Today's Managing Health Care Costs Number is 3
The New York Times reported last week that tobacco industry lobbyists wrote a pro-vaping bill that has already achieved 75 cosponsors in the House of Representatives. The bill would nix FDA jurisdiction over cigars, ecigarettes, pipes and hookas.
Documents obtained by The New York Times show that Altria last year distributed draft legislation on Capitol Hill that would eliminate the new requirement that most e-cigarettes already on sale in the United States be evaluated retroactively to determine if they are “appropriate for the protection of public health.”
Here's a breakdown of the sponsors of this bill, HR 2058 "The FDA Deeming Authority Clarification Act of 2015," sponsored by Republican Tom Cole of Oklahoma.
72 Republicans
3 Democrats
That's right. There are three medical doctors who have cosponsored legislation to prohibit the FDA from regulating tobacco products!
Here's the roll of shame:
Charles Boustany, R, LA
Andrew Harris, R, MD
Joseph Heck, R, NV
The podcast "Science Vs" has an episode reviewing the evidence around e-cigarettes. They appear less dangerous than traditional cigarettes, although there is no evidence they help cigarette smokers quit. (They are no more effective than nicotine replacement). There is laboratory data that suggests that some e-cigarettes might be dangerous, especially with various flavors added, but the reality is that we just don't know. Here's an article about the worrisome chemicals in e-cigarettes
My real fear is that e-cigarettes and vaping could "renormalize" smoking - undoing the great work that's been done to "denormalize" cigarettes over the last generation. Declines in adult cigarette use are a big part of why we see dramatic decreases in mortality from cancer and heart disease. This is no time to let down our guard.
EmoticonEmoticon