Other Announcements

General

CDC's Winnable Battles
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Director Dr. Thomas R. Frieden has announced six public health priorities, termed “Winnable Battles.” The priority areas were identified based on their large impact on health and the availability of proven and effective strategies to address their negative health impacts. The current Winnable Battles include healthcare-associated infections; HIV; motor vehicle injuries; obesity, nutrition, physical activity, and food safety; teen pregnancy; and tobacco. The CDC will work with partners to make progress in reducing the burden and any associated health disparities related to these areas. While some are concerned that other important disease areas may not receive the support and funding they need because of this priority list, others believe it is an effective way to focus public health messages and make significant improvements in health. Visit the CDC’s Winnable Battles website, or click here to read more.

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FDA Announcements

FDA panel hears about menthol in cigarettes
Testimony from both antismoking groups and the tobacco industry were heard at a recent meeting of the FDA’s Tobacco Products Scientific Advisory Committee. At the October 7 meeting, which focused on the use of menthol in cigarettes, tobacco industry documents were presented demonstrating that menthol has been added to cigarettes to make them less irritating and thus easier for young people to smoke, which also led users to assume they were safer than normal cigarettes. The documents also revealed that menthol advertisements specifically targeted African-Americans, Asians, and young women. The documents did not show that first-time menthol cigarette smokers were younger than first-time smokers of unflavored cigarettes, or that tobacco companies were trying to specifically promote menthols over other cigarettes. The Committee has a March 2011 deadline to submit a report to guide the FDA’s decision on further regulation or an outright ban of menthol as an additive. Click here to read more about the meeting, view a summary memorandum about specific discussion questions addressed at the meeting, or click here for more information about the Committee and to view past webcasts of their meetings.

Frequently asked questions on the passage of the Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act (FSPTCA) updated October, 2010
The FDA Center for Tobacco Products has updated the frequently asked questions section on its website. The topics addressed are health effects of tobacco, implementation and regulation under the Tobacco Control Act, the effects of the Act on specific tobacco products, the approval process for tobacco products, the effect of tobacco on youth, and the use of labeling and advertising of tobacco products. Click here to read more.

Recordings and materials from FDA tobacco retailer compliance trainings
This fall, the FDA Center for Tobacco Products held five live training sessions for retailers on federal tobacco regulations. The sessions provided retailers across the country with information about how to comply with the regulations, allowing for question-and-answer sessions with FDA representatives. For retailers who were unable to attend the live webcasts, the meeting materials and recordings from these training sessions are now available on the FDA website. Read more here.

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