Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Perspectives On The FDA's E-Cigarette Rule
The Food and Drug Administration on Thursday finally released its regulations on electronic cigarettes. The rules, intended to sharply restrict the use of e-cigarettes鈥攚hich deliver nicotine via a propylene glycol and/or glycerin-based smokeless aerosol鈥攚ere immediately lauded by many health groups. But these new FDA regulations will actually protect tobacco-cigarette sales at the expense of the public鈥檚 health. They will also destroy thousands of small businesses and effectively hand the e-cigarette market over to a small number of large companies, including the tobacco companies. (Michael B. Siegel, 5/5)
Today the Food and Drug Administration finalized regulations asserting regulatory authority over e-cigarettes and various tobacco products, such as cigars. According to the agency, this rule will help protect public health. Insofar as the rule subjects actual tobacco products to the same regulations as cigarettes, this might be so. But the part of the rule that 鈥渄eems鈥 e-cigarettes to be tobacco products and subjects them to extensive regulatory requirements is more likely to harm public health than to help it. Big Tobacco, meanwhile, is likely to be pleased with the new regulations. (Jonathan H. Adler, 5/5)
E-cigarettes could turn out to be either a savior that helps addicted smokers quit or a lure that hooks a whole new generation on nicotine. While science tries to decode those conflicting signals, the federal government took the responsible step Thursday to regulate electronic cigarettes in a way that tries to head off the worst outcome while still allowing potential benefits of vaping to emerge. (5/5)
The FDA wasn鈥檛 wrong to regulate e-cigarettes. It was wrong to effectively ban, by its own estimate, up to 98.5% of the e-cigarettes on the market today. E-cigarettes, Public Health England says, are about 95% less harmful than smoking, are not a gateway to smoking, and could help smokers quit. (Jeff Stier, 5/5)
It may come as a disappointment to Europeans who enjoy watching the Marlboro man ride on the open plain (update: He now appears to be a woman, and uses a helicopter), but it鈥檚 terrific news for Europe鈥檚 health: Within a few weeks, ads for electronic cigarettes will go dark on European TV, radio and websites, and will disappear from most print publications. (5/5)
