NEW VAPE LOWS — The FDA and the CDC on Thursday touted the latest National Youth Tobacco Survey results as a public health win, with e-cigarette use among middle and high schoolers falling 25 percent over the past year to reach its lowest level in a decade. But public health advocates say the burden is now on the FDA to ensure illegal vapes — and flavorful nicotine pouches sold in small tins — marketed to kids are kept out of their hands. “The most effective strategy to avoid a lifetime of nicotine addiction is preventing young people from ever picking up a tobacco product, so I am encouraged by the progress in this declining rate of e-cigarette use by children,” Sen. Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), a vocal anti-smoking advocate and critic of the agency’s tobacco work, said in a statement. “But FDA is at a crossroad — and faces real tests of its ability to regulate and enforce the law against illegal vapes that target children.” Clear the shelves: To Durbin and groups like the American Heart Association, the agency and the Justice Department must do more to eliminate the backlog of premarketing applications for tobacco products and yank all unauthorized vape products from the market. Brian King, director of the FDA’s Center for Tobacco Products, indicated more operations to prevent illegal vape shipments are in the works after pointing to interagency partnerships over the last year that have resulted in product seizures and fines against manufacturers and retailers. A looming threat? Despite the positive numbers, anti-tobacco groups remain concerned about the allure of nicotine pouches to children. Youth use of those products remains under 2 percent, but booming sales and the availability of myriad flavors worry advocates. “Nicotine pouches have the same characteristics that made e-cigarettes so appealing to young people, including kid-friendly flavors, heavy promotion on social media and being easy to hide,” said Yolonda C. Richardson, president and CEO of the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids. Luis Pinto, a spokesperson for tobacco giant Reynolds, said the brand is committed to preventing underage use of tobacco and nicotine products. “Our mission is simple: Transition adult smokers to potentially reduced-risk alternatives,” he said. IT’S FRIDAY. WELCOME BACK TO PRESCRIPTION PULSE. Based on reader reaction to Wednesday’s newsletter, we have many Swifties among us. Reach out and send tips and preferred Taylor eras to David Lim (dlim@politico.com or @davidalim) and Lauren Gardner (lgardner@politico.com or @Gardner_LM).
|
No comments:
Post a Comment