A guidance providing information on the Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act’s (Public Law No. 111-31, ¶2006) requirements related to the prohibited use of "light," "mild," "low," or similar descriptors in the label, labeling, or advertising of tobacco products was published by the FDA.
Titled " Use of ‘Light,’ ‘Mild,’ ‘Low,’ or Similar Descriptors in the Label, Labeling, or Advertising of Tobacco Products," the document discusses how manufacturers may not manufacture for sale or distribution any tobacco products for which the label, labeling, or advertising contains the above descriptors.
Marlboro Lights is now Marlboro Gold Pack.
The guidance also clarifies that products with these descriptors that were manufactured before June 22, 2010, and introduced into commerce before July 22, 2010, may still be distributed or sold.
Monday, June 28, 2010
Wednesday, June 23, 2010
What Have They Been Smoking?
Jeffrey Wigand became one of the most famous whistleblowers of all time after he revealed the tobacco industry's darkest secrets starting in 1994. He is the former Brown & Williamson Vice President and scientist portrayed by Russell Crowe in the 1999 movie "The Insider".
Speaking this week in New Zealand, among other topics Dr. Wigand discussed nicotine manipulation and the little-known discovery that cigarette companies add an ingredient common in floor and toilet bowl cleaners, ammonia, to cigarettes to get more nicotine to the smoker's brain faster after lighting up.
Industry documents reveal that cigarette companies add ammonia to cigarettes to freebase nicotine, which gives the smoker a faster and more intense nicotine "kick." In the mid-1970s, R.J. Reynolds (RJR) the makers of Camel and Winston brands, noticed that sales of their competitor's brands, and especially Philip Morris's flagship brand Marlboro, were suddenly skyrocketing compared to their brands. Determined to find out why RJR's brands were doing so poorly compared to the others, RJR chemically "deconstructed" Marlboro cigarettes to find out just how they were different.
Freebasing Nicotine
By 1973, their research revealed the secret. RJR found that Philip Morris had made a "deliberate and controlled" chemical change in the smoke of their cigarettes. They started altering the pH, or acid/base balance, of smoke by adding ammonia to the tobacco. This make the smoke more alkaline. In a more alkaline environment, more nicotine "...occurs in 'free' form, which is volatile, rapidly absorbed by the smoker, and believed to be instantly perceived as nicotine 'kick'," according to RJR.
Adding ammonia to achieve this chemical reaction is called "freebasing." It's the same process comedian Richard Pryor was using 1980 when he set himself on fire while trying to freebase cocaine. It's also the exact same process that turns cocaine into crack. In the tobacco industry's case, though, it's done on a vast commercial scale.
After cigarette companies discovered that freebasing nicotine led to a sharp and sustained increase in cigarette sales, it became state-of-the art cigarette technology. It's also one of the chemical adjustments made to commercial cigarettes over the years that made smoking more difficult to quit, because it heightens the addiction to nicotine.
The Secret is in the Chemical Engineering
Cigarettes have undergone decades of chemical and design R&D to enhance their drug-related pleasurable aspects and ease of use. The modern cigarette contains smoke smootheners, humectants, burn accelerants (in the paper), sweeteners and other chemicals to make them more palatable and less irritating. They are arguably the most highly engineered and studied product in history. Neither cocaine, methamphetamine or heroin have been subjected to so many decades of intense, corporate-funded scientific research and development. Those illicit drugs are hard enough to quit, but imagine if a commercial corporate structure depended on them for profit, how much more enhanced those drugs would be as well.
Unfortunately, nothing in the new FDA tobacco law forces tobacco companies to nothing to stop freebasing nicotine in commercial cigarettes. Dr. Wigand's talk in New Zealand offers one more opportunity to remind people that despite the landmark legislation signed in 2009, it is still business-as-usual for the tobacco companies, and will be for some time to come. After all, Philip Morris only agreed to the legislation because they knew it would do little if anything to truly impact cigarette use in this country. For public health as well, everything remains status quo, including the hiding of ingredients and their purposes, from the public. For smokers, the only defense remains to become more knowledgeable about the product you use so frequently, and the people who make it.
Speaking this week in New Zealand, among other topics Dr. Wigand discussed nicotine manipulation and the little-known discovery that cigarette companies add an ingredient common in floor and toilet bowl cleaners, ammonia, to cigarettes to get more nicotine to the smoker's brain faster after lighting up.
Industry documents reveal that cigarette companies add ammonia to cigarettes to freebase nicotine, which gives the smoker a faster and more intense nicotine "kick." In the mid-1970s, R.J. Reynolds (RJR) the makers of Camel and Winston brands, noticed that sales of their competitor's brands, and especially Philip Morris's flagship brand Marlboro, were suddenly skyrocketing compared to their brands. Determined to find out why RJR's brands were doing so poorly compared to the others, RJR chemically "deconstructed" Marlboro cigarettes to find out just how they were different.
Freebasing Nicotine
By 1973, their research revealed the secret. RJR found that Philip Morris had made a "deliberate and controlled" chemical change in the smoke of their cigarettes. They started altering the pH, or acid/base balance, of smoke by adding ammonia to the tobacco. This make the smoke more alkaline. In a more alkaline environment, more nicotine "...occurs in 'free' form, which is volatile, rapidly absorbed by the smoker, and believed to be instantly perceived as nicotine 'kick'," according to RJR.
Adding ammonia to achieve this chemical reaction is called "freebasing." It's the same process comedian Richard Pryor was using 1980 when he set himself on fire while trying to freebase cocaine. It's also the exact same process that turns cocaine into crack. In the tobacco industry's case, though, it's done on a vast commercial scale.
After cigarette companies discovered that freebasing nicotine led to a sharp and sustained increase in cigarette sales, it became state-of-the art cigarette technology. It's also one of the chemical adjustments made to commercial cigarettes over the years that made smoking more difficult to quit, because it heightens the addiction to nicotine.
The Secret is in the Chemical Engineering
Cigarettes have undergone decades of chemical and design R&D to enhance their drug-related pleasurable aspects and ease of use. The modern cigarette contains smoke smootheners, humectants, burn accelerants (in the paper), sweeteners and other chemicals to make them more palatable and less irritating. They are arguably the most highly engineered and studied product in history. Neither cocaine, methamphetamine or heroin have been subjected to so many decades of intense, corporate-funded scientific research and development. Those illicit drugs are hard enough to quit, but imagine if a commercial corporate structure depended on them for profit, how much more enhanced those drugs would be as well.
Unfortunately, nothing in the new FDA tobacco law forces tobacco companies to nothing to stop freebasing nicotine in commercial cigarettes. Dr. Wigand's talk in New Zealand offers one more opportunity to remind people that despite the landmark legislation signed in 2009, it is still business-as-usual for the tobacco companies, and will be for some time to come. After all, Philip Morris only agreed to the legislation because they knew it would do little if anything to truly impact cigarette use in this country. For public health as well, everything remains status quo, including the hiding of ingredients and their purposes, from the public. For smokers, the only defense remains to become more knowledgeable about the product you use so frequently, and the people who make it.
Monday, June 21, 2010
Montreal police arrest 17 in tobacco ring
Canadian police said they arrested 17 suspects in a ring selling contraband cigars and cigarillos.
Police conducted 52 raids Wednesday in Montreal and several other locations and exposed a group that allegedly has criminally bypassed Quebec tax laws covering cigars and cigarillos, the Montreal Gazette reported.
Two rings, working together, exploited the more-relaxed labeling requirements on the products and have made large profits illegally, Montreal Police Cmdr. Yves Miron, said.
The suspects diverted approximately $5.2 million a year of tobacco taxes from the Quebec government, Miron said.
The tobacco products were being sold at full retail price, apparently for several years, Miron said.
The suspects face charges including fraud exceeding $5,000, conspiracy and possession of counterfeit tobacco stamps, the Gazette said.
Inspector Bernard Lamothe of Montreal's organized crime unit said the raids are the first police crackdown on contraband cigarillos or cigars in Montreal history. He said the operation didn't connect the suspects with conventional organized crime groups.
Police conducted 52 raids Wednesday in Montreal and several other locations and exposed a group that allegedly has criminally bypassed Quebec tax laws covering cigars and cigarillos, the Montreal Gazette reported.
Two rings, working together, exploited the more-relaxed labeling requirements on the products and have made large profits illegally, Montreal Police Cmdr. Yves Miron, said.
The suspects diverted approximately $5.2 million a year of tobacco taxes from the Quebec government, Miron said.
The tobacco products were being sold at full retail price, apparently for several years, Miron said.
The suspects face charges including fraud exceeding $5,000, conspiracy and possession of counterfeit tobacco stamps, the Gazette said.
Inspector Bernard Lamothe of Montreal's organized crime unit said the raids are the first police crackdown on contraband cigarillos or cigars in Montreal history. He said the operation didn't connect the suspects with conventional organized crime groups.
Friday, June 18, 2010
San Francisco Loses Round in Suit Over Ban on Drugstore Tobacco Sales
A San Francisco ordinance prohibiting tobacco sales in drugstores could violate the equal protection clauses of the state and federal constitutions, a state appeal court ruled Tuesday.
The unanimous decision by San Francisco's 1st District Court of Appeal reverses a demurrer in the city's favor and lets Walgreen Co. go ahead with a suit challenging the controversial ordinance
"Should Walgreens ultimately prevail on its equal protection causes of action," Administrative Presiding Justice William McGuiness wrote in the 33-page ruling, "the court will be required to determine whether the appropriate remedy is to preclude enforcement of the entire ordinance or to invalidate only the exceptions contained in" San Francisco's health codes.
The San Francisco law outlaws the sale of tobacco products in drugstores, but exempts supermarkets, such as Safeway, and big-box stores, such as Costco, that contain pharmacies.
The appeal court said the disparate treatment of various types of stores might not be "rationally related" to a legitimate legislative end. The justices rejected the city's arguments that tobacco sales by pharmacies send a stronger message of acceptance than by other stores.
"There is no plausible reason to believe," McGuiness wrote, "that members of the public place any greater reliance on implicit advice regarding the healthfulness of tobacco products conveyed by counter clerks, the corporate structure or the product mix of a Walgreens than of a Safeway or Costco."
Justices Stuart Pollak and Martin Jenkins concurred.
The unanimous decision by San Francisco's 1st District Court of Appeal reverses a demurrer in the city's favor and lets Walgreen Co. go ahead with a suit challenging the controversial ordinance
"Should Walgreens ultimately prevail on its equal protection causes of action," Administrative Presiding Justice William McGuiness wrote in the 33-page ruling, "the court will be required to determine whether the appropriate remedy is to preclude enforcement of the entire ordinance or to invalidate only the exceptions contained in" San Francisco's health codes.
The San Francisco law outlaws the sale of tobacco products in drugstores, but exempts supermarkets, such as Safeway, and big-box stores, such as Costco, that contain pharmacies.
The appeal court said the disparate treatment of various types of stores might not be "rationally related" to a legitimate legislative end. The justices rejected the city's arguments that tobacco sales by pharmacies send a stronger message of acceptance than by other stores.
"There is no plausible reason to believe," McGuiness wrote, "that members of the public place any greater reliance on implicit advice regarding the healthfulness of tobacco products conveyed by counter clerks, the corporate structure or the product mix of a Walgreens than of a Safeway or Costco."
Justices Stuart Pollak and Martin Jenkins concurred.
Tuesday, June 15, 2010
Electronic Cigarette Smokers Are Smoking Less Even Stopping Nicotine Altogether
Smoke Power Inc, ask there clients recently about there smoking habits with the new Smoke Power Pro. The response is surprising considering all the hoopla about Nicotine Addiction and the ever rising concern in regards to electronic cigarettes being addictive.
But when discussed with users about how this product helps them its clear electronic cigarettes are helping people quit tobacco and nicotine altogether.
One customer reported about her horrible addiction to tobacco cigarettes for over 25 years and how sick she was until she started smoking her e-cig. Doris has been fighting chronic bronchitis for a very long time and her doctor recommended that she quit with a pill. She tried that and it make her depressed and had really bad side effects. So many failed tries to just cut down or find something that actually works.
The day she started her electronic cigarette she noticed how much better she felt. She immediately noticed how it was the first thing that might actually work for her. After a months now she reported. "I smoke no tobacco cigarettes now. I still smoke my electronic cigarette but I smoke allot less than I did with tobacco cigarettes"! She also said she doesn't need nicotine as much anymore. She said it helped her cut down her nicotine intake and now she is just smoking no nicotine cartridges. She just loves the flavor. She also mentioned, "Sometimes I go a full day before I smoke my Smoke Power Pro.. I just don't need to smoke all the time now". Doris reported that her doctor is amazed by her progress and she is now healthier and more active.
But when discussed with users about how this product helps them its clear electronic cigarettes are helping people quit tobacco and nicotine altogether.
One customer reported about her horrible addiction to tobacco cigarettes for over 25 years and how sick she was until she started smoking her e-cig. Doris has been fighting chronic bronchitis for a very long time and her doctor recommended that she quit with a pill. She tried that and it make her depressed and had really bad side effects. So many failed tries to just cut down or find something that actually works.
The day she started her electronic cigarette she noticed how much better she felt. She immediately noticed how it was the first thing that might actually work for her. After a months now she reported. "I smoke no tobacco cigarettes now. I still smoke my electronic cigarette but I smoke allot less than I did with tobacco cigarettes"! She also said she doesn't need nicotine as much anymore. She said it helped her cut down her nicotine intake and now she is just smoking no nicotine cartridges. She just loves the flavor. She also mentioned, "Sometimes I go a full day before I smoke my Smoke Power Pro.. I just don't need to smoke all the time now". Doris reported that her doctor is amazed by her progress and she is now healthier and more active.
Friday, June 4, 2010
Survey: Oklahoma High School Students Smoking Less, Moving More
Risky health behaviors in Oklahoma's youth are decreasing in some key areas, according to the Oklahoma State Department of Health announced Thursday.
The following information is from the 2009 Youth Risk Behavior Survey developed by the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and conducted statewide in 2009.
Among the positive findings: a decline in students trying cigarette smoking and a decrease in methamphetamine and marijuana usage.
The YRBS measures self-reported risk-taking behaviors among high-school age adolescents to monitor those behaviors that contribute to the leading causes of death, disability and major social problems, and increased health care costs among adolescents in the U.S.
About 1,400 high school students from 42 public schools answered the survey in 2009. The survey was also given in 2003, 2005 and 2007.
Positive findings:
• The 2009 results indicate 48.8 percent of students had ever tried cigarette smoking, down from 64.1 percent in 2003. The percentage of students who smoked a whole cigarette before the age of 13 decreased significantly from 23.7 percent in 2003 to 11.5 percent in 2009. In addition, the percentage of students who smoked on a daily basis decreased from 17.5 percent in 2003 to 13.3 percent in 2009.
• Also promising was a decrease in methamphetamine and marijuana use. The percentage of students who used methamphetamines one or more times during their life was 4.8 percent in 2009, down from 9.9 percent in 2003. The percentage of students who had used marijuana one or more times during their life decreased from 42.5 percent in 2003 to 31.9 percent in 2009.
• The percent of students who were physically active for a total of at least 60 minutes per day on five or more of the seven days before the survey increased from 38.2 percent in 2005 to 47.4 percent in 2009. Students also spent less time watching television. In 2009, 29.0 percent of students reported watching television three or more hours a day, down from 36.7 percent in 2003.
Not all trends were positive. Negative findings included:
• Among students who had sexual intercourse during the three months before the survey, 56.7 percent reported using a condom during last sexual intercourse, which was a decrease from 64.3 percent in 2003.
• Regarding dietary behaviors, the percentage of students who ate a green salad one or more times during the seven days before the survey decreased from 66.4 percent in 2003 to 56.6 percent in 2009.
The following information is from the 2009 Youth Risk Behavior Survey developed by the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and conducted statewide in 2009.
Among the positive findings: a decline in students trying cigarette smoking and a decrease in methamphetamine and marijuana usage.
The YRBS measures self-reported risk-taking behaviors among high-school age adolescents to monitor those behaviors that contribute to the leading causes of death, disability and major social problems, and increased health care costs among adolescents in the U.S.
About 1,400 high school students from 42 public schools answered the survey in 2009. The survey was also given in 2003, 2005 and 2007.
Positive findings:
• The 2009 results indicate 48.8 percent of students had ever tried cigarette smoking, down from 64.1 percent in 2003. The percentage of students who smoked a whole cigarette before the age of 13 decreased significantly from 23.7 percent in 2003 to 11.5 percent in 2009. In addition, the percentage of students who smoked on a daily basis decreased from 17.5 percent in 2003 to 13.3 percent in 2009.
• Also promising was a decrease in methamphetamine and marijuana use. The percentage of students who used methamphetamines one or more times during their life was 4.8 percent in 2009, down from 9.9 percent in 2003. The percentage of students who had used marijuana one or more times during their life decreased from 42.5 percent in 2003 to 31.9 percent in 2009.
• The percent of students who were physically active for a total of at least 60 minutes per day on five or more of the seven days before the survey increased from 38.2 percent in 2005 to 47.4 percent in 2009. Students also spent less time watching television. In 2009, 29.0 percent of students reported watching television three or more hours a day, down from 36.7 percent in 2003.
Not all trends were positive. Negative findings included:
• Among students who had sexual intercourse during the three months before the survey, 56.7 percent reported using a condom during last sexual intercourse, which was a decrease from 64.3 percent in 2003.
• Regarding dietary behaviors, the percentage of students who ate a green salad one or more times during the seven days before the survey decreased from 66.4 percent in 2003 to 56.6 percent in 2009.
Thursday, June 3, 2010
'8% girls under 15 consume tobacco'
n India, 8.3% of girls in the 13-15 age groups consume some form of tobacco, according to the first Global Youth Tobacco Survey (GYTS) report. Experts say that the data is indicative of the trend of an increasing number of women using tobacco products. In an attempt to accurately ascertain the use of tobacco products in the country, the Union health ministry along with WHO has conducted the first Global Adult Tobacco Survey (GATS).
"Regarding the use of tobacco in the country we just have National Family Health Survey (NFHS) data. This is the first survey in the country which will accurately tell us about the use of tobacco in different socio-economic strata," Dr Jagdish Kaur, chief medical officer of DGHS in the ministry of health, said. Under the GATS project, 72,000 people were surveyed in 29 states.
"With the help of WHO, we collected data. This time we used a special handheld device which was connected to out masterserver. So, all data collection was directly uploaded to the server. This helped us in expediting the data collection process," Dr Kaur said. The project was sanctioned by the ministry last year with an objective of identifying areas where tobacco use is high. "We had a set of 75 questions. Once the report is compiled, we will have a lot of information based on several parameters," Dr Kaur said.
As for tobacco use among women in India, experts say that there has definitely been a rise in the cases. Women comprise nearly 20% of the world's more than 1 billion smokers. "The global report on tobacco use is indicative of the increase in the use of tobacco among women in India. It is a percentage by which it has gone up," Vineet Gill, national programme officer of Tobacco Free Initiative, WHO India, said.
The vast majority of women who consume tobacco use smokeless tobacco (gutka, paan masala with tobacco, mishri, gul) and it varies considerably across states with prevalence rates ranging from 1% and 60%. The GATS report is likely to be released in June this year.
"Regarding the use of tobacco in the country we just have National Family Health Survey (NFHS) data. This is the first survey in the country which will accurately tell us about the use of tobacco in different socio-economic strata," Dr Jagdish Kaur, chief medical officer of DGHS in the ministry of health, said. Under the GATS project, 72,000 people were surveyed in 29 states.
"With the help of WHO, we collected data. This time we used a special handheld device which was connected to out masterserver. So, all data collection was directly uploaded to the server. This helped us in expediting the data collection process," Dr Kaur said. The project was sanctioned by the ministry last year with an objective of identifying areas where tobacco use is high. "We had a set of 75 questions. Once the report is compiled, we will have a lot of information based on several parameters," Dr Kaur said.
As for tobacco use among women in India, experts say that there has definitely been a rise in the cases. Women comprise nearly 20% of the world's more than 1 billion smokers. "The global report on tobacco use is indicative of the increase in the use of tobacco among women in India. It is a percentage by which it has gone up," Vineet Gill, national programme officer of Tobacco Free Initiative, WHO India, said.
The vast majority of women who consume tobacco use smokeless tobacco (gutka, paan masala with tobacco, mishri, gul) and it varies considerably across states with prevalence rates ranging from 1% and 60%. The GATS report is likely to be released in June this year.
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