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.