AMA Applauds FDA’s New Rule on E-cigarettes

CHICAGO — Concerned by the alarming growth of electronic cigarette use among the nation’s youth, the American Medical Assoc. (AMA) applauded the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) new rule banning the sale of e-cigarettes and nicotine-delivery products to minors.

“The AMA supports the FDA’s new rule and its efforts to ensure the public — especially young people — are aware of and protected from these harmful products,” said AMA President Dr. Steven Stack. “The new FDA rule, which fills the gap in federal regulations on purchasing, labeling, and packaging of e-cigarettes, cigars, and other tobacco products, is a notable and important step that will ban the sale of these products to minors and improve public health. However, we urge the FDA to issue further regulations addressing marketing of these products and banning flavored e-cigarettes, which are particularly enticing to minors.”

The AMA has long called for e-cigarettes to be subject to the same regulations and oversight that the FDA applies to tobacco and nicotine products.

Over the years, the AMA has supported anti-tobacco efforts to improve public health, and has strongly advocated for the FDA to extend its tobacco regulations and oversight to include e-cigarettes, cigars, and other tobacco products, and ban the sale of these products to minors.

“Doctors see the detrimental health effects of smoking daily,” Stack said. “Patients suffer from many chronic and fatal diseases related to tobacco use, including cancer, heart disease, and emphysema. Smoking and tobacco use remain the number-one preventable cause of death in the United States. Given what we know about the health effects of tobacco use and the powerful addictive properties of nicotine, today marks a critical step in our country’s efforts to protect the health of Americans and prevent another generation of smokers.”