The New York Times has a story about how a number of scientists are turning down entreaties - and funding - from vaping company Juul, which says it wants to support research into whether its products are “more public health benefit than risk.”
The reason for the rejection is simple: these scientists don’t want to find themselves and their reputations being corrupted and coopted by an e-cigarette company that is 35 percent owned by a tobacco company, and that makers a product that serves as a nicotine delivery system.
The Times points out that there is a clock ticking - if Juul does not produce evidence that it has public health benefits by 2022, federal regulators could shut it down.
The Times story notes that Juul’s “popular vaping products have contributed to what health officials have called an epidemic of e-cigarette use and nicotine addiction among teenagers. Because many researchers have spurned the company’s lucrative offers, Juul has had to rely on scientists with tobacco industry ties — further damaging the company’s credibility and making it even tougher to attract independent investigators … Juul’s predicament is made worse by the bans that many universities have on accepting funding from the tobacco industry.”
The reason for the rejection is simple: these scientists don’t want to find themselves and their reputations being corrupted and coopted by an e-cigarette company that is 35 percent owned by a tobacco company, and that makers a product that serves as a nicotine delivery system.
The Times points out that there is a clock ticking - if Juul does not produce evidence that it has public health benefits by 2022, federal regulators could shut it down.
The Times story notes that Juul’s “popular vaping products have contributed to what health officials have called an epidemic of e-cigarette use and nicotine addiction among teenagers. Because many researchers have spurned the company’s lucrative offers, Juul has had to rely on scientists with tobacco industry ties — further damaging the company’s credibility and making it even tougher to attract independent investigators … Juul’s predicament is made worse by the bans that many universities have on accepting funding from the tobacco industry.”
- KC's View:
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These people will find some scientists who will not only take the money, but shade the research to support the priorities of a company that sells a nicotine delivery system. Of course they will - after all, the tobacco companies were able to find scientists to support their lies … and now they’re investing in e-cigarette companies, believing that they’ve found a new method to addict people to their poison.
Not that I feel strongly about this.
I’m glad that some scientists, at least, are turning Juul down. Gives me hope.
