In an attempt to disgorge the CRE conclusion that existing studies demonstrate that menthol has no impact on smoking initiation/cessation, proponents of a menthol ban are in a rush to publicize studies to the contrary, however meritorious.
Examples include the eleven reviews of the literature commissioned by the FDA, the midnight publication of a special edition of Addiction as well as the recent barrage of studies submitted to TPSAC by TPSAC members and the FDA and so posted as meeting materials for its January 10 and 11 meetings.
Published: Dec. 23, 2010 at 12:56 AM
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa., Dec. 23 (UPI) — Menthol cigarettes may be harder to quit — especially for teens and African-Americans — a team of U.S. researchers concluded.
Study author Jonathan Foulds of the Pennsylvania State College of Medicine and colleagues say menthol is a compound extracted from mint oils or produced synthetically that activates cold-sensitive neurons in the nervous system. Menthol cigarettes make up about 25 percent of the cigarette market but are preferred by certain subgroups of smokers, including half of teen smokers and 80 percent of African-American smokers.
December 21, 2010 marks the tenth anniversary of the Data Quality Act (DQA), also known as the Information Quality Act, 44 U.S.C § 3516, note.
The DQA has deep roots developed over nearly a half-century as the result of a seed planted during the Johnson Administration which germinated in the Nixon Administration, was watered by the Carter Administration and whose product was harvested by the Reagan Administration, made available to the public in the Bush I Administration and subsequently enhanced by the Clinton Administration and promoted by the Bush II and Obama Administrations. See: http://thecre.com/ombpapers/SystemsAnalysisGroup.htm and http://thecre.com/quality/20010924_fedinfotriangle.html
CRE continues to review reports identified by FDA in the menthol proceeding.
CRE has previously completed analyses of several other studies and the results are published in this Forum.
Attached hereto is the CRE analysis of the following study: “Nicotine dependence and quitting behaviors among menthol and non-menthol smokers with similar consumptive patterns” By: Pebbles Fagan, Eric T. Moolchan, Alton Hart, Jr., Allison Rose, Deirdre Lawrence, Vicki L. Shavers, & James Todd Gibson
CRE has completed its review of:
Do the Majority of Asian-American and African-American Smokers Start as Adults? ”
By
Dennis R Trinidad, Elizabeth A Gilpin, Lora Lee, John P Pierce
Although the study concluded that significant ethnic disparities exist in relation to when people start smoking, with the majority of Asians/Pacific Islanders (A/PI) and African Americans (AA) initiating as young adults, CRE believes that a very serious shortcoming of the study is that the authors failed to conduct any analyses to determine the reasons for different start ages among ethnic groups. Family and cultural considerations could play a determinant role.
