Notwithstanding a law that directs the FDA Tobacco Advisory Committee to review the health effects of counterfeit tobacco, the Tobacco Advisory Committee continues to ignore the law. In response to this dereliction of duty, the Center for Regulatory Effectiveness sent the following email to the FDA and its Advisory Committee.
It should be noted that when FDA regulates tobacco it is imperative that it not be able to pick and choose at will which studies are to be considered and those which are to be ignored; it must examine the totality of the record. It is difficult to understand why an agency charged with protecting public health would not want to examine the health effects of counterfeit cigarettes which are recognized throughout the world as having a demonstrable record of extremely adverse health impacts.
From: Jim Tozzi
To: TPSAC
Cc: Peggy Hamburg ; Corinne Husten ; Lawrence Deyton
Sent: Saturday, February 12, 2011 12:58 AM
Subject: Data Submission Per the TPSAC Chair
TPSAC:
Dr. Samet stated that February 15 is the date by which TPSAC must receive information from the public in order that it be considered for inclusion in its forthcoming report.
CRE is presenting three documents all of which demonstrate that contraband cigarettes pose a serious health problem and that TPSAC is required by statute to address this issue in its study of menthol.
Jim Tozzi
Center for Regulatory Effectiveness
I love my cigarettes an dnt feel it fair 2 da smokers who pay taxes on everything the government wants now they takeing methol cigarettes off the shelf as americans that pays taxes we should protest to the FDA. We the tax payers will rise against this selfish act of takeing menthol cigarettes off the market
At what point does the TPSAC address the health effectis of the “Fire Safe Cigarette” laws being passed in state after state? There was absolutely no testing done to determine that these would not have a negative impact on the health of the smoker.
Fire Safe Cigarettes go out if the smoker doesn’t keep puffing.
Many of the people who switched to “electronic cigarettes” that deliver vaporized nicotine did so because fire safe cigarettes cause headaches and nausea. There have been reports of people being burned due to flare-ups when the cigarette is relit.
In addition to the immediate effects, it is very likely that in the long term there will be an increase in lung disease due to smokers puffing more often than they used to just to keep their cigarettes lit.
Also concerning the “fire safe” cigarettes, many people I’ve spoken to never had any health problems until they had to smoke the FSCs. They then developed extreme coughs, nausea, headaches and other problems. No testing was performed to determine if there would be any health effects. It seems that the FDA and the anti-tobacco activists have absolutely no concern for smokers, other than they must either quit, or die.
Regarding the fire safe cigarettes … I had never had any problems with high blood pressure until after I started having to use those fire safe cigarettes all the time. After that I started having a constant cough, sore throat, headaches and an increasing blood pressure. Then this time last year my blood pressure went out of control completely and caused a mild heart attack. I ended up on 2 different blood pressure meds to just to keep my pressure 200/100 but it still remained in the high category.
In July of last year I started using the e-cig. 4 months after beginning to use the e-cig, my blood pressure was down in the normal range and my doctor took me off of both of the blood pressure meds I had been on. The cough, sore throat and headaches are gone as well. Outside of the residual smell that cigarette smoking left on me, I used to actually enjoy smoking until the fire safe cigarettes were made mandetory.
My partner and I have been using e-cigs for just over a month now. My partner has never had any intention to stop smoking but now prefers to use his ecig and has given up ordinary cigarettes completely and without any difficulty . We have literally just got back from the hospital where the consultant has been very encouraging of his switch to electronic smoking and his blood pressure was tested as normal for the first time in 15 years. We do not want to stop enjoying the effects of nicotene or vaping and are NOT using this product as some form of therapy to quit smoking. We choose to vape because we enjoy it and are also pleased to be saving money and feeling much healthier.
I have found in the last few weeks that the cigarettes are burning up just like the old days. What happened to the new regulations requiring cigarettes to self extinguish?
Pat McMahon 781-329-5017
The self -extinguishing cigarettes lasted a few months. Now they continue to burn and roll off the ash tray. Short lived safety net. Too bad.