Tuesday, February 02, 2010

Boston University School of Public Health Symposium on Tobacco Regulation and the FDA Now Available for Viewing

Is there such thing as a "safer" cigarette? What are the public health implications of the FDA's new regulatory authority over tobacco products? Should electronic cigarettes be banned or promoted?

These are just a few of the questions that were addressed at the 2009 William J. Bicknell Lectureship in Public Health held at Boston University School of Public Health on Friday, Oct. 23, 2009.

The keynote speaker of the event was Dr. Gregory Connolly, Professor of the Practice of Public Health at the Harvard School of Public Health. Dr. Connolly is a world-renowned expert on the control of tobacco products - including both cigarettes and smokeless tobacco - and was awarded the Surgeon General's Medallion by Dr. C. Everett Koop for his work in passing the Comprehensive Smokeless Tobacco Health Education Act. Before coming to Harvard, he served for many years as the director of the Massachusetts Tobacco Control Program, during a time in which the Commonwealth experienced a precipitous drop in cigarette consumption, both among adults and youths.

The panelist speakers at the event included myself, Patrick Basham (the founding director of the Democracy Institute and author of a book published recently, entitled "Butt Out! How Philip Morris Burned Ted Kennedy, the FDA & the Anti-Tobacco Movement") and Dr. Cheryl Healton (the founding president and chief executive officer of the American Legacy Foundation).

To watch the video of the event, click here.

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