Bill Godshall: Help Stop FDA from Stopping Cigarette Alternatives NOW!

Please urge the FDA to approve Modified Risk Tobacco Product applications (per Section 911 of the FSPTCA) for smokefree tobacco products to truthfully inform smokers that they are far less hazardous alternatives to cigarettes. Public comment deadline is tomorrow, Friday, Sept 23.

To submit a comment, please see
http://www.fda.gov/TobaccoProducts/NewsEvents/ucm259201.htm
then go to

http://www.regulations.gov/#!documentDetail;D=FDA-2011-N-0443-0001
and click on the “submit your comment” icon.

Yesterday, Stan Glantz submitted a comment urging FDA to reject MRTP applications (including for smokeless tobacco products to truthfully claim they are less hazardous than cigarettes) because of misleading claims made by cigarette companies several decades ago (about the health risks of low tar/light cigarettes even though NCI, ACS and other health agencies and groups had made similarly misleading claims about low tar and light cigarettes).

To prevent smokers from reducing cigarette consumption and health risks and from being truthfully informed that smokeless tobacco products are far less hazardous than cigarettes, Glantz also urged the FDA to reject any MRTP application for a smokeless product if that product shares the same brand name as a cigarette (e.g. Camel, Marlboro).

Glantz cited his junk science article that grossly exaggerated the known health risks of snus and dual usage of snus by cigarette smokers (as they transition from cigarettes to snus) to falsely claim that public health would be further harmed if smokers were truthully informed that snus is less hazardous than cigarettes.

The full text of Stan Glantz’ comments to FDA are posted at:

https://tobacco.ucsf.edu/submission-fda-docket-scientific-evaluation-modified-risk-tobacco-product-applications

Public comment deadline is tomorrow, Friday, Sept 23.

Please urge the FDA to “approve all MRTP applications by smokefreee tobacco products to truthfully inform smokers that the product is a far less hazardous alternative to cigarettes.”

Also, please urge the FDA to “not require smokefree tobacco product manufacturers to conduct expensive studies on their truthful claim’s impact on nonusers of tobacco products because the enormous health benefits that have accrued to the several million smokers who already switched to smokeless tobacco (and to the estimated million smokers who switched to e-cigarettes) have already offset any potential health risk increase even if every non-tobacco-user in America began using these smokefree tobacco products (because smokefree tobacco products are at least 99% less hazardous than cigarettes).”

Please note that Section 911 of the FSPTCA (i.e MRTP provisions) currently only applies to cigarettes, cigarette tobacco, RYO and smokeless tobacco products, but the FDA has stated its intent to propose a regulation to apply Chapter IX of the FSPTCA (including Sec. 911) to e-cigarettes, e-liquid, at least several dissolvable tobacco products and other unregulated tobacco products.

To view the archived webcast of August 25/26 FDA MRTP workshop, go to
http://www.fda.gov/TobaccoProducts/NewsEvents/ucm259201.htm#Archived_Webcast
Of the five webcasts, the second one (Aug 25, 9:30-12) contains presentatations by many harm reduction advocates.

Also, my presentation is at:
http://www.casaa.org/news/article.asp?articleID=195&l=a&p=
Scott Ballin’s slide show is at:
http://www.e-cigarette-forum.com/forum/legislation-news/216496-fda-host-modified-risk-tobacco-product-workshop-dc-aug-25-26-free-registration-still-being-accepted-6.html#post4011712
CRE’s Jim Tozzi’s presentation is at:
http://www.thecre.com/tpsac/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/ModifiedRiskTPsJJTtestimony.pdf
CASAA’s Elaine Keller’s presentation is at:
http://www.casaa.org/files/CASAA_Modified_Risk_2011_08_25.pdf
Lars Ramstrom’s presentation on Swedish snus is at:
http://www.casaa.org/files/Ramstrom-presentation-FDA-Workshop.pdf
ACSH’s Gil Ross’s slides are at:
http://www.e-cigarette-forum.com/forum/legislation-news/216496-fda-host-modified-risk-tobacco-product-workshop-dc-aug-25-26-free-registration-still-being-accepted-7.html#post4018765

From the front lines,

Bill Godshall
Executive Director

Smokefree Pennsylvania
1926 Monongahela Avenue
Pittsburgh, PA 15218
412-351-5880
FAX 412-351-5881
smokefree@compuserve.com