Alarmism overused

‘FDA [the US Food and Drug Administration] seems to just be going around in circles,’ according to Lindsey Stroud, state government relations manager at The Heartland Institute.

Stroud was commenting on a recent FDA demand that five electronic-cigarette manufacturers address within 60 days what the agency describes as an “epidemic” of teenage vaping or face possible market restrictions on their products: blu, Juul, Logic, MarkTen, and Vuse.

‘Despite the alarmism, youth vaping dropped in 2016 and remained flat in 2017,’ said Stroud.

‘And youth cigarette smoking – it’s at an all-time low.

‘As tobacco companies have been doing for decades, electronic cigarette manufacturers are investing millions into anti-youth initiatives, and some states like Massachusetts have publicly refused to take their money.

‘Retailers in vape shops practice strict and responsible policies to ensure underage consumers are not purchasing vaping products.’

At the same time, Stroud said, the FDA had yet to approve a premarket tobacco product application. ‘Delaying such products limits companies’ ability to modify their current products to be even more child-resistant, including locks on these products,’ she said.

‘Although “protecting the children” is a laudable goal, this rhetoric is overused and threatens the millions of smokers who have quit smoking combustible cigarettes by using these products.’