CDC advocates FDA "deeming" regulation, more tax hikes, in new report and press release

[Bill Godshall]

CDC reports 40.7% decline in US adult per capita cigarette consumption from 2000-2011, 36% decline in adult per capita consumption of combustible tobacco products; accompanying editorial falsely claims "morbidity and mortality effects of other forms of combustible tobacco are similar to those of cigarettes" (as most cigar smokers don't inhale the smoke and don't smoke daily), misleadingly claims "The data suggest that certain smokers have switched from cigarettes to other combustible tobacco products" (as there is evidence that some cigarette smokers have switched to RYO smoking tobacco, but no evidence cigarette smokers have switched to cigars), advocates FDA regulation and tax increases for cigars and smoking tobacco.
http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/mm6130a1.htm?s_cid=mm6130a1_e

To promote FDA "deeming" regulation and more tax hikes, Obama's CDC and drug industry funded anti-tobacco extremists downplay huge decline in smoking, grossly exaggerate cigar disease risks, youth usage, and rate of switching by cigarette smokers News media repeat false and misleading claims, also downplay huge decline in cigarette consumption.
http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/drop-in-cigarette-consumption-offset-by-increases-in-other-forms-of-smoked-tobacco-164753946.htmlhttp://www.prnewswire.com/news-rele...-other-forms-of-smoked-tobacco-164753946.htmlhttp://www.prnewswire.com/news-rele...-other-forms-of-smoked-tobacco-164753946.htmlhttp://www.prnewswire.com/news-rele...-other-forms-of-smoked-tobacco-164753946.html
http://www.usatoday.com/news/health/story/2012-08-02/tobacco-cigarettes-cigars/56702480/1
http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/08/02/us-usa-health-tobacco-idUSBRE87117L20120802
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/08/03/h...l=1&adxnnlx=1344003218-uw7myFh87QUSVSlqK9DiTA
http://www.businessweek.com/news/2012-08-02/smokers-in-u-dot-s-dot-switch-to-pipes-cigars-from-cigarettes

Don't know if Brad Rodu knew about CDC's new report and press release trashing cigars, but he wrote an excellent post on the comparable health risks of cigarettes versus cigars several days ago.

Brad Rodu: The Health Risks of Cigar Smoking
http://rodutobaccotruth.blogspot.com/2012/08/the-health-risks-of-cigar-smoking.html

 

[NorthOfAtlanta]

Bill, how long is the required public comment time for a new regulation? Just wondering if there is time between the first Wed in Nov and Jan 20th to get it done. It's a lot harder to undo something than to prevent it.

 

[Bill Godshall]

Don't know what federal law requires, but most proposed federal regulations have a 90 or 120 day public comment period (after they are proposed), and I'm not aware of any federal agency issuing a Final Rule on a proposed regulation until at least six months following the public comment period (as the agency needs to read and consider the public comments, especially those that threaten or suggest a lawsuit challenging the proposed regulation).

That's why several liberal Senate Democrats (Durbin, Lautenberg, Blumenthal) sent FDA Commissioner a letter in October, 2011 urging her to swiftly propose the "deeming" regulations (as they wanted the FDA to issue the Final Rule for the "deeming" regulation during Obama's first term because they knew he might not be reelcted for a second term.

Interestingly, the US DOT still hasn't issued a Final Rule for its proposed regualtion to ban e-cigarette use in airlplanes, and yet that public comment period ended in November, 2011. I suspect that DOT decided to scrap the regulation after Smokefree Pennsylvania, CASAA and the Washington Legal Foundation submitted public comments stating that the proposed regulation was illegal (and because the Washington Legal Foundation has a long track record of successfully suing federal agencies for unlawful regulations.