/index.ssf/2014/11/guest_column_gov_snyder_should.html

Government Funded Lobbying

CATO: Grass-roots tobacco bans? Not quite (exposes how MA Municipality Association has lobbied for unwarranted and counterproductive tobacco/nicotine control laws)
http://www.cato.org/blog/grass-roots-tobacco-bans-not-quite?

Minimum Age

Framingham (MA) wisely raises minimum age for cigarette sales to 21, but also raises minimum age for far less hazardous OTP
http://framingham.wickedlocal.com/article/20141125/NEWS/141127832/1444/FRONTPAGE
http://halfwheel.com/framingham-mass-raises-minimum-purchasing-age-21/74508

Smoking Cessation

Working Paper: Phillips-Nissan-Rodu, Understanding the evidence about the comparative success of smoking cessation methods: choice, second-order preferences, tobacco harm reduction, and other neglected considerations
http://ep-ology.com/2014/11/24/working-paper-phillips-nissen-rodu-understanding-the-evidence-about-the-comparative-success-of-smoking-cessation-methods-choice-second-order-preferences-tobacco-harm-reduction-and-other-neglecte/
https://epology.files.wordpress.com/2014/11/phillips-nissen-rodu-understanding-the-evidence-about-cessation-methods1.pdf

UK news article cites findings of Baeyens et al study
http://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/gadgets-and-tech/can-ecigarettes-help-you-quit-smoking-another-study-says-yes-its-better-than-willpower-alone-9872545.html

Junk Science, Propaganda and Lies

Worldwide news media repeat false fear mongering allegations (with no fact checking) by WHO funded Japanese junk scientist Naoki Kunugita who misrepresented his research data by deceitfully claiming e-cig vapor contains more carcinogens than cigarette smoke
http://www.who.int/tobacco/about/partners/collab_centers/cc_tob_japan/en/
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/wires/afp/article-2851443/E-cigarettes-10-times-carcinogens-Japan-researchers.html
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-2851665/High-levels-toxin-e-cigarettes-cigarettes.html
http://www.themalaymailonline.com/features/article/japan-research-warns-e-cigarettes-have-10-times-carcinogens
http://www.theguardian.com/society/2014/nov/28/japan-e-cigarette-safety
http://www.popsci.com/do-e-cigarettes-really-create-10-times-more-carcinogens-regular-ciggies
http://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/11/11/11192/htm

Konstantinos Farsalinos debunks false fear mongering headline about vapor constituents:
http://www.ecigarette-research.com/web/index.php/2013-04-07-09-50-07/2014/188-frm-jp

Resercher rejects horror news about e-cigarettes (Norway)
http://www.nrk.no/verden/forsker-avviser-skremselsnyhet-om-e-sigaretter-1.12068273

E-cigarettes more cancerous than cigarettes: Think again, ‘Vaping’ advocates claim
http://www.inquisitr.com/1645775/e-cigarettes-more-cancerous-than-cigarettes-think-again-vaping-advocates-claim/

Formaldehyde – A hoax spreads round the world (Germany)
http://blog.rursus.de/2014/11/formaldehyd-eine-falschmeldung-geht-um-die-welt/

Australian e-cig prohibitionists make false claims about e-cig to lobby for more bans that protect cigarettes and threaten lives of smokers and vapers
http://www.smh.com.au/nsw/opposition-calls-for-inquiry-into-ecigarettes-20141129-11wmo7.html

Cancer Council Victoria’s Kylie Lindorff repeats false and misleading fear mongering claims about e-cigarettes (Australia)
http://www.theage.com.au/national/the-zone-a-case-of-the-vapours-20141130-11vyep.html

For GASO, ACS and government funded Smokefree Indy repeat false fear mongering claims about e-cigarettes, hawk ineffective FDA approved NRT products and less than safe Chantix; Godshall comments
http://wishtv.com/2014/11/20/e-cigarettes-take-focus-on-annual-smokeout-day/

Tennessee Health Department repeats fear mongering claims, misrepresents scientific evidence to demonize e-cigs
http://www.clevelandbanner.com/view/full_story/26171657/article-Local-Health-Council-reviews-e-cigarette-risks?instance=latest_articles

Utah County Health Dept’s Lynneah Fletcher misinforms public about e-cigs (UT)
http://upr.org/post/many-young-utahns-misinformed-about-e-cigarettes

Weld County Health Dept’s Rachel Freeman repeats false claims about e-cigs (CA)
http://www.greeleytribune.com/news/13888255-111/cigarettes-vapor-cigarette-dictionary

- Bill Godshall

Godshall THRU 2014-12-03