Cancer associations urge FDA to extend tobacco regulation

The American Society of Clinical Oncology and the American Association for Cancer Research recently issued a joint letter to the FDA, urging the agency to extend proposed regulations on electronic cigarettes, cigars and all other tobacco products.

“There is no safe form of tobacco use,” Margaret Foti, PhD, MD (h.c.), chief executive officer of the AACR said in a press release. “Tobacco is the leading cause of preventable deaths in the United States, and among its dire health consequences are 18 different types of cancer. It is imperative that the FDA takes action to regulate all tobacco products. The future health of the American people, in particular our nation’s children, depends on it.”

Both ASCO and AACR have supported several of the FDA’s past proposals for regulating e-cigarettes and other tobacco products, but have insisted that further steps be taken.

In particular, the organizations have requested banning youth-oriented advertising and marketing and tobacco company sponsorship of youth-oriented events, as well as restricting sales to minors and employing age-verification procedures for online sales.

Peter P. Yu

“It is vitally important that the FDA begin regulating these products as little is known about the health effects of e-cigarette use,” ASCO president Peter P. Yu, MD, FASCO, said in the release. “The potential use of e-cigarettes to assist smokers in quitting is unknown at this time. E-cigarettes may increase the likelihood that non-smokers or former smokers will use combustible tobacco products or that smokers will be discouraged from quitting.”

In the joint letter, AACR and ASCO also expressed concern regarding the increasingly popularity of flavored e-cigarettes and have subsequently requested that the FDA ban e-cigarette flavors or flavor names that are brand names of candy, cookies and soda.

In addition, the organizations called on the FDA to ban e-cigarettes containing candy and other youth-friendly flavors, until evidence can be provided that these name associations do not encourage minors to use these products.

ASCO and AACR also petitioned the FDA not to exempt “premium” cigars — handmade cigars with long-filler tobaccos — from regulation, which is currently up for consideration on the basis that that users do not inhale and the products are not typically purchased by youth.

“All cigars pose serious health risks,” Graham Warren, MD, PhD, chair of ASCO’s Tobacco Cessation and Control Subcommittee said in the release. “As the FDA itself noted in the proposed rule, even cigar smokers who do not inhale have a 7 to 10 times higher overall risk of mouth and throat cancer compared to individuals who have never smoked. Exempting these dangerous products from FDA regulation is clearly not in the best interest of public health.”