Executive Summary of Report (93K PDF File)
Project Description
The Life Sciences Research Office, Inc. (LSRO) conducted an independent, comprehensive evaluation of the scientific literature to compare the risk of use of smokeless tobacco products to smoking cigarettes, to identify the critical characteristics that contribute to an evaluation of risk, and to determine whether there is sufficient evidence to categorize smokeless tobacco products according to risk. LSRO convened an Expert Panel of scientists and physicians to deliberate these issues. The Differentiating Tobacco Risks (DTR) project is a case study of LSRO's Reduced Risk Review Project (RRRP), and utilized the risk assessment framework developed from the RRRP.
Sponsor
This report was sponsored by Philip Morris USA.
Process
Comparative risk assessments of tobacco products were conducted by using the evaluative framework described in the LSRO report entitled "Scientific Methods to Evaluate Potential Reduced-Risk Tobacco Products". LSRO comprehensively reviewed literature on preclinical studies related to smokeless tobacco (ST) and cigarettes (product characteristics, chemical composition, in vitro assays, and animal studies), clinical studies of biomarkers of exposure and biomarkers of effect, health outcome assessments (epidemiological and clinical studies), and behavioral studies. LSRO took a weight of evidence approach to evaluate the relative risks of cigarettes and STs and between different categories of ST products. LSRO also considered written and oral comments on the topic from the public. LSRO's findings, conclusions, and recommendations were developed from the literature review, relevant oral and written public comments, and deliberations of the DTR Committee.
LSRO Report
The report, "Differentiating the Health Risks of Categories of Tobacco Products" is available to the public for purchase through the LSRO online bookstore.
