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tobaccoasia 33 Other Tobacco Product News 其他烟草制品新闻 increased cardiovascular risk. However, the study had some limitations. First, it relied on self-reporting for behaviors such as e-cigarette use and tobacco cigarette use, which can be an unreliable method, even though the researchers tested users' blood to confirm whether they had recently smoked tobacco cigarettes. Also, the researchers were unable to quantify just how many e-cigarettes the e-cig users had smoked, given the difficulty of measuring the liquid used by each per day. Plus, more former smokers of tobacco cigarettes were in the e-cigarette-user group than in the nonuser group, although the researchers noted that they did not believe this explained the difference in their findings. Most importantly, the researchers cautioned that they cannot confirm a cause-effect relationship between e-cigarette use and cardiovascular risk based on this single, small study. They are also still unsure of how the effects of e-cigarettes on the heart compare to the effects of tobacco cigarettes on the heart, and future research is needed to determine this. Tech Groups Call for Ease Thirteen tech groups, including think tanks like TechFreedom and High Tech Forum, called on Congress to pass legislation that would loosen regulations on e-cigarette manufacturers that took effect last year. The groups are challenging FDA's deeming rule that requires e-cigarette makers to go through what the coalition considers to be a "lengthy and expen- sive" application process for products that were not on the market before February 15, 2007. In a letter to Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) and House Speaker Paul Ryan (R-Wis.), the groups said, "The FDA has reflexively applied the precautionary principle, giving more weight to theoretical concerns about problems that might arise rather than any concrete evidence of harm. In doing so, the agency is depriving smokers of a demonstrably safer alternative out of pure speculation." The groups became involved in the e-cigarette debate because they view the government regulations as interfering in the development of new technology. Americans for Tax Reform and the free-market think tank, R Street Institute, also signed the letter. The groups said Congress should pass legislation that would change the rules to require applications for products that were not on the market before August 16, 2016, instead of February 15, 2007, as changing the date would have no effect on the agency's ability to protect consumers and regulate e-ciga- rettes, while still allowing companies to produce and sell products without going through a cumbersome application process. NEW ZEALAND iQOS Deemed Illegal The New Zealand Ministry of Health says Philip Morris International's (PMI) iQOS device is illegal. C M Y CM MY CY CMY K Tobacco_Eng update.pdf 1 18/1/2560 10:13:04

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