Collaborative Public Health Strategies to Combat e-Cigarette Regulation Loopholes
Cet article passe en revue les mesures de la "US Food and Drug Administration" et des législateurs pour lutter contre l'utilisation croissante de la cigarette électronique chez les jeunes, puis propose un axe d'amélioration de ces mesures
The 2020 National Youth Tobacco Survey reported a decline in youth electronic cigarette (e-cigarette) use from the previous year, reversing an increasing trend. Although reported use of all e-cigarettes fell to 19.6% and 4.7% among high school and middle school students, respectively, the use of disposable e-cigarettes increased 1000% and 400% for these groups. This shift may have been precipitated by the 2020 US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) policy action that exempted disposable devices from restrictions on flavored e-cigarettes. The current popularity of disposable e-cigarette brands, such as Puff Bar, suggests that e-cigarette companies were able to exploit this loophole. Although the FDA’s warning letters in July 2020 temporarily caused Puff Bar to cease sales, the company resumed sales and marketing in January 2021, claiming use of synthetic nicotine. This highlights the need for coordinated comprehensive action by policy makers as well as public health and medical professionals to curb youth e-cigarette use. This Viewpoint summarizes recent efforts by the FDA and state lawmakers to address the youth e-cigarette epidemic and offers a framework to further guide these efforts.