Tobacco Center Faculty Blog

November 21, 2017

Stanton A. Glantz, PhD

Matthew Springer and his colleagues at UCSF have submitted this public comment to the FDA.  The tracking number is 1k1-8zxa-mq9v  and a PDF of the comment is available here.
 
The evidence PMI presents in its MRTP application for IQOS is misleading and does not support the conclusion that IQOS will not harm endothelial function; independent research done in a more relevant physiological model shows that IQOS harms endothelial function as much as conventional cigarettes
Matthew L. Springer, Ph.D., Pooneh Nabavizadeh, M.D., and Leila Mohammadi, M.D., Ph.D. Department of Medicine, Division of Cardiology
Cardiovascular Research Institute
UCSF Tobacco Center of Regulatory Science
University of California, San Francisco
Docket Number: FDA-2017-D-3001
November 20, 2017
 

November 21, 2017

Stanton A. Glantz, PhD

The sugar industry buried scientific research almost 50 years ago that pointed to negative health effects of sugar, ceasing funding the research when it reflected negatively on the industry's interests, according to a new UC San Francisco study.
 
In a study to be published Nov. 21, 2017 in PLOS Biology, the authors said their analysis of internal documents bolsters evidence that the sugar industry has manipulated science in order to protect commercial interests, and to influence regulations and public opinion.
 
According to the study, the Sugar Research Foundation (SRF) funded animal research, called Project 259, to evaluate the effects of sucrose on cardiovascular health. Then, when evidence from the project seemed to indicate that sucrose might be associated with heart disease and bladder cancer, the foundation ended the research without publishing the results or revealing any evidence of harm.
 

November 20, 2017

Stanton A. Glantz, PhD

The latest e-cig love fest at the 2017 E-cig Summit in England has been bouncing around the internet, so I thought it would be worth summarizing some of the evidence debunking common e-cig myths.  The list of citations is nowhere near exhaustive, but illustrates why these myths are myths.

Myth 1: There is no gateway effect. 

A recent meta-analysis shows 100% consistent evidence that never cigarette smoking youth who begin nicotine use with e-cigarettes are significantly more likely to progress to cigarette smoking than youth who do not use e-cigarettes. There have been several additional longitudinal studies published that have shown the same thing since this meta-analysis was published, including one from England.

There are also consistent data showing that e-cigarettes attract youth at low risk of beginning tobacco use with cigarettes and expanding the overall nicotine use market.

November 20, 2017

Stanton A. Glantz, PhD

This ad ran in Variety and Hollywood Reporter beginning November 21, 2017.
 
Read the portfolio managers' October 2017 letter and screen your own mutual funds to see if they include tobacco or media companies that promote tobacco at  TobaccoFreeFunds.org
 
View a larger copy of the ad and supporting material at http://smokefreemovies.ucsf.edu/sfm-ads/ad-122

November 18, 2017

Stanton A. Glantz, PhD

Liza Gross just published an excellent in-depth investigation that puts the e-cigarette advocacy network, including such key players as David Sweanor, Bill Godshall, Brad Rodu, and Joel Nitzkin as well as the tobacco companies’ network of right wing think tanks that are supporting e-cigarettes in the larger context of the tobacco industry’s efforts to deny science and keep people smoking.
 
She also talks about how any scientist who presents data they don’t like gets attacked.
 
This is must reading for anyone interested in e-cigarettes and the whole harm reduction debate.
 
The story, “Smoke Screen: Big Vape is copying Big Tobacco’s playbook,” is available here.

Pages