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Public pressure is rising against electronic cigarettes. At a US House Committee hearing on energy and trade on electronic cigarettes, US officials blamed government officials for their slow action.
"Electronic cigarette products are not safe," said Ned Sharpless, Acting Commissioner of the Food and Drug Administration, at a hearing Wednesday by the US Committee on Energy and Commerce on the impact of the electronic cigarette on public health.
Sharpless went on to say that all electronic cigarettes currently on the market were illegal because they had not been evaluated by the FDA. But Sharpless said the agency was still in weeks to finalize any policy that would strengthen law enforcement and remove products from the market.
Originally marketed as a safer alternative to combustible cigarettes, vaping has been the subject of careful scrutiny after a recent wave of illnesses. The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the FDA are investigating a mysterious respiratory disease linked to vaping. So far, 530 cases, mostly involving previously healthy young adults, have occurred across the United States and seven people have died. Patients had shortness of breath, chest pain and even nausea, and some patients were ventilated. But after more than a month of investigations, the CDC and the FDA have not yet indicated the cause of the diseases and the CDC estimates that the number of cases will continue to increase.
Now the federal agencies are acting. Earlier this month, the FDA warned the largest US electronic cigarette manufacturer, Juul, that it could no longer claim that its products were safer than cigarettes. The Federal Trade Commission recently began investigating Juul's marketing techniques, particularly as to whether the company used social media influencers to illegally target children. On Monday, California federal prosecutors announced the launch of an investigation, whose exact target is currently unknown.
Congressional representatives at the hearing expressed frustration with the FDA for failing to act sooner. "Given the potential risks associated with these products, it would be reasonable to assume that these products have been reviewed and approved by the FDA," said Diana DeGette, Democratic Representative of Colorado who presided over the hearing. "But this is not the case." Frank Pallone, a Democratic representative from New Jersey, said the time has come for the agency to act.
Recent studies suggest that e-cigarettes can cause serious damage to blood vessels and limit blood flow. The products may also compromise the lungs ability to fight infections, and it has been discovered that vape juice contains toxic flavors. Very little research supports electronic cigarette companies who claim that these devices can help adults stop smoking. One study found that e-cigarettes were more effective than other anti-smoking treatments in getting smokers to quit. But many of these resigners continued to vow a year later. Other studies show that teenage victims of vape are 30% more likely to start smoking fuel cigarettes than teens who do not routinely use e-cigarettes.
Despite their apparent dangers, e-cigarettes continue to be popular among teens and young adults. Last week, the National Institutes of Health published data showing that a quarter of high school seniors and 20% of juniors are evaporating. Usage among high school students has doubled in the past two years, with the fruit and mint flavors of electronic cigarettes seemingly appealing to many teenagers. At the hearing, CDC representative Anne Schuchat noted that many children did not even know that e-cigarettes contained nicotine.
Sharpless says the FDA is finalizing a compliance policy for electronic cigarettes, which could temporarily ban flavors, including menthol and mint, until the agency can verify their safety. This policy would not constitute a blanket ban, he says, because aroma can reappear on the market if e-cigarette makers can show that they are what the agency qualifies as "appropriate for the protection of public health ", which means that they offer increased security. alternative to traditional cigarettes.
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