Hyperbole epidemic
Young man smoking, vaping electronic cigarette or vape. Gray background, copy space
US Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Alex Azar and departing Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Commissioner Scott Gottlieb, MD, penned an op-ed in The Washington Post last week warning of a regulatory crackdown on the electronic cigarette industry if teen use didn’t decline, according to a story by Tal Axelrod published at thehill.com.
Gottlieb, who announced his resignation earlier this month, has repeatedly raised concerns about teenage use of e-cigarettes. And the FDA threatened earlier this year to take these products off the market if vaping rates didn’t drop in the coming months.
‘The e-cigarette craze among teenagers has become an epidemic,’ the two wrote in the joint op-ed.
‘We agree with those who believe that e-cigarettes may offer a lower-risk alternative for adult smokers who still want access to nicotine. But the continued availability of this opportunity to adults is being endangered by the e-cigarette industry’s slowness to address the dangers its products pose to teens.
‘While we pursue changes to regulatory policy, we call on the industry – manufacturers and retailers – to step up with meaningful measures to reduce the access and appeal of e-cigarettes to young people.’