The FDA's Proposal to Regulate E-Cigarettes: A Conversation with David Abrams (May 5th)

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This past April 24th the FDA announced a proposed rule to regulate e-cigarettes.  The FDA is, in part, proposing to ban the sale of e-cigarettes to minors, require manufacturers to disclose e-cigarette ingredients and prohibit manufacturers to claim e-cigarettes are less harmful than tobacco cigarettes without submitting scientific proof.  The proposed rule did not forbid TV advertising and does not ban flavorings such as cotton candy and Gummi Bear.   Are these regulations adequate, or alternatively, even necessary since some claim e-cigarettes are a lifesaver since they can prevent smokers from consuming harmful tobacco.  

During this 23 minute discussion Dr. Abrams, in part, provides a brief overview of the Schroeder Institute's work, evaluates the efficacy of e-cigarettes as an aid to smoking cessation (are they a lifesaver), assesses the FDA's proposed regulations and how they might be improved.   

David B. Abrams is the Executive Director of the Schroeder Institute for Tobacco Reseach and Policy Studies at the Legacy Foundation.  He is also a Professor in the Department of Health, Behavior and Society at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health and an Adjunct Professor at Georgetown Univeristy Medical Center, Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center. Previously, Dr. Abrams directed the Office of Behavioral and Social Science Research at NIH.  He has published over 250 scholary articles and monographs, served as President of the Society for Behavioral Medicine and is the recipient of numerous awards including the Joseph W. Cullen Memorial Award from  the American Society for Preventive Oncology.    He was graduated from the University of Witwatersrand, South Africa with a BS in Computer Science and from Rutgers University with a Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology.

For more on the FDA's proposed rule, see: www.fda.gov/TobaccoProducts/default.htm

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