A strong elected proponent for vaping’s tobacco harm reduction role is very concerned about the Food and Drug Administration’s move to deny over a million PMTA applications from firms.
DES MOINES, Iowa — Attorney General Tom Miller, an elected Democrat in the midwest state of Iowa, released a statement highlighting his concerns over the federal US Food and Drug Administration and its actions to eliminate vaping products.
“We are concerned about the impact of the FDA’s actions, particularly the unintended consequences of pulling from the market less harmful alternatives to cigarettes,” said AG Miller.
“We believe the best information available indicates that most youths are not getting e-cigarettes from vape shops and that a significant number of adults are using products from vape shops to move away from combustible cigarettes.”
Miller is also questioning whether banning all electronic cigarette devices is prudent for the protection of public health.
According to Mitch Zeller, the Food and Drug Administration Center for Tobacco Products director, notes that whether the tobacco products in question are approved, tobacco products are still hazardous for those who don’t use them.
“FDA regulates the manufacturing, marketing, and distribution of tobacco products to protect public health. Premarket review of new tobacco products before they can be legally marketed is one of the most important responsibilities of the FDA’s Center for Tobacco Products (CTP). We will continue to assess whether applicants meet the applicable statutory standard to market their new products,” said Zeller in a commentary piece from the FDA.
Miller responded to the current status of the PMTA process.
“We believe in the strong, science-based regulation of alternative tobacco products, and the FDA is the best agency to undertake that task,” said Miller. “Policymakers must strike the right balance between making accessible potentially lifesaving lower-risk nicotine products while discouraging use by those who wouldn’t smoke, especially youth.”
