Acting FDA Commissioner Sharpless on ENDS: topic is a complicated one

U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Acting Commissioner Ned Sharpless has released a statement on how he plans to regulate e-cigarettes, saying that the FDA oversight of these products is a top priority for the agency.

Some of the FDA’s plans include:

• Restricting youth access to electronic nicotine-delivery systems (ENDS)
• Conducting retailer and manufacturer checks
• Increasing requirements for ENDS manufacturers
• Utilizing premarket review requirements
• Providing data to inform premarket applications
• Preventing youth tobacco use through enforcement actions, policy and education
• Continuing to invest in more science and research

“While ENDS products appear to hold some promise in helping addicted adult smokers transition away from combustible tobacco to a potentially less harmful form of nicotine delivery, these products are not safe, and we cannot allow the next generation of young people to become addicted to nicotine,” Sharpless said.