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.