Seeing the handwriting on the wall —  historically unprecedented declines in cigarette sales matched with accelerated sales for electronic cigarettes (e-cigarettes) – old-line “Big Tobacco” companies are now selling, or getting ready to sell, their own versions of the new devices. First in line was Lorillard, which purchased Blu e-cigarettes last April 2012. Now, RJReynolds [...]

Lung cancer kills nearly 160,000 people each year, more than breast, colon, prostate and pancreatic cancers combined. And by the time most lung cancers are diagnosed, they have metastasized and cannot be treated. Now the American College of Chest Physicians has issued new guidelines stating that doctors should consider low-dose CT screening for individuals at [...]

Here’s an interesting idea: a set of underwear that can sense when a person smokes. Although this may not sound real, the National Institutes of Health actually awarded the University of Alabama two grants, totaling about $400,000 to make this project a reality. This money was used for two separate studies. One study involved bringing [...]

  Those who are trying to impede the spread of the reduced-harm nicotine delivery device known as the e-cigarette will find their task at least a bit harder henceforth. One of the pseudo-arguments against smokers using this technology to help them quit is that young people who are non-smokers might find the devices attractive, try [...]

ACSH’s Dr. Gilbert Ross appeared — again — before the FDA advisory committee on tobacco products regulation. That panel, officially the Tobacco Products Scientific Advisory Committee, is required to meet periodically by the 2009 Tobacco Control Act and get public commentary on various relevant topics. Yesterday’s meeting was a discussion about how the FDA’s Center [...]

Reports of recent sales and earnings from tobacco companies and surveys of e-cigarette users (“vapers”) yield a drumbeat of near-miraculous good news: parallel historic declines in Big Tobacco’s cigarette sales, paired with annual doubling of e-cigarette sales. Remember two key factors: 1-electronic cigarettes provide vapers with their craved drug, nicotine, along with water vapor and [...]

New York City Council Speaker Christine Quinn announced yesterday that the City plans to raise the legal age for tobacco product purchases to 21 from 18. Given the stated support for this proposal by both a majority of the Council, as well as Mayor Bloomberg, the likelihood is close to 100 percent that this will [...]

In a recent op-ed in the UK’s Guardian, a Tom Riddington — ostensibly a physician — condemns in no uncertain terms the … »

The Food and Drug Administration is admitting it’s been too cautious by mandating certain warning labels on nicotine replacement therapy (NRT) products … »

Vape ‘em if you got ‘em! The Economist has just endorsed e-cigarettes in a remarkable editorial, writing they “do not just save … »

There’s good news for vapers — for the most part. Researchers led by Dr Maciej L Goniewicz of the Roswell Park Cancer … »

Thinking about quitting smoking? You can’t use “I might gain weight” as an excuse, according to a new study. Recent quitters do … »

Former Surgeon General C. Everett Koop didn’t live long enough to see America turned into a “smoke-free society” — but can we? … »

Vaping is catching on. The number of American smokers who have tried e-cigarettes doubled in just a year, from 10 percent in … »

Ugh — this isn’t good. The new director of the Food and Drug Administration’s Center for Tobacco Products has a long and … »

At the American Council on Science and Health, we promote the benefits of Tobacco Harm Reduction in helping smokers quit. Our own … »

Deaths from lung cancer are set to surpass deaths from breast cancer in European women, and will become the leading cause of … »

Here’s some good news for those promoting the use of e-cigarettes as a form of tobacco harm reduction. According to a survey … »

Many more individuals with diagnosable mental disorders are smokers as compared to the rest of the population. It turns out that mentally … »