FDA Right to Regulate E-Cigarettes

It’s been heartening to see fewer and fewer teens smoking, as cigarette use among high schoolers has dropped consistently and substantially over the past two decades.

 Unfortunately, in the past few years, electronic cigarettes – or e-cigarettes – have begun to fill the void. In 2011, e-cigarettes were virtually unheard of among teens, with just 1.5 percent admitting to having tried them, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. By last year, the rate rose to 16 percent – a stunning 966 percent increase in just four years.

 Thankfully, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced today that it is stepping in.

 When the new rules go into effect in 90 days, the FDA will begin regulating e-cigarettes like any other tobacco product – requiring manufacturers to provide a list ingredients to the FDA; requiring premarket FDA review and authorization of new tobacco products; placing health warnings on all packages and advertisements; prohibiting sales to minors; and requiring a photo ID for purchase.

 These new rules are crucial for our nation’s health. Nearly 90 percent of adult smokers began smoking before age 18, so if we can stop adolescents from smoking – including e-cigarettes – we can stop some of the health problems associated with it, such as heart disease and lung cancer.

 Obviously, there are differences between cigarettes and e-cigarettes, mainly the fact that e-cigarettes do not contain tobacco or tar and they emit water vapor instead of smoke.  That doesn’t make them healthier or safer than cigarettes, though – unless you consider wrestling a bear safer than wrestling a tiger.

 E-cigarettes are simply a nicotine-delivery device in a different form. We know that nicotine narrows blood vessels, increases blood pressure and elevates blood glucose levels. And we know that it is highly addictive. There is nothing healthy or safe about that.

 Research is still sparse on the full health effects of e-cigarettes, but many experts fear that they represent a gateway to the use of traditional cigarettes and other tobacco products, which could overturn all the progress we’ve made in keeping minors away from smoking.  

 About two decades ago, in 1997, 36 percent of high school students reported smoking at least one cigarette in the previous 30 days. By 2007, the rate dropped to 20 percent. Today we’re down to 9.3 percent.

 We can’t let that progress disappear in a puff of water vapor. Smoking is the leading cause of preventable disease and death in the United States, accounting for 480,000 deaths per year. If we’re serious about changing that, we need to remain vigilant and keep cigarettes and e-cigarettes out of teens’ hands. Fortunately, the FDA agrees.