Tobacco Center Faculty Blog

November 25, 2014

Stanton A. Glantz, PhD

The investment firm Morgan Stanley has looked at the White House Office of Management and Budget (OMB) plans and sees no action on menthol planned.
 
Here is what they say:
 

Menthol Risk Recedes; FTC Risk Accruing Largely to LO [Lorillard]

The release of OMB’s unified agenda (no menthol mentions) further reduces FDA-related transaction risk. However, LO shares still offer balanced riskreward & OMB yesterday published its unified fall agenda (the administration’s list of planned NTM regulation), which encouragingly includes no mention of menthol regulation. While L-T risk remains, this suggests an increasingly low probability of menthol “news” prior to the expected 1H15 transaction closure. Note that that spring agenda has in recent years been issued during late May or early June.
 

November 25, 2014

Stanton A. Glantz, PhD

This comment was just submitted to FDA.  The tracking number is 1jy-8fp5-z353
 
Swedish Match’s claim that perceptions of health risks of snus are exaggerated
is likely incorrect
 
Docket ID: FDA-2014-N-1051
 
Lucy Popova, PhD & Pamela M. Ling, MD, MPH
Center for Tobacco Control Research and Education
University of California San Francisco
November 24, 2014
 
 
The petitioners claim that “adults generally, and smokers in particular, had an exaggerated perception of the health risks related to snus use” (p. 688). In support of this claim, they cite five studies with adults and one with youth that measured perceptions of relative risk, all done in Scandinavia.
 
Leaving aside the issue whether the Scandinavian data on harm perceptions are applicable to the US case, there is another serious problem with this claim. This issue is detailed in our attached paper, “Perceptions of Relative Risk of Snus and Cigarettes Among US Smokers” (American Journal of Public Health 2013;103:e21–e23. doi:10.2105/AJPH.2013.301547).
 

November 24, 2014

Stanton A. Glantz, PhD

I just submitted this comment to FDA.  The tracking number is 1jy-8fp3-7yii.
 
FDA should require that all communications from tobacco manufacturers regarding MRTPs be done in a way that narrowly target smokers
 
Docket ID: FDA-2014-N-1051
 
Stanton A. Glantz, PhD
Center for Tobacco Control Research and Education
University of California San Francisco
November 25, 2014
 

November 24, 2014

Stanton A. Glantz, PhD

We just submitted this comment to FDA.  The tracking number is 1jy-8fp2-y90f.
 
Swedish Match’s Consumer Perception Study Provides No Evidence for the Population-Level Effects of Modified Snus Labels
 
Docket ID: FDA-2014-N-1051
 
Lucy Popova, PhD & Stanton A. Glantz, PhD
Center for Tobacco Control Research and Education
University of California San Francisco
 
November 24, 2014
 
 
According to the Modified Risk Tobacco Product Applications Guidance for the Industry, “FDA shall issue an order under section 911(g)(1) of the FD&C Act (risk modification order) only if it determines the applicant has demonstrated that the product, as it is actually used by consumers, will:
 

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