Big Pharma Comes Under Fire: Misleading NRT Claims Revealed

[BuGlen]

This article sums up the abysmal rate of BP NRTs and Chantix and compares those rates to the recent studies of e-cigs:
Big Pharma Comes Under Fire: Misleading NRT Claims Revealed - Press Release - Digital Journal

 

[Uma]

Beautiful!! It's about time somebody said it out loud and proud. Will it run in various papers?

 

[ohh EPiC FAiL]

great article! the only thing that worries me is that they are touting ecigs as a cessation device, which is NOT what we want the FDA seeing! if the FDA sees stuff saying they are for cessation instead of them being alternatives, they are more likely to reverse their decision to classify it as a tobacco product and label it medicinal instead--which would virtually ban ecigs. at least they include a link to casaa so people can get that clarification if they go there.

 

[cdsaint66]

It would be nice to see this picked up at some mainstream news outlets, but I don't hold out much hope. Maybe I'm just feeling negative today...

 

[BuGlen]

It would be nice to see this picked up at some mainstream news outlets, but I don't hold out much hope. Maybe I'm just feeling negative today...

Not negative, just realistic. This story doesn't have enough fear-mongering or topical scandal to attract viewership so it won't get the same type of distribution that the "for the children!" type articles achieve. It would be nice to see at least a few other outlets pick up and run with it though.

 

[AgentAnia]

great article! the only thing that worries me is that they are touting ecigs as a cessation device, which is NOT what we want the FDA seeing! if the FDA sees stuff saying they are for cessation instead of them being alternatives, they are more likely to reverse their decision to classify it as a tobacco product and label it medicinal instead--which would virtually ban ecigs. at least they include a link to casaa so people can get that clarification if they go there.

I had the same concerns, and Vocalek and kristin (both on the CASAA board) have clarified this issue in numerous posts: The only *claims* relevant to what the FDA can or can't do about ecigs are those made by the manufacturer. You and I can make any anecdotal claims we want, and independent researchers can make statements about their results, and FDA can't touch them.

 

[BuGlen]

The article just got picked up by another outlet:
Big Pharma Comes Under Fire: Misleading NRT Claims Revealed - PR Newswire - The Sacramento Bee

 

[Anjaffm]

Wow, great find thank you!

And this is also important:

I had the same concerns, and Vocalek and kristin (both on the CASAA board) have clarified this issue in numerous posts: The only *claims* relevant to what the FDA can or can't do about ecigs are those made by the manufacturer. You and I can make any anecdotal claims we want, and independent researchers can make statements about their results, and FDA can't touch them.

-----------

.. at least in the States.
In Europe, in my experience, the courts go by that difference (who makes the claims). But the ANTZ and their FUD campaigns in Europe do not give a flying fig... they love to yell "They use it to quit smoking!! So it is a smoking cessation medicine! We demand regulation as medicine!"

Yes, the European Parliament voted not to regulate e-cigs as medicines. But the European Commission is still to be consulted. Our fight in Europe is not over yet

---------

But for the States, that is great news!

 

[Vocalek]

I found it interesting that the Ad that appeared to the left of the headline was for the website "BecomeAnEx". EX was created by the American Legacy Foundation®

The ad may differ for others.

 

[AgentAnia]

I found it interesting that the Ad that appeared to the left of the headline was for the website "BecomeAnEx". EX was created by the American Legacy Foundation®

The ad may differ for others.

Now that you mention it, I've noticed that whenever I do a search for anything e-cig related, one of the google sponsored ads is for Tobacco Free Florida. Hmmmm....

Slightly more to topic, it occurs to me that the underlying newsworthy item to come out of a press release like this is the inbred corruption of BP and the ANTZ, given how they bury their funding sources and affiliations and how they misrepresent research results to suit their ideology. Surely this would be a scandal the media would love to get their hooks into (at least the media that aren't also funded by BP advertising....)

 

[Talyon]

Now that you mention it, I've noticed that whenever I do a search for anything e-cig related, one of the google sponsored ads is for Tobacco Free Florida. Hmmmm....

Slightly more to topic, it occurs to me that the underlying newsworthy item to come out of a press release like this is the inbred corruption of BP and the ANTZ, given how they bury their funding sources and affiliations and how they misrepresent research results to suit their ideology. Surely this would be a scandal the media would love to get their hooks into (at least the media that aren't also funded by BP advertising....)

As much as I agree with your sentiment, our news reporters do not know how to do the real investigative work, and are told what to report on TV on Radio, in papers etc. years ago a reporter truly investigated leads and stories, had informants etc Not anymore. Here lies our biggest problem. The Media do not care about the truth anymore, no ratings in it. Their Editors know this.

 

[jstaubin]

great article! the only thing that worries me is that they are touting ecigs as a cessation device, which is NOT what we want the FDA seeing! if the FDA sees stuff saying they are for cessation instead of them being alternatives, they are more likely to reverse their decision to classify it as a tobacco product and label it medicinal instead--which would virtually ban ecigs. at least they include a link to casaa so people can get that clarification if they go there.

The classification of e cigs as a tobacco product instead of medicinal is not a decision they were in charge of. The COURT ruled they could not classify e cigs as medicinal

 

[Anjaffm]

is the inbred corruption of BP and the ANTZ, given how they bury their funding sources and affiliations

*evil grin*
In Europe, there were some nice articles on this subject (after the European Parliament vote) and even a very interesting news show on German national TV. Showing that some ANTZ woman - the alleged Managing Director of a two-person NGO lobbying against e-cigs for "health" reasons - was in fact an employee of another organization that had received 90,000 Euro in "subsidies" from 3 BP companies in 2012.

Oooh.. that felt so good

....
edit:
@Taylon:
you can say that again!

 

[TyPie]

........... it occurs to me that the underlying newsworthy item to come out of a press release like this is the inbred corruption of BP and the ANTZ, given how they bury their funding sources and affiliations and how they misrepresent research results to suit their ideology. Surely this would be a scandal the media would love to get their hooks into (at least the media that aren't also funded by BP advertising....)

150% agreed. Therein lies the scandal, and it certainly IS scandalous.
(AND, as Gomer Pyle used to say, Surprise, Surprise, Surprise! Yes, there are huge dollars in smoking AND smoking cessation, with big "fudging" of the numbers and statistics by those with the big $$$. Written testimony to what we all already knew or suspected, now with some supporting study and evidence.)

 

[MiamiGuy]

PR Newswire is a respectable company. That said, people/organizations pay PR Newswire to disseminate their press releases. So professional journalists may look askance at anything coming from PR Newswire.

 

[jtpjc]

*evil grin*
In Europe, there were some nice articles on this subject (after the European Parliament vote) and even a very interesting news show on German national TV. Showing that some ANTZ woman - the alleged Managing Director of a two-person NGO lobbying against e-cigs for "health" reasons - was in fact an employee of another organization that had received 90,000 Euro in "subsidies" from 3 BP companies in 2012.

Video (in German): Tabakrichtlinie: Kampf der Giganten : Bericht aus Brüssel vom 09.10.2013 - WDR MEDIATHEK

Translation (by Chris Snowdon): http://velvetgloveironfist.blogspot.co.uk/2013/10/big-pharma-versus-e-cigarettes.html