Global
Brazil Sues Big Tobacco Over Compensation for Tobacco-Related Diseases
The world’s largest tobacco companies, British American Tobacco Plc (BAT) and Philip Morris International (PMI), have until this month to defend themselves in a lawsuit demanding compensation for tobacco-related diseases.
https://www.vapingpost.com/2020/03/24/brazil-sues-big-tobacco-over-compensation-for-tobacco-related-diseases/
Last year, the Brazilian solicitor general’s office sent subpoenas to Souza Cruz Ltda, Philip Morris Brasil Industria e Comercio Ltda and Philip Morris Brasil SA. These tobacco companies, who produce 90% of the cigarettes sold in Brazil, refused to receive them.
The tobacco companies claimed that they are only subsidiaries and that notifications had to be sent directly to their parent companies in the UK and the US. However, the federal judge hearing the case in Porto Alegre, Graziela Bündchen, ruled that these companies are the operational wings of the parent companies and are therefore fully capable of relaying the notifications to their head offices.
To this effect, last month she gave them 30 days to present their defenses. The lawsuit was heralded as historic by groups advocating for reduced tobacco consumption, such as the Alliance to Control Smoking (ACT). “It is very important that international headquarters are also held accountable,” said ACT legal director Adriana Carvalho. “They profit from the business in Brazil and have always exercised power of control over their Brazilian units.”
Big tobacco and loopholes
Meanwhile, a report published in the British Medical Journal’s BMJ Open publication a few months back, had pointed out that the world’s major tobacco companies have adopted subtle techniques, to bypass plain packaging regulations and make their packets more recognizable.
Written by academics at the University of Bath, the report is drawing attention to the fact that the world’s major tobacco companies have adopted subtle marketing techniques in order to replace traditional cigarette branding, which in 2016 was banned across the UK. In fact, one of the MPs who had devised the plain packaging legislation, is urging ministers to review the measure in order to eliminate loopholes as detailed in the report.
The report’s lead author, Dr Karen Evans-Reeves, said the tobacco industry is “engaged in activities that undermined and continue to undermine the legislation.” She added that lawmakers should keep in mind that tobacco companies will always try to find loopholes.
“Major tobacco companies will always try to find a way to market their products. Based on the number of innovations we found in this study, we would encourage all governments considering implementing plain packaging legislation to consider how tobacco companies have adapted to the legislation in other countries and where possible, close any remaining loopholes.”
Secondhand smoke from electronic cigarette resulting in hypersensitivity pneumonitis
https://casereports.bmj.com/content/13/3/e233381.long
Abstract
Cases of vaping-induced lung injury have increased in the USA, resulting in a heterogeneous collection of pneumonitis patterns in persons who used electronic cigarettes. Hypersensitivity pneumonitis has been documented in several cases of first-hand electronic cigarette use; however, secondhand smoke health-related consequences have not been fully understood. We present a case of the patient who developed hypersensitivity pneumonitis secondary to exposure to secondhand smoke from electronic cigarette. We summarise the presentation and diagnostic investigation, as well as the management of this case.
Do state regulations on e-cigarettes have impacts on the e-cigarette prevalence?
https://tobaccocontrol.bmj.com/content/early/2020/03/22/tobaccocontrol-2019-055287
Abstract
Background
We examine the association among five types of state regulations on electronic cigarettes (defining e-cigarettes, special tax, packaging, youth access and licensure) and initiation and current usage of e-cigarettes in 50 US states and the District of Columbia.
Methods
Data came from the 2017 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System and the US e-cigarette regulations—50 state review by the Public Health Law Center. Logistic regressions were used to determine the odds of initiation and current use of e-cigarettes among individuals aged 18–24, 25–34 and the whole sample, adjusting for socio-demographic covariates.
Results
Despite the short history of state laws on e-cigarettes, each of the five state laws was associated with lower odds of initiation and use of e-cigarettes in the whole sample. In the 18–24 age group, only the licensure was associated with lower initiation. In the 25–34 age group, the licensure and taxation were related to lower initiation and current usage. There were significant differences of e-cigarette initiation and usage based on the number of state laws regulating e-cigarettes.
Conclusions
Our analysis indicates the potential of states’ policy efforts to regulate e-cigarettes comprehensively in leading significant changes to e-cigarette prevalence in their populations.
