American Association of Public Health Physicians - Petition to FDA

[IsxFun]

The E-Cigarette as tobacco Product (rather than drug/device combination)
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Prepared by Joel L. Nitzkin, MD, on behalf of the tobacco Control Task Force of the American Association of Public Health Physicians (AAPHP), December 22, 2009.
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AAPHP urges the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to classify nicotine vaporizers (Ecigarettes) as a tobacco product​

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. This classification would be limited to E-cigarettes marketed as an alternative to conventional cigarettes for smokers wishing to avoid the toxic substances (other than nicotine) in cigarette smoke. E-cigarettes marketed for smoking cessation or with other health-related claims could still be regulated as “drug-device combinations.”

This classification scheme would enable FDA, in collaboration with other federal agencies, voluntaries, and others, to take the action needed to substantially reduce illness and death among current smokers without increasing initiation of nicotine use by children and teens.

The AAPHP Task Force, on the basis of extensive literature review and analysis, has concluded that a national harm reduction initiative, based partly on the potential attractiveness of Ecigarettes to current smokers, could save the lives of 4 million of the 8 million current adult American smokers who will otherwise die of a tobacco-related illness over the next 20 years.

http://www.aaphp.org/special/joelstobac/fdapetition.pdf

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[Thulium]

Seems well worth a try. Thanks for posting this.

 

[chrisl317]

Seems like the lesser of two evils. For some reason though I don't like it.

 

[ChipCurtis]

I don't see how FDA is going to classify some e-cigs as "tobacco products" and other e-cigs as "nicotine delivery devices" simply based upon the way the supplier markets their product.

 

[Janetda]

Personally, I'd like to see a third category developed of reduced risk or smokeless nicotine products.

 

[PhiHalcyon]

AAPHP urges the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to classify nicotine vaporizers (Ecigarettes) as a tobacco product. This classification would be limited to E-cigarettes marketed as an alternative to conventional cigarettes for smokers wishing to avoid the toxic substances (other than nicotine) in cigarette smoke. E-cigarettes marketed for smoking cessation or with other health-related claims could still be regulated as “drug-device combinations.”

From my second comment to the FDA:

Therefore, let the FDA prove itself worthy of the duty that has been entrusted to it by a) construing the definition of tobacco products to mean "in any part" made or derived from tobacco, and b) regulating all nicotine delivery products (that are intended to be used as reduced-harm/low-risk alternatives to the use of traditional/high-risk tobacco products) as tobacco products.

The AAPHP got it right. Let's just hope that the FDA does as well.

 

[FlipnOut]

But won't regulating it as a tobacco product eliminate the flavors per the Family Tobacco act or whatever it was called?

 

[PhiHalcyon]

But won't regulating it as a tobacco product eliminate the flavors per the Family Tobacco act or whatever it was called?

The ban on flavors applied to "cigarettes" exclusively. So, no, regulating e-liquid as a tobacco product would not immediately result in flavors being banned. Nonetheless, the FDA could choose to ban or limit certain e-liquid flavors in the future.

 

[DaShiVa]

It's reasonable and logical and fair. Perhaps it's not as unrestricted as many current vapers would like, however is the best thought out solution I've seen yet.