WASHINGTON – March 20, 2018 – Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Commissioner Scott Gottlieb today announced an Advanced Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (ANPRM) aimed at assessing the role of flavoring in tobacco initiation, use and cessation.
A statement from ACS CAN president Chris Hansen follows:
“We welcome Commissioner Gottlieb’s actions to assess the role tobacco flavoring plays in tobacco use and addiction, including youth initiation and smoking cessation, and urge the FDA to move forward swiftly with a proposed rule to protect the public health by prohibiting all flavoring – including menthol – in all tobacco products.
“Since 2009, flavorings—except menthol—have been banned in cigarettes, but continue to be allowed in other tobacco products including, cigars, cigarillos, roll-your-own tobacco and electronic cigarettes. Numerous scientific studies have shown such flavoring increases the likelihood kids will start and continue to use tobacco products.
“The FDA must use the full force of its authority in a scientific and transparent manner to address flavoring issues, especially in regard to youth. Considering that tobacco addiction still kills more than 480,000 Americans every year, such action is critical to saving lives and reducing suffering from tobacco-related diseases, like cancer.
“By taking a comprehensive approach to tobacco control, we can work to end the scourge of tobacco on the American people in our lifetime. ACS CAN welcomes the opportunity to comment on this potentially significant step toward improving public health and will also continue to advocate for policy change to reduce tobacco use at the state and local level.”