New Research on E-Cigs
A University of Rochester Medical Center study suggests that electronic cigarettes are as equally damaging to gums and teeth as conventional cigarettes. Electronic cigarettes continue to grow in popularity among younger adults and current and former smokers because they are often perceived as a healthier alternative to conventional cigarettes. Previously, scientists thought that the chemicals found in cigarette smoke were the culprits behind adverse health effects, but a growing body of scientific data, including this study, suggests otherwise. “We showed that when the vapors from an e-cigarette are burned, it causes cells to release inflammatory proteins, which in turn aggravate…
Caremark Pressures Pharmacies to Abandon Tobacco Sales
Some customers will soon be required to make a $15 co-payment on prescriptions filled at pharmacies that sell tobacco products, under new rules issued by Caremark, the pharmacy benefits management arm of CVS. The rules will encourage customers to fill prescriptions at CVS-owned pharmacies, which stopped selling tobacco products in September. This will also put financial pressure on other pharmacies that are part of the Caremark network to stop selling tobacco products. More than 54,000 pharmacies are part of the Caremark network, including more than 20,000 independent pharmacies. “For clients who choose a tobacco-free network, plan members would be provided…
F.D.A. Will Propose New Regulations for E-Cigarettes
The Food and Drug Administration will propose sweeping new rules that for the first time would extend its regulatory authority from cigarettes to electronic cigarettes, popular nicotine delivery devices that have grown into a multibillion-dollar business with virtually no federal oversight or protections for American consumers. Perhaps the biggest proposed change would require producers of cigars and e-cigarettes to register with the F.D.A., provide the agency with a detailed accounting of their products’ ingredients and disclose their manufacturing processes and scientific data. Producers would also be subject to F.D.A. inspections. Click HERE for full story