New FDA Commissioner Scott Gottlieb has
a unique opportunity to advance public
health by revising the FDA's regulations
for electronic cigarettes. E-cigarettes
deliver nicotine, but don't burn tobacco,
as regular cigarettes do, so there isn't
any smoke – there are no chemicals that
cause lung cancer or other diseases.
While not a hundred percent safe,
e-cigarettes reduce harm to smokers by
about 95 percent. The problem is that the
FDA's regulatory regime is too expensive.
The cost of gaining approval will likely
cause 90% of the vaping industry to go
out of business, and the few that do
apply for FDA approval face unrealistic
and unnecessary demands for testing. The
FDA should delay certain filing
deadlines for companies by one to two
years, to give a new leadership
additional time to fully consider the
issues raised by the current rule. This
would allow products to remain on the
market, while the agency considers
alternative approaches like product
standards. E-cigarettes should be
regulated, but in a way that promotes
product innovation, quality, and ensures
smokers access to this much safer
alternative to cigarettes.
Full disclosure, Scott Gottlieb was my colleague at AEI.
To learn more about my take on
e-cigarettes, check the links in the
description below, and also let us know
what other topics you would like a AEI
scholars to cover in 60 seconds.