Bill Godshall Update 2015-06-18

Update 2015-06-18

Bill Godshall Update 2015-06-18

Tobacco Harm Reduction Update - June 18th, 2015

Contents:
FDA / DHHS, Prohibition, THR Business, Taxation, Vaping Allowed, Vaping Bans, NY, PA, US Cities, Canada, UK, Smokeless Tobacco Use Ban, Sales to Minors Bans, Flavoring Ban, Carrier Restriction, E-liquid Packaging Restrictions, More THR Advocacy, THR Research, Junk Science, Propaganda and Lies.

FDA/DHHS

Breaking News: US House Appropriations Cmte bill would prohibit FDA from enforcing the February 15, 2007 grandfather date for newly deemed tobacco products (including e-cigarettes), move grandfather date to issuance of Final Rule for Deeming Regulation (allowing newly deemed tobacco and e-cigarette products now on the market to remain legal, but require FDA approval of PMTAs for new products after Final Rule issuance).
http://appropriations.house.gov/uploadedfiles/bills-114hr-sc-ap-fy2016-agriculture-subcommitteedraft.pdf (Section 747, page 86)
Please note this appropriations bill would essentially enact Rep. Tom Cole's bill (HR 2058) into law.

CASAA Call to Action urges all vapers to submit comments to FDA regarding agency's e-cig workshops (where FDA and its funding recipients misrepresented the scientific evidence to lobby for the 'deeming regulation' that would ban >99.9% of nicotine e-cigs)
http://blog.casaa.org/2015/06/fda-call-to-action-submit-comments-on.html

Peter Sandman: A promising candidate for most dangerously dishonest public health news release of the year (from the CDC on e-cigarettes)
http://www.psandman.com/col/e-cigs.htm

CDC, Sandman, and finding an 'honest' appraisal of e-cigarettes
http://www.healthnewsreview.org/2015/06/cdc-sandman-and-finding-an-honest-appraisal-of-e-cigarettes/

Mike Siegel: In 2015, FDA still maintains that smoking may be no more hazardous than vaping
http://tobaccoanalysis.blogspot.com/2015/06/in-2015-fda-still-maintains-that.html

Global Survey 2015 finds vaping pot now more popular than smoking it (but Obama's DHHS and FDA's 'deeming regulation' fail to admit, and falsely call it 'tobacco use')
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/vaping-weed-is-now-more-popular-than-smoking-it-10305688.html
http://www.globaldrugsurvey.com/the-global-drug-survey-2015-findings/

Teens increasingly using cigars to smoke pot (same with urban adults, which Obama's DHHS and FDA's 'deeming regulation' fail to admit, and instead call it 'tobacco use)
http://nypost.com/2015/06/13/city-kids-swapping-cigarettes-for-cigars/

FDA posts new website 'Tobacco Regulatory Science in Action' (and a new blog) to congratulate itself and its funding recipients (aka 'tobacco regulatory scientists'), confuse the public about comparable risks of different tobacco (and vapor) products, and lobby for its proposed 'deeming regulation' (that would ban >99.9% of nicotine e-cigs)
http://www.fda.gov/TobaccoProducts/PublicHealthScienceResearch/ucm436335.htm
http://blogs.fda.gov/fdavoice/index.php/2015/06/fdas-new-research-videos-on-e-cigarettes-nicotine-and-cigarillos-2/

FDA posts purportedly 'Scientific Publications by FDA Staff' on tobacco and vapor products, most of which are fearmongering propaganda to confuse the public about product risks, and most of which is intended to lobby for FDA's 'deeming regulation' http://www.accessdata.fda.gov/scripts/publications/more.cfm?center=CTP&center_name=Tobacco&source=govdelivery&utm_medium=email&utm_source=govdelivery

FDA posts new website to search for FDA funded propaganda (aka Tobacco Regulatory Research Projects) that misrepresents the health risks of different tobacco and vapor products and/or the demographics of different tobacco and vapor product consumers (to confuse and lobby for FDA's proposed 'deeming regulation' and other regulatory goals) http://www.fda.gov/TobaccoProducts/PublicHealthScienceResearch/Research/ucm396257.htm

FDA reports that, in May, FDA issued 11 Not Substantially Equivalent (NSE) orders, FDA issued 1 Refuse-to-Accept letter for SE, and that companies withdrew 29 SE reports from the review process (that were likely due to FDA intimidation)
http://www.fda.gov/TobaccoProducts/Labeling/MarketingandAdvertising/ucm339928.htm
http://www.fda.gov/TobaccoProducts/NewsEvents/ucm451086.htm

NATO's Thomas Briant reveals FDA spent $137 million to inspect tobacco retailers, and has conducted 400,000 inspections (with 95% finding no compliance violations)
http://www.cspnet.com/category-news/tobacco/articles/refresher-fda-retail-tobacco-inspections

Indiana AG Greg Zoeller (who lobbied for Indiana's recently enacted e-liquid sales ban) and Maine AG Janet Mills urge FDA to quickly finalize its proposed deeming regulation (that would ban >99.9% of nicotine vapor products) and amend it to also ban flavorings, ban Internet sales, ban most advertising, and require intentionally misleading fearmongering warning labels.
http://thestatehousefile.com/zoeller-calls-on-fda-to-protect-youth-from-e-cigs/21705/

Prohibition

Singapore Ministry of Health protects cigarettes, threatens smokers' lives by banning and lying about vapor products, smokeless tobacco and other far less hazardous smokefree nicotine/tobacco alternatives (exempts Big Pharma gums, patches and lozenges)
https://www.moh.gov.sg/content/moh_web/home/pressRoom/pressRoomItemRelease/2015/singapore-enhances-tobacco-control-efforts-with-ban-on-emerging-.html
http://www.straitstimes.com/premium/forum-letters/story/adverse-health-effects-e-cigarettes-20150616
http://www.straitstimes.com/news/singapore/health/story/moh-bans-new-forms-tabacco-products-december-20150615

Clive Bates: Singapore law protects the most dangerous nicotine products, bans the safest - why? (open letter to Singapore's Minister of Health)
http://www.clivebates.com/?p=3133

THR Business

Local e-cigarette culture flourishes; Convention circuit reflects growing popularity of vaping in region (Pittsburgh, PA)
http://www.post-gazette.com/local/city/2015/06/12/Local-e-cigarette-culture-flourishes/stories/201506120106

Drug company Ross Myers Health launches new nicotine lozenge Nicofi for use as alternative to cigarettes (what Nicorette is primarily used for, but not FDA approved for), claims to deliver nicotine 2 to 3 times faster than FDA approved nicotine gum and lozenges)
http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20150615005364/en/Smoke---Nicofi%E2%84%A2-Unveils-Alternative-Smoking-Fast-Acting#.VX__TVVViko

Taxation

Nevada Governor Sandoval signs bill (SB 483) to increase cigarette tax from $.80 to $1.80/pack
https://www.leg.state.nv.us/App/NELIS/REL/78th2015/Bill/2186/Overview
https://www.leg.state.nv.us/App/NELIS/REL/78th2015/Bill/2186/Text
(page 36)

Louisiana House/Senate approve Conference Committee report on bill (HB 119) to increase cigarette tax (from $.36 to $.86/pack) and to impose $.05/ml tax on e-liquid in vapor products
http://www.legis.la.gov/legis/BillInfo.aspx?s=15rs&b=HB119&sbi=y
http://www.legis.la.gov/legis/ViewDocument.aspx?d=959263

Kansas House/Senate approve, Governor Brownback signs, Conference Committee report on budget bill (HB 2109) to increase the cigarette tax (from $.79 to $1.29/pack), impose a $.20/ml tax on e-liquid (the latter of which won't go into effect until 7/1/2016)
http://www.kslegislature.org/li/b2015_16/measures/hb2109/
http://www.kslegislature.org/li/b2015_16/measures/documents/ccr_2015_hb2109_s_2447.pdf

CASAA Call to Action urges Utah vapers to oppose any new taxes on vapor products
http://blog.casaa.org/2015/06/utah-call-to-action-oppose-any-new.html

Vaping Allowed

New Jersey Assembly Commerce and Economic Development Committee approves bill (AB 4428) to allow vaping in a 'vapor lounge'
http://www.njleg.state.nj.us/bills/BillView.asp?BillNumber=A4428
http://www.njleg.state.nj.us/2014/Bills/A4500/4428_I1.HTM

Vaping Bans

Connecticut bill (HB 6283) banning vaping in many workplaces becomes public law
http://www.cga.ct.gov/asp/cgabillstatus/cgabillstatus.asp?selBillType=Bill&bill_num=HB06283&which_year=2015
http://www.cga.ct.gov/2015/ACT/PA/2015PA-00206-R00HB-06283-PA.htm
To find workplaces in Connecticut where vaping is not banned by law, go to:
http://www.cga.ct.gov/lco/statutes.asp
- click on 'Search the General Statutes', and enter '31-40q' in the 'Section Number' box.

Maine House/Senate approve bill (LD 1108) to ban vaping where smoking is banned, redefine smokefree e-cigs as 'electronic smoking devices', redefine 'smoking' as including vaping, name bill 'An act to protect children and the public from electronic smoking devices' to confuse, scare and demonize products
http://legislature.maine.gov/legis/bills/display_ps.asp?LD=1108&snum=127
http://legislature.maine.gov/legis/bills/getPDF.asp?paper=HP0769&item=2&snum=127

Delaware Senate approves bill (HB 5) to ban vaping everywhere smoking is banned (except in vape shops), falsely redefine smokefree vapor products as 'electronic smoking devices', falsely redefine 'smoking' as including smokefree vaping,
http://legis.delaware.gov/LIS/lis148.nsf/2bede841c6272c888025698400433a04/859041b6d7ceac1085257dce00688ebe?OpenDocument
http://legis.delaware.gov/LIS/lis148.nsf/EngrossmentsforLookup/HB+5/$file/Engross.html?open
http://www.delawareonline.com/story/firststatepolitics/2015/06/11/delaware-senate-passes-e-cigarette-indoor-ban/71076570/

New Jersey Senate Cmte combines/approves bills (SB 828 and SB 2883) to ban smoking and vaping in cars with minors under 16 years
http://6abc.com/news/nj-panel-oks-bill-banning-smoking-in-vehicles-when-kids-present/786819/
http://nj1015.com/should-adults-be-fined-if-they-smoke-with-a-kid-in-their-car/
http://www.njleg.state.nj.us/2014/Bills/S1000/828_U1.HTM
http://www.njleg.state.nj.us/2014/Bills/S1000/828_S2.HTM

NY

New York Assembly orders bill (A 5955B) to ban vaping in workplaces to third reading
rules cal.497 http://assembly.state.ny.us/leg/?default_fld=&bn=A05955&term=2015&Summary=Y&Actions=Y&Text=Y&Votes=Y

CASAA Call to Action urges New York vapers to contact NY legislators urging them to oppose bills to ban vaping in workplaces
http://blog.casaa.org/2015/06/urgent-new-york-state-call-to-action.html

PA

Smokefree Pennsylvania's Bill Godshall and American Vaping Association's Gregory Conley tell truth about vaping, refute ACS/AHA/ALA's false claims at PA House Health Cmte hearing on bill (HB 682) that would ban vaping in all PA workplaces and ban smoking in casinos and liquor licensed establishments that are now exempt from PA Clean Indoor Air Act)
https://www.e-cigarette-forum.com/forum/threads/godshall-and-conley-refute-acs-aha-alas-false-claims-about-vaping-at-pa-house-health-cmte-hearing.681135/
http://www.legis.state.pa.us/cfdocs/billinfo/billinfo.cfm?syear=2015&sind=0&body=H&type=B&bn=682

Anti-Smoking Advocates Urge Rejection of PA Vaping Ban
Vaping ban would deceive smokers and lead to less quitting
http://vaping.info/news/2015/anti-smoking-advocates-urge-rejection-of-pa-vaping-ban

Opinions clash on expanding indoor smoking ban to e-cigarettes (AVA's Greg Conley quoted)
http://www.pennlive.com/politics/index.ssf/2015/06/e-cigarettes_anti-smoking_ban.html#incart_river

Pennsylvania lawmakers consider end to smoking ban exemptions (Smokefree Pennsylvania's Bill Godshall quoted)
http://philadelphia.cbslocal.com/2015/06/16/pennsylvania-lawmakers-consider-end-to-smoking-ban-exemptions/

Expansion of Pennsylvania's indoor smoking ban to be revisited
http://www.pennlive.com/politics/index.ssf/2015/06/expansion_on_indoor_smoking_ba.html#incart_related_stories

CASAA Call to Action urges Pennsylvania vapers to oppose bill (HB 682) to ban vaping
http://blog.casaa.org/2015/06/oppose-indoor-vaping-ban-in.html

Reading (PA) Fightin Phils to install outdoor vaping lounge at baseball stadium; Big Pharma funded ALA's Deborah Brown (who is lobbying to ban vaping in all PA workplaces) criticizes team, wants vapers involuntarily exposed to 2nd hand smoke in smoking area; retired doctor Richard Bell (who has also campaigned to ban vaping in workplaces) absurdly claims vaping glamorizes cigarette smoking.
http://readingeagle.com/sports/article/fightin-phils-to-install-vaping-lounge-at-firstenergy-stadium

US Cities

CASAA Call to Action urges Iowa City vapers to oppose proposed vaping ban
http://blog.casaa.org/2015/06/iowa-city-ia-oppose-indoor-vaping-ban.html
http://thegazette.com/subject/news/government/iowa-city-council-considers-including-e-cigarettes-in-tobacco-policy-20150615

CASAA Call to Action urges Waco (TX) vapers to opposed proposed vaping ban
http://blog.casaa.org/2015/06/waco-tx-oppose-changes-to-citys-indoor.html

Portland (OR) Parks & Recreation propose amending their draconian outdoor vaping and tobacco use ban to nix law enforcement provisions, rendering the law useless except for stigmatizing vapers and tobacco users (which was its original purpose).
http://media.oregonlive.com/opinion_impact/other/2015/06/16/pressrelease.pdf

Oregonian editorial: Roll back tobacco ban in Portland parks
http://www.oregonlive.com/opinion/index.ssf/2015/06/roll_back_tobacco_ban_in_portl.html

Flavoring Ban

Jeff Stier letter to Minneapolis Council members explains why banning flavored e-cigarettes would undermine public health
http://www.conservativeblog.org/amyridenour/2015/6/15/ban-flavored-e-cigarettes.html

Carrier Restriction

UN Aviation agency bans e-cigarettes in checked bags
http://www.ndtv.com/world-news/un-aviation-agency-bans-e-cigarettes-in-checked-bags-771987

E-liquid Packaging Restrictions

Maine House/Senate approve bill (HB 423) to require child-resistant packaging for e-liquid
http://legislature.maine.gov/legis/bills/display_ps.asp?LD=423&snum=127
http://legislature.maine.gov/legis/bills/getPDF.asp?paper=HP0290&item=2&snum=127

Ohio Senate passes bill (SB 24) to require child-resistant packaging for e-liquid
https://www.legislature.ohio.gov/legislation/legislation-summary?id=GA131-SB-54
http://search-prod.lis.state.oh.us/solarapi/v1/general_assembly_131/bills/sb54/PS?format=pdf
http://www.toledoblade.com/Politics/2015/06/16/Ohio-Senate-OKs-package-restrictions-for-e-cigarette-liquid.html

North Carolina House Commerce and Job Development Cmte approves bill (SB 286) to require child-resistant packaging for e-liquid (and labeling of nicotine level), Reynolds claims open tank systems (which are less expensive and more effective for smoking cessation than Reynolds' Vuse) pose public health risks
http://www.ncga.state.nc.us/gascripts/BillLookUp/BillLookUp.pl?Session=2015&BillID=S286&votesToView=all
http://www.journalnow.com/business/business_news/local/house-panel-oks-mandate-for-child-resistant-packaging-warning-labels/article_96b232ce-0f9c-11e5-bf54-0f4c3a9d6e26.html

More THR Advocacy

Global Forum on Nicotine - Africa: The e-cigarette and its new challenges
http://allafrica.com/stories/201506111912.html

Anne Michaud: Vaping is a new rite of passage for teens (points out that telling youth to NOT vape and demonizing vaping just encourages more teens to try vaping)
http://www.newsday.com/opinion/columnists/anne-michaud/vaping-is-a-new-rite-of-passage-for-teens-1.10529711

Truth About Vaping - Television Commercial #1
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_cG9K9koPoU
http://vapervision.com/advocacy/danielle-bloss-the-person-behind-the-truth-about-vaping-videos/

Totally Wicked confronts British Medical Association about its many fear-mongering lies about vaping; BMA's response response fails to correct, clarify or apologize for any of its lies, and instead defends the lies by restating many of them as unfounded 'concerns'. http://www.totallywicked-eliquid.co.uk/news/2015/june/letter-to-baroness-finlay-bma.html

Vaping, other smoking alternatives are gaining popularity and helping some kick the habit (Alabama)
http://www.al.com/bhammag/index.ssf/2015/06/smoking_alternatives_are_gaini.html

THR Research

Cancer Research UK: Research shows most children do not regularly use e-cigarettes
http://www.cruk.cam.ac.uk/news/latest-news/research-shows-most-children-do-not-regularly-use-e-cigarettes

New study finds experienced vapers absorb twice as much nicotine as experimenters, but far less than from cigarette smoking. Nicotine absorption from electronic cigarette use: comparison between experienced consumers (vapers) and naÃ¯ve users (smokers)
http://www.nature.com/srep/2015/150617/srep11269/full/srep11269.html

Konstantinos Farsalinos -- Nicotine absorption from e-cigarettes: comparison between vapers and smokers
http://www.ecigarette-research.org/research/index.php/research/research-2015/215-nic2

Disingenuous and biased IPSOS poll conducted for Reuters on so-called 'e-smoking' derogatorily stigmatizes vapers by calling them 'e-smokers', but still finds many Americans have benefited from vaping
http://www.ipsos-na.com/download/pr.aspx?id=14594

ACSH - Vape, don't smoke. Survey says: many are listening
http://acsh.org/2015/06/vape-dont-smoke-survey-says-many-are-listening/

Carl Phillips and Igor Burstyn - Post-publication peer-review: Correction to Burstyn (2014) and related matters
http://antithrlies.com/2015/06/11/post-publication-peer-review-correction-to-burstyn-2014-and-related-matters/

Study finds many New Zealand smokers would switch to nicotine e-cigs if they were legal to sell/buy, but one news headline falsely claims otherwise
http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/health/69446403/ecigs-with-nicotine-could-help-women-quit-smoking--nz-research
http://focusnews.com/lifestyle/e-cigarette-with-nicotin-help-in-quiting-smoking-especially-women/56999/

Junk Science, Propaganda and Lies

John Stossel: The anti science left
http://www.rasmussenreports.com/public_content/political_commentary/commentary_by_john_stossel/the_anti_science_left

John Stossel's polemic decries the politicization of science
http://acsh.org/2015/06/john-stossels-polemic-decries-the-politicization-of-science/

Mike Siegel: Is it just me, or have anti-tobacco activists completely lost sight of the goal?
http://tobaccoanalysis.blogspot.com/2015/06/is-it-just-me-or-have-anti-tobacco.html

NCI funded researchers study Philip Morris documents on additives in Merit cigarettes http://tobaccocontrol.bmj.com/content/early/2015/05/03/tobaccocontrol-2014-051943.full
- but Tobacco Control press release deceitfully claimed the study found e-cigarette are as addictive as cigarettes; deceived news media repeat false fear mongering claims without any fact checking (or even reading the study)
http://tobaccocontrol.bmj.com/content/suppl/2015/06/09/tobaccocontrol-2014-051943.DC1/tobaccocontrol-2014-051943_Press_release.pdf
http://www.newsweek.com/e-cigarettes-are-just-addictive-tobacco-thanks-pyrazine-additives-342447
http://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/national/health/new-study-finds-ecigarettes-may-increase-nicotine-dependence-and-attractiveness-of-smoking-20150615-ghlv8g
http://medicalxpress.com/news/2015-06-additives-tar-e-cigarettes-nicotine.html

FDA and NCI funded researchers design totally inappropriate study (conducted from 2010 to 2013), then deceitfully claim e-cigs don't help people quit smoking; survey only asked about e-cig use during 'past 6 months', many/most of whom were e-cig experimenters (instead of appropriately asking about daily or regular e-cig use, which occurs whenever smokers quit smoking by switching to vaping)
http://ajph.aphapublications.org/doi/abs/10.2105/AJPH.2015.302707?journalCode=ajph&

Mike Siegel: E-cigarette opponents continue to use inappropriate research designs to conclude that e-cigarettes impede smoking cessation
http://tobaccoanalysis.blogspot.com/2015/06/e-cigarette-opponents-continue-to-use.html

FDA funded Stan Glantz touts junk study to once again deceitfully claim e-cigs keep people smoking
https://tobacco.ucsf.edu/more-evidence-e-cigs-are-depressing-quitting-smoking-real-world

Survey of pregnant women finds, among e-cig ever users, 74% correctly believe e-cigs are less hazardous than cigarettes and 72% correctly believe e-cigs help with smoking cessation; but authors conclusion claims 'Misconceptions about e-cigarettes are common among pregnant women, potentially motivating use that may pose risks to both maternal and child health,' advocate so-called e-cigarette 'education' for prenatal care, tell news media there is no evidence e-cigs are less hazardous than cigarettes for pregnant women.
http://journals.lww.com/journaladdictionmedicine/Abstract/publishahead/Knowledge,_Attitudes,_and_Practice_of_Electronic.99685.aspx
http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/06/11/us-health-pregnancy-ecigarettes-idUSKBN0OR27520150611

Big Pharma funded Royal Pharmaceutical Society selfishly endorses vaping ban proposal in Wales by falsely insinuating e-cigs are marketed to youth, are addictive, are gateways to cigarettes, renormalize smoking, and other nonsense.
http://www.pharmaceutical-journal.com/your-rps/rps-in-wales-backs-e-cigarette-ban-in-public-places/20068707.article

Study authors claim increasing minimum age for tobacco sales to 21 reduced teen smoking by citing cherry picked data from one town in MA
http://tobaccocontrol.bmj.com/content/early/2015/06/12/tobaccocontrol-2014-052207.abstract?papetoc

Minnesota Health Dept falsely claims all phone calls to PCS reporting an e-cig exposure to a child were cases of 'poisoning'; grossly exaggerates negligible risks of nicotine and e-liquid to scare and discourage smokers from switching to vaping; fails to acknowledge that >1000 times more children were actually poisoned by drugs and household cleaners; urges more calls to PCS (so they can claim even more kids were poisoned by e-cigs)
http://content.govdelivery.com/accounts/MNMDH/bulletins/108e694
http://www.mprnews.org/story/2015/06/10/youth-nicotine-poisonings

Yet another Poison Control Center scares public about minimal risks of e-liquid, while failing to acknowledge the many common household products that have poisoned and killed thousands of times more children; commenter reveals number of calls to PCCs.
http://www.myfoxphilly.com/story/29312667/2015/06/13/e-cigarette

FDA and NIH funded research unsurprisingly finds that seeing e-cig ads might be associated with interest to try vaping, particularly among smokers
http://www.tobaccoinduceddiseases.com/content/13/1/14/abstract
http://7thspace.com/headlines/510554/associations_between_perceptions_of_e_cigarette_advertising_and_interest_in_product_trial_amongst_us_adult_smokers_and_non_smokers_results_from_an_internet_based_pilot_survey.html

- Bill Godshall

Godshall THRU 2015-06-18

Bill Godshall Update 2015-06-18

FDA/DHHS

Prohibition

THR Business

Taxation

Vaping Allowed

Vaping Bans

NY

PA

US Cities

Canada

UK

Smokeless tobacco use ban

Sales to Minors Bans

Flavoring Ban

Carrier Restriction

E-liquid Packaging Restrictions

More THR Advocacy

THR Research

Junk Science, Propaganda and Lies

Updates 2015

E-Cigarette Laws

Articles

Nicotine

Health Policy

Health

Resources