The James Center for Tobacco Research “is truly one of the largest, if not the largest centers in the country and we clearly have the greatest breadth and depth of tobacco research in the country,” said Ted Wagener, PhD, director of the Center. Since the adoption of the 2009 Tobacco Control Act, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has regulated the tobacco industry. Wagener compared this to “whack-a-mole,” explaining that “the tobacco industry is always looking for loopholes.” These loopholes include the use of menthol, synthetic cooling agents, electronic cigarettes and flavored products for electronic cigarette use that are more attractive to teenagers. The tobacco industry is also developing a synthetic nicotine product that might not be considered a tobacco product in order to avoid regulation by the FDA. “We can, as researchers, affect legislation through our research … and we’re trying to stay one step ahead of the [tobacco-producing companies],” Wagener said. “And that’s tough to do because they’re the ones creating the products.” For example, Wagener explained, tobacco companies use menthol to make their products less harsh and more palatable. “Menthol has a cooling sensation that makes it easier for young people to inhale.” He adds that research has shown that the tobacco industry targets younger users through these types of “starter programs,” hoping to create lifelong users. Initial research indicates electronic cigarettes are a nicotine delivery system that “delivers less carcinogens and toxicants than cigarettes,” Wagener said. “But still there are some carcinogens and toxicants and so, it seems to me, the cigarette companies are trying to come up with ways to negate the bad effects and still deliver nicotine. So far they haven’t been able to. In the meantime, they’re going to sell whatever they can and try to get away with whatever they can.” For example, while flavors for electronic cigarettes are banned, they are still readily available. While the number of smokers in the United States is dropping “we still have 500,000 people a year dying of tobacco-related diseases,” Wagener said.