Legal loopholes allow big tobacco companies to target young children with new products

Source: http://www.contracostatimes.comAuthor: Sen. Mark Leno & Tony Thurmond   With smoking now widely known as the nation's No. 1 preventable killer, Big Tobacco is targeting our kids with new products that give an illusion of more safety but carry the age-old motive to hook kids on tobacco at a young age. Preventing children from picking up nicotine addiction is the best way to keep them free of tobacco-related disease for life. That's why we've each introduced bills that seek to curb youth usage of smokeless (chewing) tobacco and e-cigarettes. Last year, many were shocked when Hall of Famer Tony Gwynn, who played for the San Diego Padres, died from cancer of the salivary glands that was related to decades of smokeless tobacco usage.  Former World Series hero Curt Schilling, who helped propel the Arizona Diamondbacks and Boston Red Sox to championships, has blamed his bout with mouth cancer on chewing tobacco.  Use of chewing tobacco by professional athletes sends the wrong message to our kids, but nonetheless a powerful one. Researchers at the Harvard School of Public Health have found that the use of smokeless tobacco by players has a powerful "role model effect" on youths, particularly young males.  It's no wonder then that while overall rates of smoking have declined thanks to several decades of intense educational programs, smokeless tobacco rates have remained stubbornly high among youth. One in every 6 high school boys report regular usage. Assembly Bill 768 bans smokeless tobacco at all ballparks in California with organized baseball, [...]

2015-04-13T12:22:32-07:00April, 2015|Oral Cancer News|

Radiation exposure increases kids’ risk for developing thyroid cancer later in life

Source: www.endocrineweb.com Author: staff University of Rochester Medical Center researchers have revealed that children who are exposed to head and neck radiation during a CT scan or cancer treatment may have an increased risk of thyroid cancer in adulthood. The paper, which was published in the December issue of the journal Radiation Research, provided findings that may explain why the rates of thyroid cancer are continuing to rise, as the general public is becoming increasingly exposed to radiation through some medical procedures. "Ionizing radiation is a known carcinogen and, in fact, about 1 million CT scans are performed every year on children five years or younger," said lead author Jacob Adams. "Although CTs and other imaging tests are an important diagnostic tool, with everything comes a risk." He and his colleagues assessed a group of patients who had been treated with chest radiotherapy during infancy as a result of an enlarged thymus. Of the 1,303 individuals evaluated, 50 developed thyroid cancer, compared to only 13 controls out of 1,768 people who had not undergone radiation therapy. According to the researchers, the study supports previous evidence showing that the risk of thyroid cancer due to radiation exposure may continue for children for a median of 57.5 years.

2010-12-29T10:42:48-07:00December, 2010|Oral Cancer News|

Tobacco company pays $5M in groundbreaking case

Source: www.ctlawtribune.com Author: Thomas B. Scheffey Kelly June Hill, Executrix, et al. v. U.S. Smokeless Tobacco: The Altria Group, successor to tobacco marketer United States Smokeless Tobacco of Greenwich, has settled for $5 million a lawsuit filed by the estate of a North Carolina man who died of tongue cancer. The worker, Bobby Hill, initially went to an Ashville, N.C., lawyer, who referred his case to Bridgeport’s Koskoff, Koskoff & Bieder. Partners Antonio Ponvert III and Christopher Bernard launched a state court wrongful death action in Connecticut. From the beginning, Ponvert said, Hill and his family wanted to draw attention to the danger of “dipping snuff” and to discourage youngsters from starting its addictive use. “It’s the first time a plaintiff has won a wrongful death chewing tobacco verdict or settlement in the history of the industry,” said Ponvert. Altria, based in Richmond, Va., also owns Philip Morris, and has a corporate policy of not settling any individual consumer cases, he added. Altria Group spokesman Steve Callahan said, “U.S. Smokeless Tobacco is honoring an agreement it made in this case prior to its acquisition by Altria….We have no current intention to settle cases like this in the future.” Historically, the tobacco industry has fiercely defended itself in the courts. And for decades, it denied that tobacco is addictive or a health risk. More recently, it has maintained that people know the risks of tobacco and they should take personal responsibility if they use it. In the industry, a no-settlement rule [...]

2010-12-12T09:51:00-07:00December, 2010|Oral Cancer News|

Tobacco signs still target city’s poorer areas

Source: www.boston.com Author: Stephen Smith The signs, wrought in soothing italics, beckon with promises of tobacco “pleasure!’’ at low, low prices. Across Dorchester, Mattapan, and other city neighborhoods, big signs and little signs, vertical signs and horizontal signs trumpet the availability of cigarettes at corner stores and gas stations. They are plastered on façades and propped against windows, affixed to light poles and gas pumps. A dozen years after Massachusetts attempted to ban storefront tobacco ads within 1,000 feet of schools and playgrounds, a prohibition thwarted by a tobacco company’s legal challenge, the signs remain prolific and prominent in Boston’s lower-income neighborhoods, especially those with substantial African-American and Hispanic populations. But now, empowered by Congress to regulate tobacco companies, the Food and Drug Administration is taking steps that could rein in the pastel-hued signs that industry foes say entice young customers to start smoking. With cigarette advertising banished from the airwaves and largely absent from billboards, storefronts are some of the last bastions of tobacco marketing. The continued presence of the ads is a testament, researchers said, to the deep reach of cigarette makers in poorer communities, where merchants said company representatives sometimes personally attach ads to store exteriors. “Tobacco advertising is still alive and well,’’ said Dr. Michael Siegel, a tobacco control specialist at the Boston University School of Public Health. “There’s a widespread perception that somehow the tobacco advertising has gone away, that it’s been taken care of, that we don’t have to worry about this anymore. But [...]

Tobacco consumption among youngsters a concern

Source: timesofindia.indiatimes.com Author: Tausif Alam The rise of tobacco consumption among children and young adults between 10 to 17 years has become a major cause of concern in the city. In the wake of it, cases of oral cancer among children are also on rise, say experts. According to the data released by the World Health Organisation (WHO), prevalence of smoking among children in India, between the age group of 13-15 years, is 5.8 per cent and 2.4 per cent in male and female respectively. The consumption of tobacco in different forms by children varies between 16.2 per cent and 7.2 per cent in male and female respectively. "Children between the age group of 10-17 years have been consuming tobacco mostly in the form mawa, pan masala and gutkha. The major cause of addiction among children is cheap availability of tobacco products. Though our law restricts selling of tobacco products to minors, the rule is not observed stringently, and minors have easy access to these products," said Kalyan Gangwal, founder member of the Sarva Jeev Mangal Pratishthan. He added that prevalence of tobacco consumption is mostly seen among slum children. The uses of mawa, pan masala and gutkha can cause oral submucous fibrosis, a pre-cancerous lesion which can lead to cancer. The symptoms are the difficulty in opening mouth and inability to tolerate hot, spicy food. Now, a large number of cases of oral submucous fibrosis have been found among youngsters who consume tobacco, said Gangwal. "The children mostly inherit [...]

Smokeless tobacco risks ‘overblown’?

Source: www.tobacco-news.net Author: staff The Wall Street Journal “Numbers Guy” blog said that while smokeless tobacco products remain far less popular than cigarettes in the United States, a collection of products that deliver nicotine without smoke—including dip, chew, snuff and newer items that look more like chewing gum—have sparked a heated debate about health risks. Opponents of these products have presented numbers that suggest smokeless tobacco is an enormous public-health threat akin to cigarettes, while supporters, including some scientists, suggest smokeless items could offer a solution to smoking’s toll on public health. Both claims are based on misinterpretations of the data, said the report. Critics of smokeless tobacco have spoken out recently about elevated risks of oral cancer and dangers these items pose to children who accidentally ingest them. All of these risks appear to be overblown, said the blog, particularly compared with smoking, which is far more likely to kill than smokeless alternatives. But researchers who recommend these products as alternatives for smokers seeking to quit also are relying on hazy figures, the report added. Much of their evidence comes from Sweden, where use of smokeless products has risen in recent decades as smoking, and lung-cancer rates, have fallen. Many scientists who study tobacco use remain unpersuaded that the drop in cancer rates stemmed from the increase in use of smokeless products. In pressing the case for more stringent regulation of smokeless tobacco, a National Cancer Institute physician last week testified before Congress that smokeless-tobacco products can multiply users’ [...]

Is a tobacco company using packaging to target children?

Source: www.packworld.com Author: Sterling Anthony Allegations are that recent product launches by R.J. Reynolds encourage nicotine consumption by children and that that's the company's strategy. In particular, it's alleged that packaging is a core component of that strategy. It's not the first time that R.J. Reynolds has been accused of child exploitation. Remember Joe Camel? But, the more recent allegations are not a case of Joe Camel redux; this time, they address both physical components of packaging—graphics and structure. Of no surprise is that R.J. Reynolds roundly denies the allegations. It is not the objective of this article to judge the validity of the allegations but rather to examine them for lessons and insights. Consumer packaged goods companies (CPGC's) outside of the tobacco industry that view themselves insulated from the controversy are mistaken. There can be consequences that can impact CPGC's, in general. That argument will be developed subsequently, but first, some background. Going up in smokeless Camel Snus (the Swedish word for snuff rhymes with noose) is pasteurized tobacco in small, porous pouches, packaged 15 to a metal box. A pouch is placed inside the mouth, under the upper lip; but, while being smokeless like snuff, Snus does not necessitate spitting. The tobacco juice is swallowed, facilitated by the product's low-moisture and low-salt contents which trigger less saliva and by a variety of "flavors." Snus would seem to address at least two adult groups. One is users of conventional snuff, who want to indulge their desire for nicotine discreetly, [...]

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