In an article released a mere 5 hours from me writing this (noon on July 17), the FDA has officially backed vaping. Stating their concern for adult smokers trying to quit, they denounced the anti-tobacco and healthcare organizations who had initially filed a lawsuit asking the FDA to investigate the costs and benefits of having vapes on the market.
Wait, the FDA is investigating vaping?
Kind of, basically the FDA set a deadline of 10 months from now for vape companies in the US to determine the cost-benefit analysis of vaping. The costs being teens who have become addicted to vaping, and the benefit being adults who successfully quit smoking using vaping.
Some US groups that include anti-tobacco and health organizations have demanded in a lawsuit that the FDA’s limit of 10 months be changed to four, and for vapes to be entirely taken off of the market. I have highlighted some of their arguments and the flaws in them here, if you’re interested in a more in depth analysis.
Throughout this lawsuit, however, the general public had assumed the FDA would readily conform to the demands of these organizations, though probably not on the proposed timeline and on their own — the ten month timeline.
What is the FDA’s actual response?
The FDA responded to the four month proposal with some really great points. They brought up the obvious increase in clerical work over that period of time, whereas a ten month period wouldn’t necessarily absolve that but stretch it out without creating a massive overhaul of the market.
Speaking of overhauling the market, the FDA is absolutely correct in saying that if they went with the four month plan, they would essentially be wiping out vapes, causing adult former smokers to be forced to go back to smoking cigarettes. Basically, if e-liquids and vapes are taken from the market, these anti-vaping organizations could unintentionally kill 550,000 people by sending them back to smoking.
Conclusion
The FDA has a long fight ahead of them, but they’re absolutely correct in defending the right to vape and use vape products for adults quitting smoking. The proposed four month period to make that decision, and to analyze the costs vs benefits of having vapes available for adults, isn’t nearly long enough. Personally, I don’t even think a ten month period is long enough, but I think within those ten months it will be easily proven that the benefits definitely outweigh the costs, and those ten months can provide more conversation on how to cut down those costs without having to sacrifice vaping as a whole.
As always, thanks for reading, and please leave some comments!
How do you think we can cut the costs without eliminating vaping?
