American Lung Association Opposes FDA Authorizations of More Flavored E-Cigarettes and Nicotine Pouches; ‘We Must Protect Our Kids’ as School Begins

As millions of students across the country return to school, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has spent the last several weeks authorizing more flavored e-cigarette and nicotine pouch products, including products with kid-friendly flavors and products containing high levels of nicotine. American Lung Association President and CEO Harold Wimmer issued the following statement in response to FDA’s announcements:
 
“Now that kids are back in school, caregivers, teachers and communities across the country are working to prevent young people from starting to use tobacco products and becoming addicted to nicotine. FDA should be helping those efforts – not making them harder. The American Lung Association is deeply concerned by FDA’s repeated authorization of more flavored e-cigarette and nicotine pouch products. 

“There is a disturbing pattern emerging: FDA is increasingly prioritizing access to e-cigarettes and nicotine pouches as alternatives for adults who smoke. This approach does not adequately consider the risks these products pose to youth and young adults who otherwise may never have used tobacco.

“We must protect our kids from life-long addiction. Studies show that youth often start vaping or using nicotine pouches because of flavored products. Of the middle and high school students who vape or use nicotine pouches, close to 90% use flavored products, with the most commonly used flavors being fruit for e-cigarettes and mint for nicotine pouches, according to the latest National Youth Tobacco Survey data.

“Neither e-cigarettes nor nicotine pouches are FDA- approved treatments to help adults quit smoking, and the continued authorization of flavored e-cigarette and nicotine pouch products threatens to undermine progress in reducing youth tobacco use and nicotine addiction. FDA claims these products can benefit adults who smoke by providing a less harmful alternative to cigarettes, but the agency has not provided sufficient public evidence to demonstrate those benefits or that they outweigh the risks to youth and young adults. 

“Under the Tobacco Control Act, FDA is legally required to determine whether a tobacco product is appropriate for the protection of public health, considering the risks and benefits to the population as a whole - including people who do not currently use tobacco. Given the continued popularity of flavored e-cigarettes and nicotine pouches among youth and young adults, the risk of developing a lifelong addiction to nicotine, and the lack of data showing that adults quit tobacco use completely using these products, the American Lung Association does not believe these new products meet that standard.

“We urge FDA to reconsider its decisions to authorize flavored e-cigarettes and nicotine pouches and stop authorizing any flavored tobacco products moving forward, including mint or menthol. State and local governments can and should continue to prohibit the sale of all flavored tobacco products.”

The Lung Association has resources to prevent tobacco use and help youth quit, specifically designed for schools, parents and teens, including TalkAboutVaping.org and our Vape-Free Schools Initiative as well as more resources available online.