September 14, 2018
Lucy Popova, Lauren Lempert, and I recently published “Light and mild redux: heated tobacco products’ reduced exposure claims are likely to be misunderstood as reduced risk claims” in Tobacco Control. This paper is another in the series of papers we have written based on a careful reading of the data that Philip Morris International submitted to the FDA to support its application to market IQOS in the US as a less dangerous product. We found that the information that PMI provided actually indicates that people are likely to misunderstand reduced exposure (i.e., users are exposed to less bad stuff by an IQOS than a conventional cigarette) as a reduced risk (i.e., IQOS is not as dangerous as a cigarette) claim.
This is important because even if FDA allows reduced exposure claims, they will be complicit in allowing PMI to mislead the public. Without evidence of reduced risk, claims of lower exposure are inherently misleading because they will be interpreted as reduced risk claims even if they do not explicitly make reduced risk claims.
And, of course, the same things hold for how PMI is marketing IQOS all over the world.
Here is the abstract:
September 12, 2018
September 9, 2018
The Canadian Ministry of Health has invited public comment on marketing statements that it proposes to allow e-cigarette companies to make to seel their wares.
The big problem is that these claims ignore everything we have learned about the dangers and use patterns of e-cigarettes in the last year or so.
Here is the comment I sent in. You can download a PDF of it here.
September 11, 2018
Mathew Cook
Manager, Regulations Division
Tobacco Products Regulatory Office
Tobacco Control Directorate
RE: Authorized statements regarding e-cigarettes
Dear Mr. Cook,
It has come to my attention that you are seeking comments on the List of Statements for Use in the Promotion of Vaping Products. I am pleased to offer some comments on these statements.
September 6, 2018
The tobacco companies have been going around the state telling people that San Francisco is not enforcing its comprehensive ban on the prohibition on the sale of flavored tobacco products.
The San Francisco Department of Public Health has proven them wrong. The Department just updated its website with details on the implementation plan, including, sending a mailer (below) to every retailer in the City telling them that the law is in effect and that they should stop ordering flavored products.
Here is the schedule that the City has announced:
July 20, 2018 Ban effective date
Sep 2018 Outreach and Education On-Site-Visits Begin
Oct 2018 Compliance Inspections Begin
Jan 2019 Enforcement Begins After Rules and Regulations are Adopted.
The Department is beginning with outreach to the tobacco retailers educating them on the flavored tobacco products ban, collecting questions they may have concerning flavored tobacco products and answering them.