The US Food & Drug Administration has drawn criticism from public health advocates after giving the go-ahead to the first menthol-flavoured vapes – and sending the message that the agency believes e-cigarettes can help people quit smoking tobacco.
The agency has increasingly been lambasted for its failure to control the distribution of illegal but widely available flavoured vaping products that appeal to young people, and the latest decision comes amid growing legal challenges over its handling of e-cigarette regulations.
The Washington Post reports that Friday’s approval included two disposable e-cigarettes and two pre-filled e-cigarette pods manufactured by NJOY, a subsidiary of tobacco giant Altria Group, which makes Marlboro and some menthol-flavoured cigarettes.
The FDA decision supports the vaping industry’s assertion that e-cigarettes can reduce the harms of smoking. Health experts say cancer and heart and lung disease caused by smoking kill more than 480 000 people in the United States annually.
Matthew Farrelly from the FDA’s Centre for Tobacco Products said that after “rigorous scientific review”, the agency had concluded that the benefit of adult smokers switching to e-cigarettes “was sufficient to outweigh the risks to youth”.
E-cigarette products are regulated as tobacco products because they often contain addictive nicotine. The agency said the approval “does not mean these tobacco products are safe”, and that all tobacco product can be harmful and potentially addictive.
In recent years, the agency has cited public health risks in denying marketing approvals for thousands of e-cigarettes – until Friday, it had approved just 23 tobacco-flavoured products.
Anti-tobacco groups say most teens prefer flavoured or menthol vape products.
“This decision is hard to understand considering the FDA’s own repeated conclusions that flavoured e-cigarettes, including menthol-flavoured products, appeal to children and have fuelled the youth e-cigarette epidemic. What has changed?” said Yolonda Richardson, president and CEO of the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids.
Altria executives said the FDA’s decision provides an important option for adults wanting to lessen the health consequences of tobacco use.
“We believe that for tobacco harm reduction to succeed, adult smokers must have access to a robust marketplace of FDA-authorised smoke-free alternatives,” said Paige Magness, senior vice president of regulatory affairs for Altria Client Services.
Tony Abboud, executive director of the Vapour Technology Association, a trade group, called the FDA’s decision the result of political pressure. He said the FDA keeps authorising “smokable” tobacco products but has refused to recognise science showing e-cigarettes are less harmful.
He also blasted the agency for authorising products only from a Big Tobacco company while denying or delaying those from independent companies that belong to his association.
“It’s another great day to be Big Tobacco,” he said.
See more from MedicalBrief archives:
US delays ban on menthol cigarettes
DA a step closer to banning menthol cigarettes
Is the FDA’s cigarette ban just smoke and menthols? – MedPage Today op-ed
Impact of e-cigarette non-menthol flavours on perceptions and use