Big Pharma and FDA funded American Heart Association issues new anti e-cig policy statement

[Bill Godshall]

Big Pharma and FDA funded American Heart Association (which has lied about, demonized and lobbied to ban e-cigs since 2009) issues new e-cig policy statement that repeats dozens of false and misleading fear mongering claims about e-cigs, grossly misrepresents scientific and empirical evidence, reaffirms AHA’s Big Pharma protection policies to impose FDA Deeming Regulation (to ban >99.9% of e-cigs and give e-cig industry to Big tobacco), ban flavorings, ban most advertising and marketing to adults, and ban vaping everywhere smoking is banned. Also advocates taxing e-cigs, redefining e-cigs as tobacco products at state level to impose unwarranted taxes and regulations, urging vapers to quit by using FDA approved products, and endorsing e-cig use by smokers only after FDA approved cessation drugs fail (which occurs >90% of the time). Electronic Cigarettes

AHA's new e-cig policy statement also falsely claims to support laws banning e-cig sales to minors (as CTFK/ACS/AHA/ALA opposed bills to ban e-cig sales to minors in AZ, OK, RI, OH, FL, MI, MO & PA), and fails to ethically disclose AHA’s Big Pharma and FDA funding conflicts of interests (while claiming to “avoid any actual or potential conflicts of interest” among the 14 authors, most of whom also have blatant conflicts of interest).

AP headline touts AHA’s endorsement of e-cigs for smokers if FDA drugs fail, article repeats false and misleading fear mongering claims about e-cigs; Godshall comments.
Heart group: E-cigarettes might help smokers quit

More news media repeat AHA’s unscientific e-cig propaganda with no fact checking
Heart group calls on FDA to quickly regulate e-cigs
E-Cigarettes Should Be Regulated Like Tobacco: American Heart Association - US News
American Heart Association Recommends FDA Regulate E-Cigs Like Tobacco
Heart group weighs in on e-cigarette use, dangers; Separate study says low-nicotine cigs don't trigger heavier smoking | cleveland.com
E-Cigarettes Containing Nicotine Should Be Regulated as Tobacco Items : News : Headlines & Global News

 

[Bill Godshall]

I was disappointed that Chris Bullen (who has conducted studies on e-cigs and who has endorsed e-cigs for smokers) and Neal Benowitz cosigned AHA's new anti e-cig policy.

Just last month, Benowitz coathored a new comprehensive scientific review of e-cigs (along with Hajek, Etter, Eissenberg & McRobbie) that concluded:
“Regulating EC as strictly as cigarettes, or even more strictly as some regulators propose, is not warranted on current evidence. Health professionals may consider advising smokers unable or unwilling to quit through other routes to switch to EC as a safer alternative to smoking and a possible pathway to complete cessation of nicotine use.”
Electronic cigarettes: review of use, content, safety, effects on smokers and potential for harm and benefit
Electronic cigarettes: review of use, content, safety, effects on smokers and potential for harm and benefit - Hajek - 2014 - Addiction - Wiley Online Library
Addiction Journal - Press Releases
Electronic cigarettes: review of use, content, safety, effects on smokers and potential for harm and benefit - Hajek - 2014 - Addiction - Wiley Online Library (full text)

Among the study’s findings:
- Long-term use of EC, compared to smoking, is likely to be much less, if at all, harmful to users or bystanders
- EC use is associate with smoking reduction and there is little evidence that it deters smokers interested in stopping smoking tobacco cigarettes from doing so.
- Regular use of EC by non-smokers is rare and no migration from EC to smoking has been documented...The advent of EC has been accompanied by a decrease rather than increase in smoking uptake by children.
- There are no signs that the advance of EC is increasing the popularity of smoking or sales of cigarettes.

 

[DrMA]

And here I was thinking Benowitz might have seen the light.

 

[Bill Godshall]

I strongly suspect that AHA staffers and several of their ANTZ colleagues actually wrote AHA's new e-cig policy, and then asked some respected and relatively objective researchers to cosign it (to give the document some legitimacy).

Many researchers are so thrilled to be asked to cosign a policy statement by a well known health organization, that they'll just sign it (even though they may disagree with many of the document's claims).

 

[Lisa Belle]

It has been four years since I left smoking in the ashtray thanks to the miracle of the more advanced E-Cigarettes and the flavors that helped me dis ... ocitate with my smoking of tobacco. About a year ago I found a link to this most illuminating blog post. THE MURDER GAME Brainy or ((((Robert)))), made a very telling observation in a very creative and fun to read way.