FDA CTP & NIH News

A recent study in the American Journal of Public Health found that after CVS removed tobacco products from its stores, household- and population-level cigarette purchasing declined significantly. Rather than alter their purchasing habits, individuals who bought cigarettes exclusively at CVS were 38% more likely to stop buying cigarettes altogether. According to CVS Health chief medical officer, this study shows that CVS’s removal of tobacco products had a strong public health impact by disrupting access to cigarettes.

To read the full article, click here.

A recent study published in the New England Journal of Medicine estimated the number of adult and youth smokers in the United States between 2013 and 2014.

To read more on the study findings, click here.

A recent study published in Tobacco Control found that many users of Natural American Spirit (NAS) tobacco products, a brand marketed as “natural” and “additive free,” consider their brand to be safer to smoke than other brands. Using data from over 30,000 adult smokers who participated in a national study in 2013 and 2014, researchers found that 2.3% of smokers reported NAS as their usual brand and of those, nearly 64% believed their brand to be less harmful than others.

To read more on the study findings and implications, click here.

A new study suggests that seeing someone use an e-cigarette may increase one’s desire to smoke. The lab experiment, which randomly assigned young adult smokers (n=108) to interact with someone using either a traditional cigarette or vape pen, found that both scenarios resulted in an increased desire to smoke. Researchers note that the small sample size and lab setting limit their ability to know how seeing vaping devices would impact smoking urges among smokers in real life situations.

To read more on the study, click here.

British American Tobacco has reached an agreement to acquire the remaining 57.8% of Reynolds American that it did not already own for $49 billion. The deal is expected to close in the third quarter, pending shareholder and regulatory approval.

To read more the history of the companies and their agreement, click here.

The National Cancer Institute (NCI) of the National Institutes of Health, an agency of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services is pleased to announce the release of a report titled, "The Economics of Tobacco and Tobacco Control," which was developed in collaboration with the World Health Organization.

This report provides the first comprehensive review of the economics of global tobacco control efforts since the 2003 adoption and 2005 entry into force of the World Health Organization Framework Convention on Tobacco Control and presents extensive new evidence from low- and middle-income countries. The report discusses the current evidence base surrounding the economics of tobacco control and concludes that evidence-based tobacco control interventions make sense from an economic as well as a public health standpoint.

Download the Report and Executive Summary.

A recent study published in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine examined the science on e-cigarettes. Researchers reviewed nearly 700 peer-reviewed studies on e-cigarettes published between 2010 and May 2016. Findings from the review highlight a wide variation in products, an overall increase in e-cigarette use and the need for more research.

The FDA found four tobacco manufacturers – Swisher International, Inc., Cheyenne International LLC, Prime Time International Co. and Southern Cross Tobacco Company Inc. – to be in violation of the Tobacco Control Act by selling flavored cigarettes labelled as little cigars or cigars. Although labelled as little cigars or cigars, FDA found the products to meet the definition of cigarettes set forth in the Tobacco Control Act, because they are likely to be purchased as cigarettes based on their overall presentation, appearance, and packaging and labeling. FDA issued warning letters to the companies and requested a response within 15 working days of receiving the letter.

Read the full press release here.

Philip Morris filed the first application for U.S. approval to market a tobacco product as less harmful than combustible cigarettes. The application is for a new type of cigarette that heats rather than burns tobacco. According to Philip Morris, the vapor produced by heating tobacco has less than 10% of the harmful chemicals of combustible cigarette smoke. The device is currently sold without the reduced harm claim in several countries.

Read the full article here.

U.S. Surgeon General, Vivek H. Murthy, released a report calling the use of e-cigarettes among youth “a major public health concern,” and suggesting policymakers take strong action to keep the products out of the hands of the nation's young people, while research continues on its potential side effects

For more information, read the full article here.

America has reemerged as a tobacco industry hot spot. The increased interest in the U.S. is in part due to the U.S. having one of the world’s highest wage-to-cigarette price ratios, which enables the tobacco industry to pursue growth through pricing. This resurgence may prompt the remerger of Phillip Morris International (PMI) and Altria. When PMI was spun out from Altria in 2008, it was expected that PMI would thrive in emerging markets, away from the U.S. consumer’s fondness for pricey litigation. However, since the demerger Altria has generated more than twice the total return of PMI. PMI is further troubled by a mismatch of its cash flows and dollar dividends, all of which could be resolved if PMI and Altria were reunited.

For more information, read the full article here.

A new study has found that teens who regularly use e-cigarettes are more likely to become frequent and heavy cigarette smokers. Nearly 3,100 10th-graders in Los Angeles County public schools were surveyed in fall 2014 and then again 6 months later. Study findings have been heavily criticized by the e-cigarette industry, in part due to the study’s definition of “frequent” vaping or smoking as three or more days each month. E-cigarette advocates argue that the study only identified a fraction of youth who progressed onto any cigarette smoking, let alone truly frequent or heavy use. Researchers acknowledge that among youth sampled 95% reported being non-smokers and approximately 98.5% had never vaped.

To read the full article, click here.