Washington, D.C. (March 24, 2009) – The American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network, the American Heart Association, the American Lung Association and the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids applaud Senator Frank Lautenberg of New Jersey’s call for the Food and Drug Administration to exert its authority and immediately remove e-cigarettes from the market. 

FDA officials have been quoted numerous times in many publications during the past few weeks saying that e-cigarettes are “new drugs,” which require prior approval from the FDA before they are allowed to be sold. Without this approval, e-cigarettes are illegal to market or sell. Despite these statements, no action has been taken to remove e-cigarettes from the market.

Currently, e-cigarettes are being sold in 62 kiosks at malls across the United States, with plans to expand to another 55. E-cigarettes are also being marketed towards young people, who can purchase them in fruit flavors and online, without having to verify their ages. 

Continued

Campaign for Tobacco Free Kids

In 2007, Philip Morris/Altria collected more than $55 billion in net revenues from international tobacco sales, compared to $18.5 billion from U.S. tobacco sales.

State Settlement Report A Broken Promise to Our Children: The 1998 State Tobacco Settlement Eight Years Later

Higher Tobacco Taxes Reduce Smoking, Save Lives Save Money

Smoke-Free Workplace Laws Protect Our Right to Breathe Clean Air

obacco use takes a huge toll in health, lives and money on every state in the nation. Tobacco-related health care bills cost the states and taxpayers billions of dollars each year under Medicaid and other state-funded health care programs. The good news is that state and local governments can reduce tobacco use, save lives and save money by implementing proven solutions to the problem. The solutions include:

Well-funded tobacco prevention and cessation programs: The states collect nearly $25 billion a year in tobacco-generated revenue from tobacco taxes and the 1998 state tobacco settlement. Less than three percent of this tobacco money would be enough to fund tobacco prevention and cessation programs in every state at levels recommended by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Unfortunately, no state currently funds prevention programs at CDC-recommended levels, and only nine states provide even half the recommended amount.

Continued

Learn more from our annual report, A Decade of Broken Promises: The 1998 State Tobacco Settlement Ten Years Later.

Contact: Joel Spivak, (202)296-5469

September 30, 2009

Eleven Health & Consumer Groups Urge Federal Court to Reject Tobacco Companies' Lawsuit Against FDA Tobacco Regulation Law

Washington, D.C. - Today, eleven public health and consumer advocacy organizations filed a friend of the court (amicus) brief asking a federal court to reject a lawsuit by R.J. Reynolds, Lorillard and other tobacco companies that seeks to block key provisions of the new federal law regulating tobacco products.  The immediate issue before the court is the industry's challenge of a provision that requires FDA approval before tobacco companies can make claims about "modified risk tobacco products."

The tobacco companies have also challenged other marketing restrictions in the Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act, which authorizes the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to regulate the manufacturing, marketing and sale of tobacco products.

Continued

National Tobacco Control Program

CDC’s Office on Smoking and Health (OSH) created the National Tobacco Control Program (NTCP) in 1999 to encourage coordinated, national efforts to reduce tobacco-related diseases and deaths. The program provides funding and technical support to state and territorial health departments. NTCP funds

• All 50 states
• The District of Columbia
• Eight U.S. territories/jurisdictions
• Six national networks
• Seven tribal support centers

NTCP-funded programs are working to achieve the objectives outlined in OSH’s Best Practices for Comprehensive Tobacco Control Programs.

The four goals of NTCP are to

• Eliminate exposure to environmental tobacco smoke
• Promote quitting among adults and youth
• Prevent initiation among youth
• Identify and eliminate disparities among population groups

The four components of NTCP are

• Population-based community interventions
• Counter-marketing
• Program policy/regulation
• Surveillance and evaluation

FDA Rules and Guidance Update

As part of the recently enacted Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act
(PDF—483.24 KB), the FDA regulation of tobacco products immediately removes most federal pre-emption constraints on the ability of states and communities to restrict the time, manner, and place of tobacco advertising and promotions.

For questions regarding potential actions that may have been pre-empted previously, or could still be pre-empted even in the context of this new legislation, please send an e-mail to FDAQuestions@cdc.gov.

Questions received through this e-mail box will be used to support FDA in issuing appropriate rules and guidance but may not be answered individually.

Resources for Effective Tobacco Control Programs

• Best Practices for Comprehensive Tobacco Control Programs, October 2007
  Updated edition of an evidence-based guide to help states plan and establish effective tobacco control programs.
• Best Practices User Guide: Coalitions—State and Community Interventions
  This guide focuses on the critical role coalitions play in a comprehensive tobacco control program.
• The Guide to Community Preventive Services
  This guide addresses the effectiveness of community-based interventions.
• Media Campaign Resource Center
  Access CDC-licensed advertisements developed by more than 25 state health departments, nonprofit health organizations, and federal agencies.
• State Tobacco Activities Tracking and Evaluation (STATE) System
  An electronic data warehouse containing up-to-date and historical state-level data on tobacco use prevention and control.
• Publications and Products
  Access the Publications Catalog and Smoking & Health Resource Library.
• National Networks for Tobacco Control and Prevention
  Networks that provide leadership and expertise in the development of policy-related initiatives and proven or potentially promising practices.

Canada's Federal Tobacco Control Strategy (FTCS)

Canada's Federal Tobacco Control Strategy (FTCS) is championed by many parties working towards a common goal: reducing tobacco use. The FTCS was implemented in April 2001, and is backed by a major investment of $560 million divided among five federal departments over five years (of which $480 million funds Health Canada initiatives).

About Tobacco Control

Every 11 minutes, a Canadian dies from tobacco use. Every 10 minutes, two Canadian teenagers start smoking cigarettes; one of them will lose her life because of it. Yearly, more than a thousand Canadians who never even smoked die - from exposure to tobacco smoke. Thousands more are diagnosed with illnesses related to tobacco use. Year in and year out, more than 37,000 Canadians perish - because of tobacco.

That's more than five times the number of Canadians who die from traffic injuries, alcohol abuse, murder and suicide combined. And yet ... tobacco use is the single most preventable cause of premature death and disease in Canada.

Canada has made more progress in tobacco control in recent years than have most other countries in the world. Few countries have seen such a dramatic decline in consumption. Few have seen a decline in the prevalence of tobacco use as significant and sustained as we have in Canada. Few have seen such a pervasive shift in attitudes towards tobacco. And few countries in the world today have launched such a comprehensive drive towards a reduction in smoking prevalence. Now, many countries are modelling their efforts on Canada's Federal Tobacco Control Strategy.

Clearly there is tremendous progress. Nevertheless, challenges remain. Find out what's going on in tobacco control in Canada, and who does what.

Health Canada

Drugs and Health Products

Health Canada plays an active role in ensuring that you have access to safe and effective drugs and health products. The Department strives to maintain a balance between the potential health benefits and risks posed by all drugs and health products. Our highest priority in determining the balance is public safety.

Working together with other levels of government, health care professionals, patient and consumer interest groups, research communities and manufacturers, our department endeavours to minimize the health risk factors to you and maximize the safety provided by the regulatory system for these products.

We also strive to provide you with the information you need to make healthy choices and informed decisions about your health.

Health Canada is not a manufacturer or distributor of drugs and health products. We are the federal regulator. For additional drug information related to treatment options or where drugs or health products are sold, please contact your health professional or the individual company directly.

What is Available?

Health Canada is committed to providing timely access to sound, evidence-based information. We want to ensure that Canadians remain up-to-date on current developments and issues pertaining to drugs and health products in Canada.

Related Resources

• The Progressive Licensing Project has been initiated to develop a drug regulatory system for the future, and gives details of the plan for developing a new framework, and provides an opportunity for discussion with Canadians regarding drug licensing.

• Access to Therapeutic Products: The Regulatory Process in Canada. This publication describes how therapeutic products in Canada make their way from the laboratory to the marketplace.

• Find more information about biotechnology-based health products in the Science and Research section of our Web site.

• Chemical Substances Portal

New Applicants: No further applications will be accepted.

Current Grantees:  Awarded research will continue as scheduled. Please consult the current contacts list for all the inquires.  

These grant programs were administered by the CTCRI and funded in a partnership with:

• Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR): Institutes of: Neurosciences, Mental Health and Addiction, Cancer Research, Aboriginal Peoples' Health, Circulatory and Respiratory Health, Gender and Health, Human Development Child and Youth Health
• Canadian Cancer Society
• National Cancer Institute of Canada
• Health Canada
• Heart and Stroke Foundation
• Canadian Lung Association in partnership with l’Association pulmonaire du Québec

Recent funding announcements

The CTCRI congratulates all successful applicants of the recent competitions! 

• Idea Grants, April 2009
• Policy Grants, April 2009
• Fast-Track Policy Research grant, 2008
• Idea grants, October 2008 
• Research Planning grant
  
• Workshop & Learning Opportunities grant
  
• Student Research grants
  
• Researcher Travel grant
  

Scientific Review Panel:

A list of panel members for the scientific review of the above competitions is available for download:

Idea and Policy 2009 - Review Panel Members

Idea Grants, April 2009

Tony George, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health
"A nicotinic partial agonist for tobacco dependence treatment in bipolar disorder"
$49,995.00

Robert Schwartz, University of Toronto, Ontario Tobacco Research Unit
“Cigarette pack as advertisement: Beyond light and mild”
$50,000.00

Policy Grants, April 2009

John Church, University Alberta
"Understanding Canadian tobacco control policy through provincial policy network analysis"
$80,000.00

Lorraine Greaves, British Columbia Centre of Excellence for Women's Health
"Social and built environments and gendered effects of secondhand smoke (SHS) policies"
$79,994.00

Robert Schwartz, University of Toronto, Ontario Tobacco Research Unit
"Cigarillo use among young adults: An assessment of the impact of restrictions on cigarillo sales"
$79,468.00

Fast-Track Policy Research Grant, 2008

Annette Schultz, University of Manitoba
“Exploring the shifting culture surrounding tobacco use on in-patient psychiatric units post-implementation of smoke-free hospital grounds policies”
$72,008.00

Idea Grants, October 2008

Paul Clarke, McGill University
“In quest of non-nicotinic reinforcing substances in tobacco smoke” 
$48,985.00

Benita Cohen, University of Manitoba
“Exploring issues of equity within Canadian tobacco control initiatives: An environmental scan”
$49,608.00

Bernard Le Foll, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health
“Testing the Gabaergic hypothesis of nicotine dependence: a randomized clinical trial of baclofen”
$50,000.00

Research Planning Grant

Kathryn Hyndman, Brandon University
“A survey of health professionals' training in tobacco reduction counselling on the Canadian prairies"
$14,500.00

Workshop and Learning Opportunities Grant

Sean Barrett, Dalhousie University
“Tobacco Control in Nova Scotia: Developing Best Practices for Implementing and Monitoring Smoking Cessation Programs"
$15,000.00

Student Research Grants

William Callery, University of Waterloo
"Impact of health warning messages on smokeless tobacco products"
$10,000.00

Juliana Doxey, University of Waterloo
“The impact of cigarette packaging on young women: Brand appeal, beliefs about smoking, and risk perception”
$10,000.00

Laura McCammon-Trip, University of Waterloo
“The impact of drifting environmental tobacco smoke in multi-unit dwellings: Measurements and perceptions”
$10,000.00

Yijin Yan, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health
“Role of dopamine D4 receptor in nicotine self-administration and reinstatement”
$10,000.00

Researcher Travel Grant

14th World Conference on Tobacco or Health – Mumbai, India
Michael Cantinotti, CSSS-Vieille-Capitale, CAU
“Smoking and Second-hand Smoke among Prison Employees: It's Time to Act !”
$1,990.00