FDA launches e-cig awareness campaign to combat surge in teen use

The Food and Drug Administration launched a nationwide campaign Tuesday to warn young people about the dangers of e-cigarettes, saying failure to act now could result in a new generation of smokers.

Dubbed “The Real Cost,” the campaign will target nearly 11 million Americans aged 12 to 17 through digital ads on websites like YouTube, Facebook and Spotify and place thousands of warning posters in school bathrooms.

“There’s a difference between some casual use by teens — a low level of use that we’ll never fully eliminate — and widespread abuse, misuse and addiction to nicotine by kids. The growth in use of e-cigarettes has reached a level that’s shocking,” FDA Commissioner Scott Gottlieb said. “And still, there’s a tiny fraction of people who will still say — so what. They’ll argue that nicotine use by kids is not a big deal if it’s delivered through an e-cigarette. I am here today to say, they’re dead wrong.”

The campaign will warn that e-cigs contain harmful chemicals and nicotine that can “rewire” the brain to crave more, even if they don’t contain all the nasty carcinogens found in regular cigarettes.

This dynamic threatens to create a large pool of nicotine users in the U.S. despite recent strides against smoking, Dr. Gottlieb said, “and some portion of them are at risk of transitioning to and risking addiction to cigarettes. “

Last week, the FDA threatened to yank flavored e-cigs off shelves unless major makers explain how they plan to reverse illegal sales to minors.

Two million middle and high school students reported using e-cigarettes in 2017, and the FDA says the next pile of data will show a spike in use, though it’s making policy moves before it’s finalized the preliminary figures for public consumption.

“None of the other metrics that we track when it comes to kids and tobacco are moving in a favorable direction. Not the number of kids using traditional cigarettes, or cigars or chewing tobacco. In short, there’s no good news,” FDA Commissioner Scott Gottlieb said.

“We’ve had to start taking some actions before the final results of this data can be made public,” Dr. Gottlieb said. “We will make these results public very soon. But we have an obligation to act on what we know. And what we know is very disturbing.”