Cummings, K. Michael
Polosa, Riccardo
Article History
First Online: 21 March 2018
Compliance with Ethical Standards
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: K. Michael Cummings is a Professor in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences and a member of the Hollings Cancer Center Cancer Control Program where he co-leads the tobacco control research program for the Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC, USA. His current research which is focused on electronic cigarettes is funded by the National Institute of Health. Dr. Cummings has never received funding from a business or trade group involved the sale of electronic cigarettes. Dr. Cummings has received consulting fees and grant support from Pfizer for his work in smoking cessation. He has also received fees as a paid expert witness in litigation filed against cigarette manufacturers.R. Polosa is a full-time employee of the University of Catania, Italy. In relation to his work in the area of tobacco control, RP has received lecture fees and research funding from Pfizer and GlaxoSmithKline, manufacturers of stop smoking medications. He has also received support from The Consumer Advocates for Smoke-free Alternatives (CASAA) for publication and open access costs of one paper. He has also served as a consultant for Pfizer, Global Health Alliance for treatment of tobacco dependence, ECITA (Electronic Cigarette Industry Trade Association, in the UK), Arbi Group Srl., and Health Diplomat (consulting company that delivers solutions to global health problems with special emphasis on harm minimization). Lectures’ fees from a number of European electronic cigarette industry and trade associations (including FIVAPE in France and FIESEL in Italy) were directly donated to vapers advocacy no-profit organizations. He is also currently involved in the following pro bono activities: scientific advisor for LIAF, Lega Italiana Anti Fumo (Italian acronym for Italian Anti Smoking League) and for the Consumer Advocates for Smoke-free Alternatives (CASAA); Chair of the European Technical Committee for standardization on “Requirements and test methods for emissions of electronic cigarettes” (CEN/TC 437; WG4).