Flavors under more pressure in US
The US’ National Alliance for Hispanic Health (NAHH) has called for all flavored tobacco products to be removed from the marketplace, according to a NAHH press note issued through PRNewswire.
“The White House can truly celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month this week by directing the FDA [Food and Drug Administration] to issue a proposed rule to remove all flavored tobacco products, including menthol products, from the marketplace and protect the health of families and children,” said Dr. Jane L. Delgado, president and CEO of the NAHH.
The NAHH’s statement was said to support efforts announced yesterday by the African American Tobacco Control Leadership Council to reverse action by the White House Office of Management and Budget that eliminated menthol and flavors text from a proposed FDA deeming rule before it was finalized. ‘The eliminated FDA text presented overwhelming evidence, supported by comments it received on the proposed rule, that menthol, candy, and fruit-flavored tobacco products attracted children and teens to tobacco use and deterred quitting,’ the note said.
“President Obama can save lives by directing FDA to use its power to order companies to reduce or eliminate harmful ingredients and additives, including prohibiting menthol and kid-friendly flavorings in cigars, electronic cigarettes and other nicotine vapor products,” said Delgado. “Flavoring ingredients and additives have been shown to attract children and teens to tobacco use and the impact has helped created a tobacco tipping point among Hispanic children and teens.”
‘While Hispanic adults are less likely than non-Hispanic whites to smoke, among middle school students Hispanics are now the group most likely to be current tobacco users (10.6 percent) compared to non-Hispanic white (6.3 percent) and non-Hispanic black (6.6 percent) students and more likely than their peers to be using two or more tobacco products,’ the note said. ‘Centers for Disease Control and Prevention … data also show that e-cigarettes are now the most common tobacco products used among children and teens and use escalated from 1.5 to 16.0 percent between 2011 and 2015 among middle and high school students.’
“Rather than waiting years for another FDA action, it is critical to protect the lives of children and teens at risk today from new tobacco products and flavorings designed to attract new smokers and foster a generation of illness and death,” said Delgado.