August 13, 2017
Interfering with normal functioning of arteries, both immediate effects on arteries’ ability to enlarge when the body needs more blood flow and longer term effects on arterial stiffness, are important mechanisms by which exposure to tobacco smoke causes heart disease and triggers heart attacks.
There is already human evidence showing large immediate effects of e-cigarette aerosol on arterial function. Now, a new experimental study using mice has shown the same thing, as well as effects on longer term changes in arterial stiffness. A new study showing just that was presented at an American Physiological Society symposium on cardiac aging by Mark Olfert titled “Acute and chronic effects of e-cigarette vapor exposure on vascular function: new friend or old foe?” Here is a summary of their presentation from the APS website:
August 5, 2017
A new paper, “Comparing the cancer potencies of emissions from vapourised nicotine products including e-cigarettes with those of tobacco smoke,” just published in Tobacco Control, adds to the already-convincing literature that e-cigarettes expose users to much lower levels of carcinogens than conventional cigarettes do.
This analysis ignores the fact that cancer “only” accounts for about 1/3 of the tobacco-induced deaths. (See chart based on data in the 2014 Surgeon General Report.) Most are from cardiovascular and metabolic disease and non-cancer pulmonary disease. The evidence to date suggests that e-cigarettes pose substantial risks for these outcomes, particularly because of the ultrafine particles they deliver.
The important question that needs attention is how big these risks are, not continuing to re-prove that they are les carcinogenic than cigarettes.
Any consideration of the risks of e-cigarette use also need to consider population effects, particularly the fact that they expand the nicotine market by attracting kids and depress quitting among adult smokers.
August 1, 2017
The FDA made big news last week (July 28, 2017) when it announced a “comprehensive nicotine strategy” last week that could include reducing the nicotine delivery from combusted cigarettes to below addictive levels. If FDA actually implements such a policy in an effective way, that would be a big step forward. (Whether or not such a policy would actually work in the real world was not clear until, over the last few years, the FDA has supported some very well-done research showing that this is possible and could be implemented quickly.) Doing so, however, will take time to develop and then survive the inevitable industry lawsuits so it is, at best, years away.
The other big thing that the FDA did was to extent the already generous amount of time that it had given e-cigarette companies to comply with the law, pushing the compliance date out 4 years, to 2022. This means that e-cigarettes will remain the Wild West, at least from a federal perspective.
July 31, 2017
It is gratifying that the national organizations appreciate the importance of the San Francisco flavor ordinance, which because even more importtant last Friday in the face of the FDA abrogation on e-cigarettes.
CONTACT:
Steph McCorkle
American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network
916 802-4033 [email protected]
Tobacco Industry: New Face, Same Dirty Tricks
San Franciscans Too Smart to Fall for Big Tobacco’s Shameful Tactics
San Francisco, CA – July 31, 2017— Leading health organizations and community groups expressed outrage today over Big Tobacco’s desperate plan to woo and mislead San Francisco voters into rolling back vital new public health laws aimed at reducing smoking. The tobacco industry, including e-cigarette makers, is shamelessly using the referendum process to maximize profits while its customers suffer death and disease, and local taxpayers continue to foot the bill for tobacco-related illnesses.
Statement from Bob Gordon, co-chair of the San Francisco Tobacco-Free Coalition
July 30, 2017
We've gotten anecdotal reports of more smoking in TV shows, but a shocker from Truth Initiative® reports that all but one of this year's drama or comedy series nominated for Emmy Award nominees feature smoking.
High-schooler Steve Harrington (Joe Keery) smokes in Netflix' Stranger Things. The series also includes Camel cigarettes.
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Here's a list of shows from Truth. We've added the names of production companies and identied their production locations, which award large public subsidies.*
Better Call Saul | New Mexico | Gran Via, Sony Pictures | Distributor: AMC Networks
The Crown | UK, S. Africa | Left Bank, Sony Pictures | Distributor: Netflix
The Handmaid's Tale | Ontario, Canada | MGM | Distributor: Hulu
House of Cards | Maryland | Media Rights Capital | Distributor: Netflix