FDA Announces Further Activity, Campaign to Dissuade Teens from E-Cigarette Use
On Tuesday, the Secretary of
Health and Human Services, Alex Azar announced
an FDA campaign called “The Real Cost” Youth E-Cigarette Prevention Campaign,
intended to target children between the ages of 12-17 with the goal of
educating kids about the dangers of e-cigarettes. The campaign consists of
advertising on popular digital and
social media sites (such as Facebook, YouTube, and Spotify), as well as placing
posters in high schools throughout the country where students are most at risk.
Secretary Azar congratulated the FDA on the launch of this “new,
hard-hitting campaign about the risk of addiction and other health consequences
that can result from youth using e-cigarettes". This public education campaign
will reach teens directly and complement the aggressive steps the FDA is taking
to crack down on the sale and marketing of e-cigarettes to minors.
This announcement comes on
the heels of last week’s announcement
of the largest enforcement action in the agency’s history, with warning letters
and fines to brick and mortar retailers, and warning letters to online retailers.
Additionally, FDA announced that the agency is considering restricting the
manufacture of flavored e-cigarette products, and had
ordered popular e-cigarette manufacturers to submit plans to address teen use
within 60 days. These actions are all part of the FDA’s Comprehensive
Plan for Tobacco and Nicotine Regulation, announced in summer 2017.