Tobacco Control Researcher Calls for Boycott of Journal, Apparently Because the Editor Supports E-Cigarettes for Harm Reduction

In acomment posted on Dr. Stan Glantz ' sblog yesterday, Dr. Thomas Eissenberg--a researcher studying electronic cigarettes at Virginia Commonwealth University--called for a boycott of the journalAddiction because of his claim that the editor of the journal exhibited bias in fast-tracking an article that reported low levels of aldehydes in e-cigarette aerosol.Specifically, Dr. Eissenberg called for researchers to boycott the journal by not submitting articles to it and not reviewing for it " until it has published the means by which it will manage the apparent conflicts of conscience among its editorial staff... " . Presumably, Dr. Eissenberg is referring to what he views as a significant conflict of interest of the journal ' s editor--Dr. Robert West--who he claims violated the peer review process in fast-tracking a 2015 article that defended e-cigarettes against the claim that they expose users to high levels of formaldehyde.The situation is a bit complex, so let me try to summarize the background as best as I understand it:In May 2015, Dr. Konstantinos Farsalinos and colleagues published anarticle inAddiction which reported the results of an experiment showing that e-cigarettes only produce aldehydes (such as formaldehyde, a carcinogen) under dry puff conditions. A dry puff occurs when a vaping device overheats the e-liquid, resulting in an unpleasant taste. Most vapers will discontinue vaping when they experience a dry puff. Therefore, if aldehydes are present only under ...
Source: The Rest of the Story: Tobacco News Analysis and Commentary - Category: Addiction Source Type: blogs