Great news for Prevention! FDA Announces New Rules on E-Cigarettes

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) just released the final details of a long awaited rule to regulate all tobacco products-including e-cigarettes, hookah tobacco, and cigars.   Finally, these products will be regulated and tobacco companies will no longer be able to target the youth. We hope it’s not too late, as recent survey showed that the tobacco companies’ strategies had succeeded in marketing towards youth, as the number of high schoolers using e-cigarettes had increased 10 times over between 2011 and 2016. 

The new rule will, among other things:

• Forbid e-cigarettes, flavored cigars, and other tobacco products from being sold to anyone under 18.
• Restrict the sale of these tobacco products in vending machines to adult-only venues.
• Ban the distribution of free samples.

It will also allow the FDA to evaluate the claims made by tobacco product manufacturers, examine the ingredients, and include warnings about the potential risks.

This is excellent news.  Currently, tobacco use accounts for an estimated 30% of cancers.  Cigars and hookahs do not pose a safe alternative to traditional cigarettes, and while there is still research being done on the health effects of e-cigarettes as compared to traditional cigarettes, they should not be used as a way to get middle and high school students addicted to tobacco. 

We thank the FDA for finalizing this ruling.  By limiting tobacco use, we can Stop Cancer Before It Starts!