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USA / World News:
U.S. FDA panel weighs menthol cigarette effects
| Mar 30, 2010 | U.S. FDA panel weighs menthol cigarette effects | Reuters | by Lisa Richwine |
- Future of menthol cigarettes under review
- Advisory panel report due in a year
- Lorillard says menthol risks same as regular cigarettes
WASHINGTON, March 30 (Reuters) - U.S. advisers heard evidence on the effects
of menthol cigarettes on Tuesday as they began a year-long review of the popular
but controversial flavoring under the government's new tobacco powers.
Smoked by about 19 million Americans, minty menthol cigarettes are under attack
from health advocates who say the taste can be more enticing and possibly
addicting than regular cigarettes.
At the start of a two-day public meeting, a committee of outside experts that
advises the Food and Drug Administration began hearing data on menthol's
impact on smokers' use and health. The panel is due to issue a report by March
2011.
Menthols account for more than a quarter of cigarette sales and are a top choice among black smokers. A U.S. government survey
showed 83 percent of adult black smokers chose menthol, compared with 23 percent of whites.
FDA scientists presented findings to the panel from data stretching back decades in some cases on the health effects, marketing
and use of menthol cigarettes.
A key question for the panel is whether menthol lures children or others to pick up a smoking habit more than regular cigarettes.
Anti-smoking activists say menthol's mild anesthetic property masks the harshness of tobacco, making it easier to start smoking and
harder to quit.
Dr. Joshua Rising, an FDA scientist, said research showed menthol was a more likely choice for younger people just starting to
smoke compared with others who had been smoking for at least a year. But limited data "do not suggest that menthol cigarettes are
associated with an earlier age of initiation," he said.
The FDA could eventually ban or phase out menthol cigarettes, although some anti-smoking advocates and industry analysts are
skeptical that will happen. Stronger warnings also are a possibility.
"Clearly the issues won't all be easy," FDA Commissioner Margaret Hamburg told the panel, which also will tackle the use of
dissolvable tobacco products and other matters at future meetings. Tuesday's meeting was the panel's first.
Any government action against menthol could be a blow to Lorillard (LO.N), the nation's third-largest cigarette company and maker of
top-selling menthol brand Newport.
The 2009 law that gave the FDA oversight of tobacco products banned other cigarette flavors such as chocolate, clove and fruit that
could lure children. But Congress exempted menthol, the most popular flavoring with about 27 percent of the cigarette market, and
instead called for an FDA review.
Dr. Jonathan Samet, the chairman of the FDA panel, said the advisers "got a first glimpse" of the available research and face the
challenge of determining "which of these studies are relevant to the current questions."
Officials from the manufacturers were expected to speak to the panel on Wednesday. Altria Group Inc's (MO.N) Philip Morris unit
sells menthol versions of its Marlboro brand, while Reynolds American (RAI.N) markets menthol-flavored Camels.
Lorillard said in a statement there was no evidence menthol cigarettes were more addictive or harmful than others.
"The science is clear and compelling that there is no differing health risk between menthol and non-menthol products," Lorillard
Senior Vice President Bill True said.
Altria had no comment ahead of the company's presentation to the committee, spokesman William Phelps said.
Reynolds spokesman David Howard said the company would participate in the menthol review and "believed that collaboration and
open dialogue is the best approach."
The FDA advisory committee is a 12-member panel that includes three nonvoting industry representatives. A second panel meeting
is set for summer and will include an analysis of industry documents.
(Editing by Maureen Bavdek, Bernard Orr)
showed 83 percent of adult black smokers chose menthol, compared with 23 percent of whites.
FDA scientists presented findings to the panel from data stretching back decades in some cases on the health effects, marketing
and use of menthol cigarettes.
A key question for the panel is whether menthol lures children or others to pick up a smoking habit more than regular cigarettes.
Anti-smoking activists say menthol's mild anesthetic property masks the harshness of tobacco, making it easier to start smoking and
harder to quit.
Dr. Joshua Rising, an FDA scientist, said research showed menthol was a more likely choice for younger people just starting to
smoke compared with others who had been smoking for at least a year. But limited data "do not suggest that menthol cigarettes are
associated with an earlier age of initiation," he said.
The FDA could eventually ban or phase out menthol cigarettes, although some anti-smoking advocates and industry analysts are
skeptical that will happen. Stronger warnings also are a possibility.
"Clearly the issues won't all be easy," FDA Commissioner Margaret Hamburg told the panel, which also will tackle the use of
dissolvable tobacco products and other matters at future meetings. Tuesday's meeting was the panel's first.
Any government action against menthol could be a blow to Lorillard (LO.N), the nation's third-largest cigarette company and maker of
top-selling menthol brand Newport.
The 2009 law that gave the FDA oversight of tobacco products banned other cigarette flavors such as chocolate, clove and fruit that
could lure children. But Congress exempted menthol, the most popular flavoring with about 27 percent of the cigarette market, and
instead called for an FDA review.
Dr. Jonathan Samet, the chairman of the FDA panel, said the advisers "got a first glimpse" of the available research and face the
challenge of determining "which of these studies are relevant to the current questions."
Officials from the manufacturers were expected to speak to the panel on Wednesday. Altria Group Inc's (MO.N) Philip Morris unit
sells menthol versions of its Marlboro brand, while Reynolds American (RAI.N) markets menthol-flavored Camels.
Lorillard said in a statement there was no evidence menthol cigarettes were more addictive or harmful than others.
"The science is clear and compelling that there is no differing health risk between menthol and non-menthol products," Lorillard
Senior Vice President Bill True said.
Altria had no comment ahead of the company's presentation to the committee, spokesman William Phelps said.
Reynolds spokesman David Howard said the company would participate in the menthol review and "believed that collaboration and
open dialogue is the best approach."
The FDA advisory committee is a 12-member panel that includes three nonvoting industry representatives. A second panel meeting
is set for summer and will include an analysis of industry documents.
(Editing by Maureen Bavdek, Bernard Orr)
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More carcinogens in American cigarettes, the CDC says
| by Thomas H. Maugh II | Jun. 1, 2010 12:00 AM | Los Angeles Times |
Cigarette-smoking Americans receive higher doses of the most potent carcinogens than do smokers in many foreign countries
because of variations in the way tobacco is processed for cigarettes, researchers from the Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention reported Monday. American cigarettes are typically made from "American blend" tobacco, a specific blend that, because
of growing and curing practices, contains higher levels of cancer-causing tobacco-specific nitrosamines. The most popular
Canadian, Australian and British brands, in contrast, are made from "bright" tobacco, which is lighter in color and cured differently.
The study was designed primarily to correlate how well levels of the chemicals in cigarettes correlate with levels of their metabolites in
smokers' urine. The data about exposure to the chemicals in different countries were an added benefit. The CDC team enlisted 126
regular smokers in Australia, Canada, Britian and, in the U.S., in New York and Minesota. All smoked one brand routinely, typically
the most popular brands in their country. Smokers in Minnesota smoked Marlboro, Newport, Marlboro Light and Camel Light, while
those in New York smoked Marlboro, Newport, Newport Light, Camel Light and Marlboro Menthol.
The team focused on the most lethal carcinogen in the tobacco smoke, 4-(methylnitrosoamino)-1-(3-pyridyl)-1-butanone (NNK), and
its primary metabolite in urine, known informally as NNAL. They collected cigarette butts from each smoker over a 24-hour period
and analyzed them for the content of NNK, an indicator of how much of the carcinogen the smokers were exposed to. They also
collected urine and measured levels of NNAL. The team reported in the journal Cancer Epidemiology Biomarkers and Prevention
that the amount of NNAL in urine was directly related to the amount in the cigarette butts and that significantly higher levels were
found in U.S. smokers, with levels in New York higher than those in Minnesota. The lowest levels were found in Australia and
Canada, while the British smokers displayed intermediate levels.
"We know that cigarettes from around the world vary in their ingredients and the way they are produced," Dr. Jim Pirkle of CDC's
National Center for Environmental Health said in a statement. "All of these cigarettes contain harmful levels of carcinogens, but these
findings show that amounts of tobacco-specific nitrosamines differ from country to country, and U.S. brands are the highest in the
study." Changes in curing and blending practices could reduce U.S. smokers' exposure to this particular carcinogen, he added, but
that would not necessarily result in a safer product.
-- Thomas H. Maugh II
because of variations in the way tobacco is processed for cigarettes, researchers from the Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention reported Monday. American cigarettes are typically made from "American blend" tobacco, a specific blend that, because
of growing and curing practices, contains higher levels of cancer-causing tobacco-specific nitrosamines. The most popular
Canadian, Australian and British brands, in contrast, are made from "bright" tobacco, which is lighter in color and cured differently.
The study was designed primarily to correlate how well levels of the chemicals in cigarettes correlate with levels of their metabolites in
smokers' urine. The data about exposure to the chemicals in different countries were an added benefit. The CDC team enlisted 126
regular smokers in Australia, Canada, Britian and, in the U.S., in New York and Minesota. All smoked one brand routinely, typically
the most popular brands in their country. Smokers in Minnesota smoked Marlboro, Newport, Marlboro Light and Camel Light, while
those in New York smoked Marlboro, Newport, Newport Light, Camel Light and Marlboro Menthol.
The team focused on the most lethal carcinogen in the tobacco smoke, 4-(methylnitrosoamino)-1-(3-pyridyl)-1-butanone (NNK), and
its primary metabolite in urine, known informally as NNAL. They collected cigarette butts from each smoker over a 24-hour period
and analyzed them for the content of NNK, an indicator of how much of the carcinogen the smokers were exposed to. They also
collected urine and measured levels of NNAL. The team reported in the journal Cancer Epidemiology Biomarkers and Prevention
that the amount of NNAL in urine was directly related to the amount in the cigarette butts and that significantly higher levels were
found in U.S. smokers, with levels in New York higher than those in Minnesota. The lowest levels were found in Australia and
Canada, while the British smokers displayed intermediate levels.
"We know that cigarettes from around the world vary in their ingredients and the way they are produced," Dr. Jim Pirkle of CDC's
National Center for Environmental Health said in a statement. "All of these cigarettes contain harmful levels of carcinogens, but these
findings show that amounts of tobacco-specific nitrosamines differ from country to country, and U.S. brands are the highest in the
study." Changes in curing and blending practices could reduce U.S. smokers' exposure to this particular carcinogen, he added, but
that would not necessarily result in a safer product.
-- Thomas H. Maugh II
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Calendar | ACAS Officers | Health Pioneer Biographies | Tobacco Cessation | Health Links | Contact Us
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Smokefree Reports:
AF surgeon general issues warning about safety of electronic cigarettes
| The Official Website of the U.S. Airforce | Posted 8/20/2010 | Inside AF.mil |
8/20/2010 - WASHINGTON (AFNS) -- The Air Force surgeon
general has issued a memo alerting all Airmen about safety
concerns regarding electronic cigarettes, a new type of nicotine
product.
Also known as "e-cigs," electronic cigarettes are battery-operated
devices that look like conventional cigarettes. The e-cig contains
a cartridge filled with nicotine, which is delivered to the user as a
vapor. Water vapor is emitted from the end of the device to mimic
the appearance of smoke.
"Advertisements claim electronic cigarettes are a healthier way to
smoke, but one sample tested by the Food and Drug
Administration contained diethylene glycol, a toxic chemical used
in antifreeze," wrote Lt. Gen. (Dr.) Charles B. Green, the Air Force
surgeon general.
general has issued a memo alerting all Airmen about safety
concerns regarding electronic cigarettes, a new type of nicotine
product.
Also known as "e-cigs," electronic cigarettes are battery-operated
devices that look like conventional cigarettes. The e-cig contains
a cartridge filled with nicotine, which is delivered to the user as a
vapor. Water vapor is emitted from the end of the device to mimic
the appearance of smoke.
"Advertisements claim electronic cigarettes are a healthier way to
smoke, but one sample tested by the Food and Drug
Administration contained diethylene glycol, a toxic chemical used
in antifreeze," wrote Lt. Gen. (Dr.) Charles B. Green, the Air Force
surgeon general.
Other samples tested by the FDA contained cancer-causing agents, yet there are no health warnings on these products similar to
those seen on conventional cigarette packages, the memo states.
"Manufacturers offer cartridges with decreasing levels of nicotine, with the idea that they can be used to help someone quit smoking,"
Dr. Green wrote. "No studies have been done to demonstrate the safety or effectiveness of these products as tobacco cessation
aids, and they are not approved by the FDA as a drug delivery device. Commanders also need to be aware that the cartridges used
in these devices are replaceable and could be used to discreetly deliver substances other than nicotine."
The memo states that due to the nature, appearance and safety concerns of electronic cigarettes, they are considered to be in the
same category as tobacco products, the use of which is governed by Air Force Instruction 40-102, Tobacco Use in the Air Force.
This new product will be included in the upcoming revision of AFI 40-102 due out this fall.
those seen on conventional cigarette packages, the memo states.
"Manufacturers offer cartridges with decreasing levels of nicotine, with the idea that they can be used to help someone quit smoking,"
Dr. Green wrote. "No studies have been done to demonstrate the safety or effectiveness of these products as tobacco cessation
aids, and they are not approved by the FDA as a drug delivery device. Commanders also need to be aware that the cartridges used
in these devices are replaceable and could be used to discreetly deliver substances other than nicotine."
The memo states that due to the nature, appearance and safety concerns of electronic cigarettes, they are considered to be in the
same category as tobacco products, the use of which is governed by Air Force Instruction 40-102, Tobacco Use in the Air Force.
This new product will be included in the upcoming revision of AFI 40-102 due out this fall.
| Arizona Smoke-Free History | additional Secondhand Smoke Kills! coverage | |
Half a million die from smoking yearly in U.S.
MSNBC | Posted 04/01/11 | Posted by ACAS on 04/13/11
Smoking causes half a million deaths each year in the U.S., killing slightly more men than women, new statistics show. The rates of
smoking-related deaths in men were comparable to what's been found in other recent analyses. The numbers for the women,
however, were higher than expected. The study, published in the journal Epidemiology, is "an important reminder that this huge
epidemic...needs ongoing measurement," said Dr. Prabhat Jha, who studies smoking mortality and heads the Center for Global
Health Research at St. Michael's Hospital in Toronto. "We just can't assume that we know enough about where this epidemic is
going," Jha, who was not involved in the current study, told Reuters Health.
For the new report, Dr. Brian Rostron, then of the University of California, Berkeley, used data from a national health survey that
asked nearly 250,000 people if and how much they smoked currently and in the past. Participants were tracked for 2 to 9 years
after filling out the survey. By the time the study ended, in 2006, about 17,000 of them had died. Rostron, who now works at the
Food and Drug Administration, calculated the odds of dying for smokers and non-smokers of different ages and genders. Then he
applied the extra risks due to smoking to the total U.S. population. According to his calculations, there were an average of about
290,000 smoking-related deaths in men each year between 2002 and 2006 and 230,000 in women - a total of over half a million
deaths. In all, about 2.5 million people in the U.S. die every year, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Among all current and former smokers, the greatest increase in risk of a tobacco-related death was seen between the ages of 65
and 74. Once other factors such as weight and alcohol consumption were taken into account, people in that age group were three
times as likely to die from any cause if they currently smoked between one and two packs of cigarettes a day, compared to if they
had never smoked. As evidence of the risks of smoking has accumulated and spread, the number of current smokers in the U.S.
has dropped over the past few decades. A new study in The Journal of the American Medical Association confirms that trend: about
7 percent of adults in the U.S. were heavy smokers in 2007, compared to 23 percent in 1965. The researchers on that study, led by
Dr. John Pierce of the University of California, San Diego, defined "heavy smoking" as 20 or more cigarettes a day. Despite that
good news, Jha said the new estimates show the need for more information on how smoking affects women. "It might well be that in
women the effects are greater and more severe, but we need more evidence," he said. Jha added that while rates of smoking and
deaths from smoking have been falling over the long term in the U.S., they've been rising in low-income countries. Because of that,
"overall the number of smoking-related deaths worldwide is bound to increase," Jha said. Currently, there are about 5 to 6 million
smoking-related deaths each year worldwide, he said.
smoking-related deaths in men were comparable to what's been found in other recent analyses. The numbers for the women,
however, were higher than expected. The study, published in the journal Epidemiology, is "an important reminder that this huge
epidemic...needs ongoing measurement," said Dr. Prabhat Jha, who studies smoking mortality and heads the Center for Global
Health Research at St. Michael's Hospital in Toronto. "We just can't assume that we know enough about where this epidemic is
going," Jha, who was not involved in the current study, told Reuters Health.
For the new report, Dr. Brian Rostron, then of the University of California, Berkeley, used data from a national health survey that
asked nearly 250,000 people if and how much they smoked currently and in the past. Participants were tracked for 2 to 9 years
after filling out the survey. By the time the study ended, in 2006, about 17,000 of them had died. Rostron, who now works at the
Food and Drug Administration, calculated the odds of dying for smokers and non-smokers of different ages and genders. Then he
applied the extra risks due to smoking to the total U.S. population. According to his calculations, there were an average of about
290,000 smoking-related deaths in men each year between 2002 and 2006 and 230,000 in women - a total of over half a million
deaths. In all, about 2.5 million people in the U.S. die every year, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Among all current and former smokers, the greatest increase in risk of a tobacco-related death was seen between the ages of 65
and 74. Once other factors such as weight and alcohol consumption were taken into account, people in that age group were three
times as likely to die from any cause if they currently smoked between one and two packs of cigarettes a day, compared to if they
had never smoked. As evidence of the risks of smoking has accumulated and spread, the number of current smokers in the U.S.
has dropped over the past few decades. A new study in The Journal of the American Medical Association confirms that trend: about
7 percent of adults in the U.S. were heavy smokers in 2007, compared to 23 percent in 1965. The researchers on that study, led by
Dr. John Pierce of the University of California, San Diego, defined "heavy smoking" as 20 or more cigarettes a day. Despite that
good news, Jha said the new estimates show the need for more information on how smoking affects women. "It might well be that in
women the effects are greater and more severe, but we need more evidence," he said. Jha added that while rates of smoking and
deaths from smoking have been falling over the long term in the U.S., they've been rising in low-income countries. Because of that,
"overall the number of smoking-related deaths worldwide is bound to increase," Jha said. Currently, there are about 5 to 6 million
smoking-related deaths each year worldwide, he said.
| Thanks to : Karen Zielaski , Project Director | Healthy Policies | Office: (480) 970-9906 | Email: healthypolicies@earthlink.net |