I have yet to hear a reasonable answer to the question of: “Why would organisations supposedly concerned for health want to stop millions of people moving from the top bar of this chart to the bottom?” Please continue reading below. clivebates.substack.com/p/ki…

Corrected: UK vape duty will add £2.64 to a 10 ml bottle (inc. VAT on duty) starting 1 Oct. I see it for £1.20 from well-known suppliers. So adding the duty makes a 220% increase - price > triples. What behavioural responses are the supporters of this tax expecting? @AshOrgUK?

Morality binds and blinds - @JonHaidt. Life and Death: Ultra-Processed Foods Linked to Everything - ConscienHealth conscienhealth.org/2026/09/2…

Special occasions #twittersupperclub

Love him or hate him Rowan Atkinson is one very talented guy. Great watch … enjoy . #mrBean

"The evidence overall supports the conclusion that e-cigarette availability reduces youth cigarette smoking."

The real stakeholders are the 890 million adults who still smoke deadly cigarettes and 200 million who have quit smoking by what old-school Tobacco Control thinks is “the wrong way.” @WHO stigmatizes the 1st and conveniently assumes that all the 2nd are “industry influenced.”

At #NAS2026, Cliff Douglas argued that the “continuum of risk” should play a central role in tobacco policy. He called for more predictable regulatory pathways and said potential FDA PMTA reforms could be a “welcome correction” if they improve access for scientifically substantiated lower-risk products. #FDA #PMTA #THR #Nicotine #2Firsts 2firsts.com/news/nas-2026--c…

When Falling Youth Tobacco Use Becomes Another Crisis Story @jgitchell @drjoesDIYhealth @Clive_Bates @JMacNYC @jkelovuori 09algor.substack.com/p/when-…

Thank you @c_lowenstein for an excellent TOPS presentation today! 🥳 Here are key takeaways from his presentation on "Synthesizing Reduced Form Estimates from Heterogeneous Policy Instruments: Evidence from E-Cigarette Regulation":

"Restricting youth e-cigarette access is associated with more youth smoking"

Very encouraging talk today by @FDATobacco’s Center for Tobacco Products Director Dr. Bret Koplow at #NewApproaches2026. Former Iowa Attorney General Tom Miller told him (and the entire audience) that “It’s a breath of fresh air.” I agree. Director Koplow emphasized that tobacco harm reduction should not be controversial. It is an essential approach to helping more adults stop smoking. It is, in fact, what the PMTA process is all about. In essence, he confirmed that this is exactly what Congress had in mind when it passed the Tobacco Control Act in 2009. He also noted his and FDA’s understanding that adults prefer non-tobacco and non-menthol flavors. This is and will be taken into account in reviewing product applications. Critically, he confirmed that public misunderstanding is widespread, and to stay tuned for FDA *action* focused on better educating adults who smoke, medical associations, and others who need to be accurately informed about the continuum of risk and nicotine. Again, a breath of fresh air.

Agreed. I believe he truly does, and importantly, has people’s long-term well-being at heart. That sense of humanity in a leadership position like his means a lot.

Cliff Douglas on remarks by FDA CTP Director Dr. Bret Koplow earlier today at #NewApproaches26. He has a big task ahead of him.

Dr. Bret Koplow, Director of @FDATobacco, speaking at the New Approaches Summit. He reiterated FDA’s firm commitment to discourage youth initiation AND encourage adults who smoke to switch completely to safer nicotine alternatives. He announced that FDA KNOWS many adults prefer non-tobacco flavors, and anticipates more of those will be authorized.

I'm listening to FDA CTP Director Bret Koplow speak at the @NewApproachesTC Summit. It is so good to hear a director acknowledge tobacco harm reduction and how these products can help adults to quit smoking. I am thrilled to hear him say that consumer voices need to be heard!

I reckon I feel alright.

Is AI Flooding Medical Journals With 'Meaningless' Research? With some quotes by me: "We are at a point now that we cannot distinguish fake from real," said Elisabeth Bik by @rachrobertson__ for @medpagetoday medpagetoday.com/special-rep…

Yup!