September 25, 2014
From the UCSF Legacy Tobacco Documents Library:
For the past year we have been developing a new LTDL with expanded functionality and an updated look. We would like your help in testing the beta site so we can iron out the wrinkles as we continue to add new features.
If you’re curious, click here to go to the Industry Documents Digital Library, the portal to both LTDL and the Drug Industry Document Archive. You can search for tobacco documents from the portal.
You might want to start by watching the tutorial, also accessible from the Tutorial Videos link at the bottom of each page, or you can plunge right in and see how intuitive the site is.
Please keep track of any problems you encounter and let us know about them on the survey, also accessible at the top of the home page. We need to know what you love and hate about the site.
September 23, 2014
Late last August, shortly before I left for vacation the WHO released its report on e-cigarettes (with WHO calls Electronic Nicotine Delivery Devices, ENDS), Electronic nicotine delivery systems. At the time I was too busy to put out a blog post highlighting the report, so am adding one now. It continues the WHO's policy of basing its recommendations on the scientific evidence.
Here are the policy recommendations:
September 23, 2014
Learn more at September 21, 2014
Action on Smoking and Health released an excellent report on what localities and states in the US can do to implement the WHO FCTC, including
- prevent tobacco industry interference,
- Raise tobacco prices,
- Protect citizens from exposure to tobacco smoke, e
- Effectively educate the public,
- Limit tobacco advertising,
- Promote cessation, and
- Limit youth access to tobacco products.
The report is available here and a searchable database of actions is available here.
September 21, 2014
The chief justice of the Australian Supreme Court, RS French, gave a thoughtful speech entitled "Investor-State Dispute Settlement — A Cut Above the Courts?" to the Supreme and Federal Courts Judges' Conference on 9 July 2014. It is well-worth reading by anyone interested in how investor-state provisions of free trade agreements are undermining democracy.
Here is the intorductory section:
The High Court of Australia and the Egyptian Court that recently sentenced Al Jazeera journalists, including Australian Peter Greste, to long terms of imprisonment, have something in common. Along with many other courts, their decisions may be called into question in arbitral proceedings under investor-state dispute settlement ('ISDS') processes. This paper concerns the use of those processes by private investors to bring claims against countries which are parties to bilateral investment treaties ('BITs') or free trade agreements ('FTAs'). Its focus is on the tension that can exist between those arbitral mechanisms and the legitimate functions of the legislative, executive and judicial branches of governments.