The FDA website includes several glaring errors on its Established
List of Harmful and Potentially Harmful Constituents in Tobacco Products or
Tobacco Smoke (here). For example, the list wrongly identifies acrylamide
as both a respiratory and a cardiovascular toxicant. It is neither of these. It is a probable human carcinogen, according
to IARC, and it was correctly labeled in the list published in the federal
register (here). I recently collaborated with scientists from
BAT to publish a comprehensive analysis of acrylamide in smokeless tobacco
products from Sweden and the U.S. (here). Our study showed that it is present in all
products we tested, but “exposure… from consumption of smokeless tobacco
products is small compared with exposure from food… or cigarette smoking.”
Other agents on the list are also incorrectly classified: acetone,
acrolein, acrylonitrile and aflatoxin B1.
Another, acetamide, was omitted completely.
I described the problem to an FDA staffperson in late
September, and she told me that a technical specialist would call back. That did not happen, and the agency web page
has not been corrected.
Government communications, including web resources, should
contain accurate information.
Update, December 1, 2015: I am pleased to report that today the FDA corrected the webpage errors identified in this entry. My compliments to agency officials.
Update, December 1, 2015: I am pleased to report that today the FDA corrected the webpage errors identified in this entry. My compliments to agency officials.