FDA names new head of tobacco products center -- impact on us?

[mostlyclassics]

FDA names new head of tobacco products center - Yahoo! News

Does anyone know anything about Mitch Zeller?

 

[Stubby]

Zeller, who served as associate commissioner and director of agency's Office of tobacco Programs from 1993 until 2000, is currently an executive with Pinney Associates, a Maryland-based pharmaceutical consulting firm that does work for GlaxoSmithKline, the leading seller of nicotine-replacement therapy products.
He previously served as an executive with the American Legacy Foundation, the Washington, D.C.-based anti-smoking organization established as part of the settlement between states and the tobacco industry.

doesn't look good

 

[mostlyclassics]

Stubby, his appointment doesn't look very good to me, either.

I was wondering if anyone saw a silver lining in this Zeller cloud.

 

[Stubby]

There are two approaches to regulating tobacco use: one that says there's no safe way to use tobacco and pushes for people to quit above all else. Others embrace the idea that lower-risk alternatives like smokeless tobacco and other nicotine delivery systems like gum or even electronic cigarettes can help improve overall health.
The 2009 law lays out the possibility for both, prescribing a scientific approach to improve public health. But the challenge and opportunity is for the agency to "come up with a comprehensive nicotine regulatory policy aimed at shifting tobacco users down the continuum from the most harmful to the least harmful," Zeller said, who also co-chairs the National Cancer Institute's Tobacco Harm Reduction Network.

Sounds good, but then we shall see if Zeller actually embraces tobacco harm reduction or pushes the same old quit or die.

 

[sonicdsl]

Sounds good, but then we shall see if Zeller actually embraces tobacco harm reduction or pushes the same old quit or die.

Yeah, I'm reluctant to embrace this, based on his BP work. Not knowing him, I'd be worried that it'd be the same ole incestuous relationship we've come to know and hate (BP & FDA).

 

[Stubby]

Found this study that Zeller was involved with

Tobacco Harm Reduction: The Need for Research to Inform Policy

 

[sonicdsl]

Hmmm seems like just another ANTZ saying "quit smoking" when he's really saying "quit using nicotine".

 

[zoiDman]

I want to be Optimistic about all this.

But my gut tells me that e-Cigarettes/e-Liquids as we know it are going to Drastically Change.

 

[zapped]

And the FDA doesnt see the conflict of interest here? Wow!!

One word:

Corruption

 

[Petrodus]

And the FDA doesnt see the conflict of interest here? Wow!!
One word: Corruption

Par for the course
I'm a realist
Optimists can hope and pray

 

[budynbuick]

No effect...........another talking head doing what he's told.

 

[Bill Godshall]

I helped Mitch Zeller draft and advocate the original FDA tobacco regulations in 1994/95 that was struck down by the SCOTUS in 2000, which is now known as the 1996 Rule in the FSPTCA at
FR Doc 2010-6087

Since around 2002, Mitch has worked as a lobbyist for GlaxoSmithKline (via Pinney Associates) demonizing smokefree tobacco products and companies, while promoting very similar NRT products as life saving medicine.

Mitch is a very smart, he's a lawyer by training, and he fully understands the relative and comparable risks of different tobacco products.
But while Mitch has readily acknowledged that smokeless tobacco (and all other noncombusitble tobacco products) are less hazardous than cigarettes, his power point slides deceptively showed smokeless tobacco products as being about half the risk of cigarettes (when the scientific evidence indicates that they are 99% less hazardous than cigarettes).

Here"s a 2011 presentation by Mitch Zeller
DCARE 2011 - FDA Regulation of Tobacco products - YouTube

 

[Bill Godshall]

The e-cigarette community does owe Mitch Zeller a big thank you, however, as he was responsible (when he collaborated with CTFK's Matt Myers) for inserting Section 918 into the FSPTCA legislation back in 2003/04 when it was negotiated with Philip Morris.

While Mitch got Section 918 into the bill to promote NRT sales and help GSK make more money, we took advantage of the FDA's December 17 hearing on Section 918 to promote e-cigarettes and to expose that NRT has a 95% failure rate for smoking cessation,
and we also generated 5,300 comments to the FDA.

Mitch is much smarter than Lawrence Deyton, and Mitch knows a lot of details of the FSPTCA.

 

[bsidb]

..........

 

[mostlyclassics]

Thanks for your posts and insights, Bill!

 

[transamspirit]

Thanks for being diplomatic. Im glad you know the man personally and hopefully that can help us out in this battle.

 

[zoiDman]

...

Mitch is much smarter than Lawrence Deyton, and Mitch knows a lot of details of the FSPTCA.

Thank you Bill for your insights on Mr. Zeller.

So what Exactly does the FDA's "Tobacco Products Center" do? And more so, what role will Mr. Zeller have in Making/Shaping policies regarding e-Cigarettes and e-Liquids?

 

[Lilkurty]

Found this study that Zeller was involved with

Tobacco Harm Reduction: The Need for Research to Inform Policy

"Most disturbing is the data indicating that one of the reasons smokers are interested in these products is because it will enable them to put off the need to quit smoking (Zeller, 2003)."

Exactly genius, last time I checked I was an adult living in a free country. I realize that it is upsetting to you Mr. Zeller that I don't want to do what you want me to do. Perhaps Mr. Zeller needs to join a 12 step group and recite the Serenity prayer

(God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change......)

 

[NorthOfAtlanta]

"Most disturbing is the data indicating that one of the reasons smokers are interested in these products is because it will enable them to put off the need to quit smoking (Zeller, 2003)."

Exactly genius, last time I checked I was an adult living in a free country. I realize that it is upsetting to you Mr. Zeller that I don't want to do what you want me to do. Perhaps Mr. Zeller needs to join a 12 step group and recite the Serenity prayer

(God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change......)

Generally speaking the ANTZ believe they are smarter, know better and we must do what they say or they will find a way to write a law or regulation to force the masses to do so.

 

[Stubby]

This is another video of the 2011 meeting

DCARE 2011 - Panel Discussion - YouTube

The person from Ireland (I can't remember his name) is brilliant. He really gets it. Keller on the other hand appears to be an obstructionist to tobacco harm reduction. His views on reducing nicotine are scary at best. He keeps taking about nicotine and addiction as the problem and avoids the idea of reducing harm.

Weasel comes to mind