E-Cigarettes Recommendable over Ordinary Cigarettes

Seeking to get rid of the evil habit of smoking, try and prefer electronic cigarettes, suggests a team of researchers from the Athens- based Onassis Cardiac Surgery Center, as revealed in a recent report, to all those people who are failing constantly in their efforts to quit inhaling tobacco. The team has been affirming that while providing the same experience as cigarettes does, when one would chuck out his addiction would not even be realized by him.

Besides, the fatal consequences such as a heart disease would also not occur. The claims are evident-based from a study conducted recruiting some 20 young daily smokers. Heart activities of participants smoking an ordinary cigarette were examined and compared with those smoking E-cigarettes for 7 minutes. It was found the latter group was least affected, however, the former group tended to show distraction in their blood pressure or heartbeats.

It has been told that one ordinary cigarette provides such levels of nitrosamines, which are offered by electronic cigarettes in four to 12 months, if smoked daily. Researcher Konstantinos Farsalinos was quoted as saying, “Currently available data suggest that electronic cigarettes are far less harmful, and substituting tobacco with electronic cigarettes may be beneficial to health”.

Driver held over untaxed cigarettes

Deputy Muar police chief Superintendent Sahadan Jaafar said police detained the white Inokom 3-tonne lorry at the Jalan Bari second link and found 310 boxes of contraband cigarettes. He said police arrested the 30-year-old lorry driver from Alor Star, Kedah. The cigarettes are valued at RM155,000 with unpaid Customs duty of RM1.41 million.

Sahadan said the suspect, upon conviction, could be fined 10 times the value of the cigarettes or RM1.55 million. He said initial investigation revealed the driver was instructed to deliver the cigarettes, believed to have been smuggled from a neighbouring country, from Air Hitam in Johor to Malacca. "The suspect claimed he had met an individual in Singapore who offered him RM200 for each delivery, from Air Hitam to Malacca," he said.

E-Cigarette Now Delivers More Vapor and Better Flavor

Electronic cigarettes are an exciting new technology that offers cigarette smokers an alternative that is free of tars and other byproducts while offering the complete experience of smoking. A battery that looks like a cigarette and a disposable cartridge vaporize a specially formulated liquid producing a vapor that looks, feels and tastes like cigarette smoke. Users can switch to these smokeless e-cigarettes immediately without any discomfort.

Now there is an intermediate step between smoking cigarettes and total abstinence that promises hope for millions of people. PrimeVapor, a US company based in Pleasant Prairie, Wisconsin, has developed a new version of these vapor cigarettes that combines the latest battery technology with their own vapor formula to make the most advanced electronic cigarette on the market. The PrimeVapor flavor cartridge is processed in the United States at their ISO9002 certified facility. This plant operates under the pharmaceutical industries’ Good Manufacturing Practice to guarantee the highest quality control standards.

The proprietary formula is made from all-natural; US made vegetable glycerin, food grade flavor extracts and just the right amount of nicotine to offer the smoker everything they need. It compares favorably to the widely used Chinese origin e-cigarette formulas that use propylene glycol. Most importantly, it compares favorably to 4,000 or so chemical by-products in tobacco smoke that includes some known carcinogens. With the introduction of the new Chameleon battery, PrimeVapor takes the lead in e-cigarette technology.

This protected lithium-ion battery is not only durable and long lasting, but has PrimeVapor’s own SmartCharge LED indicator that tells the user how much charge is remaining in their battery every time they use it. Electronic cigarettes have never been easier to use. PrimeVapor recommends the Deluxe E-Cigarette Starter Kit for those who want to begin using e-cigarettes. This is a complete package of batteries, USB Battery Charger and AC Adapter plus a package of five flavor cartridges.

NH court reverses ruling in light cigarette case

The New Hampshire Supreme Court Tuesday reversed a class-action certification in a lawsuit filed by consumers who claim tobacco giant Philip Morris violated the state’s Consumer Protection Act by falsely labeling a brand of cigarettes as ‘‘Marlboro Lights.’’ The Supreme Court says there were ample academic studies and news reports suggesting that smokers of light cigarettes inhaled the same amount of tar and nicotine as smokers of other cigarettes.

The lawsuit was filed 10 years ago by longtime Marlboro Lights smoker Karen Lawrence, but was on hold for several years awaiting U.S. Supreme Court rulings on a variety of related topics. A superior court judge certified it as a class-action suit in 2010 and the Supreme Court ruling addresses only whether that certification was in error. The case has yet to go to trial. Tuesday’s ruling cites studies dating to 1976 that indicate smokers of light cigarettes compensated by smoking more or inhaling deeper.

The justices ruled unanimously that plaintiffs would have to be polled individually about the information they were exposed to and their individual smoking habits — making the case inappropriate for a class action. Attorney Chuck Douglas, who represents Lawrence, said he and other lawyers representing her were discussing whether they would proceed with her case. He said Lawrence survived lung cancer, but stressed the case wasn’t about cancer but about advertising statements he says violate the state’s Consumer Protection Act.

‘‘I wish the case had been able to go forward because these folks are entitled to compensation for the representations that were false,’’ said Douglas. Philip Morris spokesman Murray Garnick said the ruling joins those of 15 other courts that have rejected the cases on a variety of legal grounds. ‘‘The court recognized correctly that there are too many individual issues for this case to be treated as a class action,’’ Garnick said.

Federal appeals court says no to FDA graphic cigarette warnings

Medline Plus has reported that smoking is simply bad for your health. Smoking causes harm to nearly every organ of the body. Approximately 87 percent of lung cancer deaths are caused by cigarette smoking. Cigarette smoking is also responsible for many other cancers and health problems, which include lung disease, heart and blood vessel disease, stroke and cataracts. And women who smoke have a greater risk of certain pregnancy problems or having a baby die from sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS).

Furthermore, secondhand smoke from cigarette smokers can also be very harmful to other people. Therefore the FDA was surprised when a federal appeals court recently threw out its attempts to place graphic warning labels on cigarette packs. David Pittman has reported for MedPage Today "Appeals Court Nixes Cigarette Warnings." In a 2-1 decision on Friday a federal appeals court threw out the FDA's attempts to have warning labels, such as a pair of lungs which are blackened by smoke, put on cigarette packs. In this decision the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia upheld a lower court ruling in March that cigarette companies' First Amendment rights would be violated by such warning labels.

In this ruling the court also ruled that the FDA failed to show these warning labels would reduce smoking. The federal appeals court wrote "FDA has not provided a shred of evidence -- much less the 'substantial evidence' required by the Administrative Procedure Act-- showing that the graphic warnings will 'directly advance' its interest in reducing the number of Americans who smoke. FDA makes much of the 'international consensus' surrounding the effectiveness of large graphic warnings, but offers no evidence showing that such warnings have directly caused a material decrease in smoking rates in any of the countries that now require them."

The American Cancer Society and other anti-smoking advocates are clearly disappointed by he ruling in this case. Chief executive John R. Seffrin, PhD of the American Cancer Society said in a statement "Overwhelming evidence demonstrates both that existing warnings have failed to inform the public adequately of the risks of tobacco use, and that the large, graphic warnings required by the Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act would be effective at raising public awareness of the risks of smoking," The case is on record as R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Co et al v. FDA, U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia, No. 11-5332.

Court Strikes Down Gross-Out Cigarette Labels

The government can't force cigarette makers to put disgusting imagery warning of the dangers of smoking on their packages, a federal appeals court ruled today. In a 2-1 decision, the justices upheld a lower court ruling that the labels violated free speech protections, the AP reports. They
said the case raises "novel questions about the scope of the government's authority" to regulate companies' speech.

They also added that the FDA "has not provided a shred of evidence" that the warnings would "directly advance" its goal of reducing smoking. Legal experts tell the Wall Street Journal that the case will probably wind up being decided by the Supreme Court.

Judge mulling whether to revive cigarette lawsuit

After a hearing Tuesday in Edwardsville, Madison County Circuit Judge Dennis Ruth took the matter under advisement without offering any insight on when he might rule. A different Madison County judge in 2003 found that Philip Morris misled customers about “light” and “low tar” cigarettes and broke state law by marketing them as safer.

The state’s high court later threw out that verdict. But a state appellate court last year cleared the way for the plaintiffs to argue that a favorable 2008 U.S. Supreme Court decision in an unrelated case may be applied to reinstate the Madison County case. The class-action lawsuit involves 1.1 million people who bought “light” cigarettes in Illinois.

Billings man gets 10 years in marijuana case Read more: http://www.sfgate.com/news/article/Billings-man-gets-10-years-in-marijuana-case-3769606.php#ixzz22xQaz1m3

A Billings man has been sentenced to 10 years in prison for marijuana trafficking and money laundering and his twin brother was sentenced to 3½ years in prison for trying to frighten a witnesses from testifying before a grand jury in the drug case.

 The Billings Gazette reports (http://bit.ly/OK6DPo ) 33-year-old Christopher Andrew Lich was sentenced Monday to 10 years in prison to possessing marijuana for distribution and money laundering. U.S. District Judge Richard Cebull also ordered him to forfeit two vehicles, two motorcycles and nearly $3,100 in cash.

 Cory Matthew Lich was sentenced Tuesday after pleading guilty to tampering with a witness. Prosecutors alleged he told a witness to keep quiet last November, a day before the witness was to testify before a grand jury.

Plain packaging of cigarettes encourages young smokers to heed health warnings

Researchers asked eighty-seven teenage secondary school (high school) students from the city of Bristol, UK, to look at twenty images of cigarette packs on a computer screen for ten seconds each while a device tracked their eye movements. Some packs were plain, carrying only the name of the brand in a plain font and a standard pictorial health warning.

The rest were the conventional and colourful packs of ten popular cigarette brands, which included the same health warnings. Students who had never smoked paid attention to the health warnings on both plain and branded cigarette packets, while daily smokers tended to avoid looking at any health warnings at all. But students who were occasional (non-daily) smokers, or had tried smoking at least once, paid more attention to the health warnings on the plain packs than to those on the branded packs.

Compared with adults, adolescents are highly vulnerable to taking up smoking. Research has established that pictorial health warnings can discourage young smokers and that adolescents who forego a cigarette because of a health warning have a lower intention to smoke. As a result of its plain-packaging legislation, the Australian government is facing an international trade dispute involving several tobacco companies and tobacco-producing nations. The results of this study will give the Australian government another piece of evidence in its favour, and something for other governments to consider as they contemplate plain-packaging legislation of their own.

Barrett Duke: Why Medical Marijuana is a Joke

An oxymoron is a figure of speech that uses contradictory terms, like "larger half" or "jumbo shrimp." The term also applies to the phrase "medical marijuana." There is very little medicinal about marijuana. Yet, each year more states are legalizing its use for all sorts of medical purposes. Connecticut recently became the 17th state along with the District of Columbia to legalize marijuana for medical purposes. At least 19 states considered a medical marijuana law in 2012 and six others are still considering legislation.

Don't be taken in. Marijuana is a dangerous drug with countless negative effects. The rush to decriminalization in the name of pain control or mental health cannot be justified. Most people who use marijuana to relieve severe pain combine it with stronger pain relievers because marijuana is not effective enough by itself. Furthermore, marijuana's pain-relieving ingredient has been available by prescription for years. A person can purchase Marinol -- right now -- with a doctor's prescription. The use of marijuana as a means to improve one's mental health also is not justifiable. People dealing with depression need the regular care of a trained professional.

If they require drugs, there are plenty of proven mood-altering ones available that do not introduce as many potential and likely problems as marijuana. Smoking marijuana medicinally threatens to make bad situations worse for many users. Marijuana introduces multiple toxic chemicals into the systems of people whose bodies are already weakened from their ailments. Not only might these toxic chemicals interfere with the healing process, but users also risk developing additional problems. Medical marijuana puts the user at higher risk for cancer, psychosis, strokes, respiratory damage and heart attack.

These risks must be weighed to determine marijuana's actual value, even for a limited range of carefully monitored applications like treating glaucoma or enhancing appetite. Part of the reason we have not had more success ending rampant illicit drug abuse in our nation is the fact that so many states have legalized marijuana for medical purposes. Such counterproductive policies are the equivalent of drilling holes in the bottom of your boat while you are frantically trying to bail water. In fact, if you take a closer look, you will see that most states currently debating legalizing the use of marijuana for recreation first legalized it for medicinal use. Medical marijuana is the Trojan horse of recreational marijuana. Now, I am all for people finding relief from pain and illness.

One of my grandmothers died from a terrible form of bone cancer. Cancer killed my father and at least one of his two brothers. Their deaths were slow and painful. If I thought marijuana would do more for someone in the same situation than the multitude of drugs already available, I would likely be making a much different argument here. But the plain fact of the matter is that there are better and safer drugs. Marijuana is not the solution. It merely adds more problems. Instead of making drug use easier, we should redouble our efforts to warn people of the dangers of drug use, develop more effective rehabilitation programs for those who are convicted of drug possession, and increase our prosecution of those who supply the drugs. We are in a battle for the lives of millions of people. They deserve our best efforts, not our surrender or thoughtless compassion. Let's call medical marijuana what it is -- an oxymoron.

Third Hand Smoke Also a Danger

We've heard a lot about second hand smoke and how it can affect people. Now scientists are finding third hand smoke can be dangerous too. What is third hand smoke and how can it be avoided? We know smoking can harm us. And if we live with a smoker, that second hand smoke we inhale can affect us as well.

"Second-hand smoke is when somebody smokes in the presence of other people and they inhale that smoke. That causes all kinds of problems such as lung cancer, such as C-O-P-D, such as asthma and respiratory infections in children," says Dr. Norman Edelman, director of the American Lung Association. Now scientists are finding that third hand smoke, which is the fumes that come off somebody who has smoked elsewhere can have a negative impact on our health, as well as our children's. "There's evidence now that third-hand smoke is a risk factor in children like chronic ear infections and chronic respiratory infections," Dr. Edelman explains.

"And if your clothes reek of smoke, your hair reeks of smoke, your little child is going to get an asthma attack, more than likely." How to avoid passing on your smoke to others? The American Lung Association says, try to quit. If that's not possible, take the smoking outside, where the air is less concentrated and the smoke fumes are not as heavy and won't be left on clothing. "Smokers should know that they're not only doing damage to their own hearts and lungs and other organs but they're doing damage to the people around them."

More than 1,000 people quit smoking in Torbay

MORE than 1,000 people in Torbay have stopped smoking with the support of the local NHS Stop Smoking Service. Figures just released show that 1,041 smokers in Torbay quit the habit between April 2011 and March 2012. Paul Sheward of the Stop Smoking Service in Torbay and Southern Devon Health and Care NHS Trust said: “It is fantastic that so many people have quit smoking in the last year with the help of the Torbay Stop Smoking Service.

“Giving up smoking is a really big decision to make, so knowing that support is on hand is something that people find really useful. Evidence shows that you are four times more likely to successfully quit smoking with specialist support. “Our trained advisors can offer practical support and guidance on the best methods to quit smoking, based on the latest evidence and the circumstances of individual smokers. “If you are thinking about quitting or have tried in the past and not been successful, I would highly recommend getting in touch with the service.”

Fiona Andrews, Director of SmokeFree South West said: “The local stop smoking services continue to help thousands of people with friendly, supportive staff and most importantly expert advice. "It was another fantastic year for these ex-smokers who have achieved their goal and can look forward to a healthier future.” Professor Yvonne Doyle, Regional Director of Public Health, added: “If you are a smoker, why not go for gold this summer and sign up to a local service, you have everything to gain and the services are free, professionally run and successful.”

Tobacco tax needed for children's benefit

I strongly disagree with The Daily News’ July 2 editorial on the cigarette tax headlined, “Smokers getting stick’s sharp end.” While smoking is an individual decision, the cost to our state government and society is high. According to the Campaign for Tobacco Free Kids, the state of North Carolina will spend over $2.4 billion dollars annually in smoking-related health-care costs.

Specifically, taxpayers shoulder over $769 million in Medicaid spending every year for smoking-related medical treatment. Increasing the cigarette tax can help pay for these costs to the state, and it also deters use of tobacco products, especially amongst a population that is particularly susceptible to smoking, our children. Raising North Carolina’s cigarette tax by $1 would reduce smoking among youth by 15.4 percent, preventing addiction among 81,000 of North Carolina youth. In the editorial, you state that “anti-smoking campaigns targeting children are commonplace.” Unfortunately, that is no longer true.

The budget passed by the North Carolina General Assembly recently includes language prohibiting the use of any funds for statewide marketing and media campaigns for tobacco cessation and prevention. Therefore, there will no longer be any state funds available for the nationally recognized and wildly successful TRU anti-smoking TV and radio ads which have been so effective among people of all ages, but most especially our youth.

With the loss of this educational campaign, youth smoking rates are likely to increase, and increasing the cigarette tax becomes an even more valuable option to deter our children from smoking. Raising tobacco taxes is a win-win for our state. It will save lives and raise revenue in this difficult economic time.

Mo. Supreme Court clears minimum wage, tobacco tax ballot wording

The Missouri Supreme Court on Tuesday rejected challenges to ballot summaries and financial estimates for initiatives to increase tobacco taxes and raise the minimum wage in Missouri, the Columbia Missourian reports.

The ruling will allow the initiatives to appear on the Nov. 6 ballot, if the secretary of state’s office decides that enough petition signatures of registered voters have been submitted. In the ruling, the Supreme Court overturned a Cole County judge’s ruling that the state auditor lacked the constitutional authority to prepare financial estimates for ballot measures. It also rejected claims that the ballot summaries were unfair and insufficient.

The proposed minimum wage increase would take the state’s minimum pay up by $1 to $8.25 an hour starting in 2013, with annual cost-of living adjustments in subsequent years. The cigarette tax would increase the tax on a package of cigarettes to 90 cents a pack, up from the current 17 cents.

Try This Healthy Tobacco Trade

Sometimes bad habits can be profitable. Take, for example, a producer of tobacco products. It generally is regarded that smoking tobacco products is not beneficial for your health, and in fact can be dangerous. But still, people continue to smoke. Trading also can be considered dangerous to your health — depending on how a trader handles the stress and anxiety that trading is sometimes known to cause.

Here is a trade idea that benefits from a bad habit and may just provide some stress relief from another. The theory on this covered call trade example is this: Altria Group (NYSE:MO) primarily produces tobacco products. Marlboro and Parliament are a couple of their more famous brands. The company just reported solid earnings last week, including a 9%-plus increase of adjusted earnings per share.

What really was astounding was that MO was able to increase revenues despite a declining cigarette volume. Analysts have forecast that the company’s EPS will grow about 6% a year for the next five years. Technically, a trader could almost not ask for a better six-month chart for a covered call.

The stock has been slowly rising with a few minor pullbacks for better than six months. The stock never has been higher before, so there is no overhead resistance that might stall it from continuing to climb. Is it too good to be true? We’ll have to wait and see.

Smokers drop pricey cigarettes for cheaper alternatives

Cigarette smoking continues to decline, according to the report released Thursday. A modest 2.5 percent drop in cigarette use occurred between 2010 and 2011, but use of other tobacco products jumped 17 percent, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

"What we have seen is the steady progress in reducing the consumption of the most dangerous forms of tobacco, which are inhaled combustible products, stalled because there had been a substitute of roll-your-own and cigarette-like cigars that have increased in recent years due to loopholes in the tax structure," said Terry Pechacek, associate director for science in the CDC's Office of Smoking and Health.

"Smokers overall and youth in particular are price-sensitive and respond to the availability of something that is cheaper that fills their desire for a smokable product," he added. Pechacek noted that small cigars that look like cigarettes except for a dark paper label have been reformulated to bypass the tax law that covers cigarettes.

"These are available for like $1.40 a pack," he said. Nationwide, a pack of cigarettes averages $5.98, according to the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids. These products are also not subject to U.S. Food and Drug Administration regulations on flavoring and labeling products "light" or "low tar" as cigarettes are, but are just as "lethal and dangerous as cigarettes," Pechacek said.

Tobacco sales exceed govt projections

THE tobacco selling season closed last week with sales volumes 6,1% above the government revised projection of 130 million kg. Sales volumes for the season totalled 137,5 million kg valued at US$507,2 million. This is 45% and 8,3% ahead of last year’s US$348,7 million and 12,9 million tonnes recorded value and sales volumes, respectively.

Tobacco output was this year initially projected at 150 million kg but was later revised downwards to 130 million kg owing to a decline in the planted hectarage and bad weather. Prices for the season closed 34,2% firmer at an average of US$3,69 compared to US$2,75 last year. Contract sales accounted for 63% of volumes and totalled 86,3 million kg with a value of US$325,6 million compared to auction sales volumes amounting to 51,2 million kg sold at US$181 million.

The Medium-Term Plan (MTP) forecasted tobacco output at 180 million kg this year, which could not be achieved due to limited funding in the sector, among other reasons. The tobacco industry needs US$200 million in fresh capital to return to peak production record of 237 million kg recorded in 2000. The agriculture sector continues to face a myriad of challenges as evidenced by Finance minister Tendai Biti’s mid-term review policy, projecting the sector to decline by 5,8% largely weighed down by poor performance of maize and wheat production which declined by 4,7% and 2,5% respectively. Biti said economic growth has thus been revised down to 5,6% compared to 9,4% partly due to poor performance of the agriculture sector.

He said in order to reverse the decline in the sector and sustain agro-processing industries, government would have to focus on the timely supply of inputs, financing and clarify marketing arrangements for the coming season. Biti said resolving outstanding issues on land tenure was important in facilitating financing for the sector and helping it return to projected growth of 13,7% in 2013 as targeted by the MTP.

Veggie Vaccines: Putting Tobacco to Good Use

In the event of wide-spread influenza pandemic a vaccine would need to be produced and distributed in the quickest time possible. The standard means of developing vaccines involves chicken eggs and could take up to nine months for a vaccine to become available. But this week scientists have managed to produce 10 million doses of a plant-based H1N1 vaccine within just a month. 

The Defense Advanced Research Project Agency (DARPA) have been pursuing vegetable-based vaccine research, called Blue Angel, since 2005. The current process would require nearly one billion chicken eggs to provide for the US. Dr. Alan Magill, DARPA program manager, said in an official statement “we’re looking at plant-based solutions to vaccine production as a more rapid an efficient alternative to the standard egg-based technologies, and the research is very promising.”

The agency hopes that veggie-based vaccines will be strong enough to battle flu with just one dose – compared to the multi-dose vaccines currently used. Plant-based vaccines are developed using ‘virus-like particles’. These particles are non-infectious and help produce anti-viral antibodies. They are produced by synthesizing the DNA of the flu virus, combining it with bacteria, and then soaking plants with the mix. The plants start producing the flu-fighting particles within minutes.

Protein extracts from the plants then become the basis for a vaccine. Tobacco is the most popular plant for this process as it grows relatively fast; with tobacco a vaccine could be produced in a matter of weeks. Potentially, 100 million vaccines could be produced a month. So government is funding the cultivation of tobacco? Medicago – a firm funded by DARPA – held $21 million worth of funding from the pentagon.

Advocates: ND tobacco ban on Nov. ballot

Supporters of a total ban on smoking in bars and other North Dakota workplaces say the issue will be on the ballot in November. Backers of a voter anti-tobacco initiative say they're turning in their petitions to Secretary of State Al Jaeger on Thursday. They say they have more than the minimum of 13,500 names needed to assure a public vote.

North Dakota already prohibits smoking in most public places. The initiative goes further. It would ban smoking in bars, motels, tobacco shops and private nursing home rooms. The measure sets up a penalty system for violations and says bar owners who allow smoking could have their liquor licenses revoked. If the petitions have enough names, the anti-tobacco proposal will be listed as Measure 3 on the November ballot.

New tax could crush tobacco shops

Tennessee tobacco farmers will see taxes on their products rise because of a new state law that is mirrored by a provision in the federal highway bill passed in July. Although Washington politicians have touted the federal law as supporting or creating around a million jobs, the provision taxing roll-your-own tobacco shops as manufacturers end to an entire industry.

“It’s definitely a major body blow, a knockout punch if you will,” said Mark Griffey, one of the proprietors of Smokes-4-Less in the Knoxville area. Griffey said he shut down two of his three stores and laid off nine of his 10 employees after the federal bill was signed. “So, for all intents and purposes, if we don’t get some kind of injunction or antitrust suit, or something, we’re dead,” he said.

Challenge to FDA Tobacco Panel Continues

A lawsuit challenging the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) tobacco advisory committee has been allowed to continue by a federal judge, the Associated Press reports. U.S. District Court Judge Richard Leon dismissed the agency’s motion to reject the lawsuit filed by R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Co. and Lorillard Inc. last year.

 The suit claims certain members of the Tobacco Products Scientific Advisory Committee have financial conflict of interest and bias. Because of those allegations, the tobacco companies want the court to ensure the agency doesn’t reply on panel recommendations. “Because of the limited number of viewpoints on these issues, the scientific — as opposed to political — nature of those viewpoints, and the distinct responsibilities of the committee, I believe I have sufficient standards which I can evaluate the agency's discretion,” said the judge.

 “The practice of appointing members to a government scientific advisory committee who have financial interests that violate conflict-of-interest laws and regulations should be subject to judicial review, as the court has now recognized,” Lorillard wrote in a statement. Previously, Altria Group and other cigarette manufacturers had requested that the FDA take panel members off because of conflicts of interest. However, Altria isn’t part of this suit.