I recently participated in a panel discussion about tobacco harm reduction (THR) at the Tobacco Merchants Association meeting.  While assembling my powerpoint presentation, I recalled that I presented to this group 18 years ago, in 2006, what was likely their first introduction to THR.  To view my 10-minute primer on bad science – then and now – watch this video, starting at the 26-minute mark.  I discuss the genesis of the myth that smokeless dip and chew products present a high risk for mouth cancer (discussed extensively in this blog by searching for “Winn”), and my T ..read more

  Earlier this year, Medscape, which describes itself as “the leading online global destination for physicians and healthcare professionals worldwide,” invited me to participate in a series of short continuing medical education (CME) programs on tobacco harm reduction (THR).  Medscape clearly disclosed that the series was sponsored by Philip Morris International, but the programs were firewalled; faculty were not in contact with or influenced by the sponsor. Topics included, among others, an examination of nicotine, and the differential risks of combusted versus smoke-free tobacco/n ..read more

  The U.S. desperately needs tobacco harm reduction, starting with reducing the harm from the pronouncements of federal officials.  Case in point: FDA Commissioner Robert Califf’s April 11 tobacco testimony before the House Oversight Committee. Dr. Califf made so many false statements that I penned a response for Real Clear Health. Following are some additional observations related to his testimony. Readers know that I don’t tolerate doctors who claim they saw many people die from the ravages of tobacco, when those patients actually died from the smoke!  Similarly, I can’t let ..read more

  My readers know that I have focused on exaggerated or fraudulent population-based research on vapor products.  But anti-tobacco crusaders have also published numerous studies, predominantly funded by the National Institutes of Health, that widely exaggerate the toxicity of vape aerosols and, through university press releases taken up verbatim by uncritical media, spread like an uncontrollable virus.  There is an antidote, in the form of Dr. Roberto Sussman, an astrophysicist based at the Institute of Nuclear Sciences, National Autonomous University of Mexico.  He offers ..read more

  Dr. Joanna Cohen recently authored a misleading and factually incorrect commentary on tobacco harm reduction in The Hill.  Here is my rebuttal, in bold. Cohen: “So why should we trust cigarette companies to help reduce tobacco use?” No one trusts cigarette companies.  That’s why Congress gave the Food and Drug Administration regulatory authority over tobacco in 2009.  Cohen misrepresents the principle public health goal, which isn’t to reduce tobacco use, but to prevent the 480,000 premature American deaths that result each year from smoking. That number hasn’t appreciab ..read more

  Most health professionals are familiar with Medscape, a free resource that describes itself as “the leading online global destination for physicians and healthcare professionals worldwide, offering the latest medical news and expert perspectives; essential point-of-care drug and disease information; and relevant professional education and [continuing medical education, CME].” Recently, Medscape invited me to assist in developing a series of short CME programs on tobacco harm reduction, which evolved into an examination of nicotine and the differential risks of combusted versus smoke-fr ..read more

Smokers in Japan consumed 92.4 billion cigarettes in 2023 -- less than half as many as they did in 2014.  Since vapor products are illegal there, the impressive decline is likely due to the introduction of heat-not-burn tobacco products, which didn’t exist in 2014, but accounted for 38% of the Japanese tobacco market in 2023.  Notably, this progress occurred in an overall declining tobacco market.  UK tobacco harm reduction advocate Clive Bates previously opined: “The only mystery is why the skies over Tokyo are not dark with chartered planes bringing officials from WHO, FDA ..read more

  Over the years, I have documented cases in which my colleague and I exposed fatal errors in published articles about smoke-free products, but neither authors nor editors acknowledged our efforts. The first case involved researchers at the National Cancer Institute and the University of Minnesota, whose Journal of the National Cancer Institute Cancer Spectrum article (here) reported on overall and cause-specific mortality among users of various tobacco products. The second instance involved an article about e-cigarettes and respiratory diseases in which the authors, including a former m ..read more

  The National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH) is a valuable federal resource for population-level research on tobacco and other substance use.  Analyzing its data, I have published research on how many Americans smoke (here, here, here and here), the illegitimacy of the gateway claim (here), and the role of smoking and smokeless tobacco (ST) use in past-year psychiatric disorders (here).  I have shared in this blog other important NSDUH insights into how many Americans use ST (here), who smokes menthols (here and here), and teen smoking declines before and during the e-c ..read more

  With the emergence of nicotine pouches, claims from the 1980s about the health risks of smokeless tobacco (ST) use have reappeared. Nicotine pouches are an important addition to smokers’ options for reducing harm, but it is inappropriate to devalue them by overstating the risks of ST use, such as opining that it causes leukoplakia and periodontal disease.  This is not the case, and I wish to set the record straight. Leukoplakia In 1995, my research group published an article, “Tobacco Use and Cancer,” that discussed leukoplakia: “Oral leukoplakia was originally defined in 1978 by ..read more