Nine attorneys general have written a letter urging the Food and Drug Administration to ban all flavored tobacco products, which have been repeatedly shown to lead middle and high school students to begin tobacco use at a young age.
In March, the FDA asked for information on the role that flavors play in the use of tobacco products. As part of developing a rule, the FDA requested comments, data, research, and other results on flavored tobacco and its impact. The attorneys general are urging a ban of flavors in all tobacco products.
“The FDA’s fundamental responsibility is to protect the health and wellbeing of the American public,” said New York Attorney General Barbara D. Underwood. “A ban on flavored tobacco products is critical to New Yorkers’ public health – especially young New Yorkers, who too often get hooked on these products at a young age, leading to a lifetime of addiction.”
The letter was signed by the attorneys general of New York, Idaho, Illinois, Maine, Massachusetts, New Mexico, Oregon, Pennsylvania, and Rhode Island.
The letter urges the FDA to ban the use of flavors in all tobacco products. Research has shown that flavored tobacco products are appealing to youth. The majority of middle and high school students who use e-cigarettes, cigars, or hookah use flavored tobacco products. In addition, the use of tobacco products puts youth and young adults at a greater risk for developing coronary artery disease, cancer, and other tobacco-related diseases. Also, menthol cigarettes are more likely to pose a greater public health risk than tobacco flavored cigarettes. Menthol cigarettes usage is higher in young tobacco users, and also among minorities.
In 2009, Congress passed the Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act, which banned cigarettes that contained flavors other than tobacco or menthol and granted the FDA the authority to regulate tobacco products. The purpose of the TCA is to reduce the number of youth who smoke and become addicted to tobacco products. The attorney's general urge the FDA to follow in direction of the TCA and ban all flavors in other tobacco products, such as e-cigarettes, little cigars, and other non-combustible tobacco products.
