All eyes on menthol

By Darlene Huang | Leave a Comment

As if the e-cigarette saga weren’t dramatic enough, Juul announced today that it will only sell its tobacco- and menthol-flavored products in the U.S. now. This comes before the current Administration’s announcement of a new flavored e-cigarette policy by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), which is expected any day now, and is the […]

Posted in FDA, Food and Drug Law, Non-Communicable Diseases, Tobacco ; Tagged: e-cigarettes, health equity, menthol, tobacco control.

09.26.19

See the forest for the trees: the short-sightedness of a singular focus on e-cigarettes

By Darlene Huang | Leave a Comment

The 2019 lunar new year was supposed to be an unlucky year for me based on Chinese astrology. I don’t usually give much weight to these horoscope-like predictions, but my awareness was heightened this year with my own wedding taking place earlier this month. Thankfully, it was a beautiful day, and I can report no […]

Posted in FDA, Food and Drug Law, Non-Communicable Diseases, Tobacco ; Tagged: e-cigarettes, tobacco control, tobacco endgame.

09.06.19

The Growing Consumption of Hookah Tobacco among the US Youth and Gaps in Enforcing Existing Laws

By Lidiya Teklemariam | Leave a Comment

Since May 2016, when it had issued the final deeming rule, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is exercising an extended regulatory power over all tobacco products including electronic nicotine delivery systems, cigars, hookah (water pipe) tobacco, pipe tobacco, etc. By subjecting hookah (also called shisha or waterpipe) tobacco under the Federal Food, Drug and Cosmetic […]

Posted in Addiction, FDA, Tobacco ;

08.07.19

National Immunization Awareness Month Means It’s Time We All Do Our Part

By Darlene Huang | Leave a Comment

August is National Immunization Awareness Month. The annual observance highlights the importance of getting recommended vaccines throughout life. It emphasizes that vaccines aren’t just for kids; adults need to get vaccinated, too. Its timing, though, is an especially helpful reminder for students and their parents as back-to-school time nears. All 50 U.S. states require some […]

Posted in FDA, Food and Drug Law, Healthcare, Infectious Diseases ; Tagged: Immunizations, vaccines.

07.22.19

Y2K Implicated in 2019: DATA to MATA, the Opioid Epidemic, and Buprenorphine

By Fabian Lucero | Leave a Comment

Drug overdoses in the U.S. cause more deaths annually than gun violence and motor-vehicle collisions combined. In 2017 alone 70,237 Americans died from drug overdose, 67.8% of those deaths are specifically attributed to opioids. Though we are in the midst of a public health crisis, there are possible solutions to reduce morbidity and mortality through Medication-Assisted […]

Posted in Addiction, FDA, Health reform ;

07.11.19

What I wish I knew 15 years ago about American Spirits cigarettes

By Darlene Huang | Leave a Comment

I used to wait tables. I started as a teen at my family’s restaurants before smoke-free workplace laws swept the nation. Like most restaurants at the time, we had a smoking section, and I oftentimes was assigned to it. I was thrilled when the city eventually adopted a clean indoor air ordinance, and a few […]

Posted in FDA, Food and Drug Law, Non-Communicable Diseases, Tobacco ; Tagged: misperceptions, regulatory science, tobacco control.

05.15.19

A tale of two sentiments two weeks after FDA permits the sale of IQOS

By Darlene Huang | Leave a Comment

It’s been just over two weeks since the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) authorized the sale of Philip Morris’ IQOS heated tobacco product (HTP) system in regular tobacco and menthol flavors. It’s also been exactly two years since the premarket tobacco product application (PMTA) for this product that creates an aerosol (not smoke) from […]

Posted in FDA, Food and Drug Law, Non-Communicable Diseases, Tobacco ; Tagged: continuum of risk, heated tobacco, tobacco control.

04.04.19

Reflecting on progress made in tobacco and nicotine products regulation under FDA Commissioner Gottlieb

By Darlene Huang | Leave a Comment

Tomorrow is Commissioner Gottlieb’s last day on the job at the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), and he’s been treating these last few days much like he has his entire two-year tenure: with carefully thought out and coordinated communication about both in-process and potential future FDA actions. While the agency has been hard at […]

Posted in FDA, Food and Drug Law, Non-Communicable Diseases, Tobacco ; Tagged: e-cigarettes, medical products, nicotine, tobacco control.

02.11.19

Reality check: Cigarettes are the only reason reduced risk tobacco products are even a thing

By Darlene Huang | Leave a Comment

First, a confession. I’m a total public health nerd. I’ve been absolutely captivated by the prevention of disease at a population level since I was introduced to the concept late in college. From the science that drives it to the programs, policies, and laws that either embrace or hinder it and everything in between and […]

Posted in FDA, Food and Drug Law, Non-Communicable Diseases, Tobacco ; Tagged: Harm Reduction, misperceptions, modified risk tobacco products, smokeless tobacco, tobacco control.

01.25.19

Develop your skills blending law, science, and policy as a Tobacco Regulatory Science Fellow at the U.S. Food and Drug Administration

By Darlene Huang | Leave a Comment

At my high school graduation, a friend and I had a short dialogue speaking to our graduating class about where our futures were headed. “What do you want to be when you grow up?” I asked her. She confidently answered, “A horse.” After an awkward moment or two went by, she continued with, “Or at […]

Posted in FDA, Food and Drug Law, Non-Communicable Diseases, Tobacco ; Tagged: nicotine, regulatory science, tobacco control.

Stay Informed

Signup for our mailing list and stay up to date on the latest happenings at The O’Neill Institute

Or sign up for our RSS Feed

The views reflected in this blog are those of the individual authors and do not necessarily represent those of the O’Neill Institute for National and Global Health Law or Georgetown University. This blog is solely informational in nature, and not intended as a substitute for competent legal advice from a licensed and retained attorney in your state or country.

See the full disclaimer and terms of use.