On Monday, May 15th, Scott Gottlieb M.D. made his first remarks to agency staff as the new director of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Of particular interest are Dr. Gottlieb’s statements regarding the importance of reducing smoking rates. Specifically, we are encouraged by the new FDA director’s statement that, “we need to have the science base to explore the potential to move current smokers–unable or unwilling to quit–to less harmful products, if they can’t quit altogether.”
This is, of course, a step in the right direction, and many will read this as a signal that under Dr. Gottlieb’s leadership the FDA is likely to embrace a harm reduction strategy for reducing the harms of smoking. But CASAA would be remiss if we didn’t point out that this statement is bookended by the familiar (and unhelpful) “tobacco-free” mantra. It is vital to remember that we are working to reduce the harm of smoking and, as shown by decades of research from Sweden, the UK, and here in the US, smoke-free tobacco and nicotine products are a significant part of the solution.
CASAA strongly urges Dr. Gottlieb to consider that rather than redoubling efforts to achieve tobacco and nicotine cessation, the FDA should accept the decades of research currently available that supports the efficacy of harm reduction strategies. Just as harm reduction has proven beneficial in reducing rates of sexually transmitted diseases, overdoses from drug use, and injuries from everyday activities, evidence–more than enough evidence–exists to support a similar policy to be applied to tobacco.
While it may seem like the airwaves and news feeds are populated with strange statements from our political leaders, we still live in a world where words matter. There should be little doubt that Dr. Gottlieb’s statement to FDA staff was thoroughly contemplated and delivered deliberately. We are hopeful that his reference to an archaic abstinence-only message of complete tobacco and nicotine cessation is a fading evolutionary remnant. We believe that the agency is long overdue in acknowledging this strategy and “quit or die” messaging has run its course.
Suggesting that the ultimate goal of the FDA is to “help smokers become tobacco-free” betrays a central pillar of harm reduction and hamstrings the agency before serious policy change can begin. A “tobacco-free generation” borrows heavily from the lofty dream of a “drug-free America.” While those slogans may evoke strong feelings among puritans, they have never worked particularly well as policies in the real world.
We are excited to see the changes that Dr. Gottlieb will bring to the FDA. We appreciate that he will need to overcome deep structural barriers, and a nod to harm reduction is a step in the right direction. At the same time, it is also a clear signal that we must redouble our efforts in demanding access to affordable, enjoyable, and effective low-risk tobacco and nicotine products.
(A Nod to Harm Reduction from FDA’s New Director, Scott Gottlieb - CASAA)
This is, of course, a step in the right direction, and many will read this as a signal that under Dr. Gottlieb’s leadership the FDA is likely to embrace a harm reduction strategy for reducing the harms of smoking. But CASAA would be remiss if we didn’t point out that this statement is bookended by the familiar (and unhelpful) “tobacco-free” mantra. It is vital to remember that we are working to reduce the harm of smoking and, as shown by decades of research from Sweden, the UK, and here in the US, smoke-free tobacco and nicotine products are a significant part of the solution.
CASAA strongly urges Dr. Gottlieb to consider that rather than redoubling efforts to achieve tobacco and nicotine cessation, the FDA should accept the decades of research currently available that supports the efficacy of harm reduction strategies. Just as harm reduction has proven beneficial in reducing rates of sexually transmitted diseases, overdoses from drug use, and injuries from everyday activities, evidence–more than enough evidence–exists to support a similar policy to be applied to tobacco.
While it may seem like the airwaves and news feeds are populated with strange statements from our political leaders, we still live in a world where words matter. There should be little doubt that Dr. Gottlieb’s statement to FDA staff was thoroughly contemplated and delivered deliberately. We are hopeful that his reference to an archaic abstinence-only message of complete tobacco and nicotine cessation is a fading evolutionary remnant. We believe that the agency is long overdue in acknowledging this strategy and “quit or die” messaging has run its course.
Suggesting that the ultimate goal of the FDA is to “help smokers become tobacco-free” betrays a central pillar of harm reduction and hamstrings the agency before serious policy change can begin. A “tobacco-free generation” borrows heavily from the lofty dream of a “drug-free America.” While those slogans may evoke strong feelings among puritans, they have never worked particularly well as policies in the real world.
We are excited to see the changes that Dr. Gottlieb will bring to the FDA. We appreciate that he will need to overcome deep structural barriers, and a nod to harm reduction is a step in the right direction. At the same time, it is also a clear signal that we must redouble our efforts in demanding access to affordable, enjoyable, and effective low-risk tobacco and nicotine products.
(A Nod to Harm Reduction from FDA’s New Director, Scott Gottlieb - CASAA)
