The Politics of Panels

[Vocalek]

I was struck by this quote from Jerry Taylor of the Cato Institute in today's Washington Times. He described the panel appointed to probe the BP oil spill as "an exercise in political theater where the findings are preordained by the people put on the commission."

You could say the exact same thing about the people selected to serve on the FDA's tobacco Advisory Panel.

Ethics group wants FDA to drop two tobacco advisory panel members - The Hill's Blog Briefing Room-

Dr. Siegel commented:

The FDA tobacco Products Scientific Advisory Panel is a virtual smorgasbord of tobacco and pharmaceutical financial interests. This is hardly what I imagine President Obama had in mind when in his inaugural address he called for "science to be restored to its rightful place."

http://tobaccoanalysis.blogspot.com/2010/03/four-members-of-fda-tobacco-products.html

When you name a majority of panel members who are staunchly anti-harm reduction nicotine abolitionists (except of course for the nicotine products of the pharma companies they get money from) the reports they will issue about smoke-free alternatives are entirely predictable.

 

[CJsKee]

Exactly, Elaine...that's why everything from the legislation to the panel is absurd! Bias at every turn...