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[STK]
[IN] TOB HEA
[SU] AVO
TO HEALTH, AND NATIONAL EDITORS:
ASTHO Encouraged by FDA's Proposed Regulation of E-cigarettes and
Other Tobacco Products
ARLINGTON, Va., April 24, 2014 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Today, the
Food and Drug Administration (FDA) released its proposed rules on the
regulation of e-cigarettes, cigars, pipe tobacco, hookahs (water
pipes), nicotine gels, and certain dissolvables that are not smokeless
tobacco. This is an important step in the process of regulating
tobacco products currently free of regulation. The FDA currently
regulates cigarettes, cigarette tobacco, roll-your-own tobacco, and
smokeless tobacco.
ASTHO supports the regulation of tobacco products by the FDA. The
agency should have the authority to regulate the manufacturing,
marketing, labeling, distribution, and sale of tobacco products,
including e-cigarettes, since it is the only agency with both the
scientific expertise and regulatory authority to accomplish this
mission. In 2009, FDA was given the authority to regulate tobacco
products as part of the Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control
Act. ASTHO members support the passage of strong legislation for FDA
regulation of tobacco.
"We have been waiting for these rules for several years, and we are
very pleased to see the process moving forward," says ASTHO Executive
Director Paul E. Jarris, MD, MBA. "The public health community has
made tremendous strides in reducing tobacco use over the years, but
there is much work still to be done. That's why it's so important that
we ensure that new technologies and new products do not curtail that
progress."
Because tobacco use is a major driver in causing chronic disease,
state health agencies are concerned with its public health
implications. Tobacco use is the single most preventable cause of
disease, disability, and death in the United States, accounting for
approximately one of every five deaths (438,000) each year. More
deaths are caused by tobacco use than from HIV/AIDS, illegal drug use,
alcohol use, motor vehicle injuries, suicides, and murders combined.
Each year, tobacco use results in $157 billion in direct and indirect
medical costs.
We encourage our members and the public health community to
participate in the open comment period. Public comments on the
proposed rule will be accepted for 75 days beginning April 25. This is
an important part of the regulatory process, and we appreciate the
opportunity to provide feedback on the proposed rules. We also
encourage the FDA to conduct a careful review of the ideas,
suggestions, and comments that the public health community provides to
the rule.
ASTHO's Tobacco Prevention and Control project provides support to
state public health agencies in their role in the development of
policies that encourage healthy environments and reduce tobacco use.
ASTHO serves as a resource to state health agencies and national and
federal partners on perspectives, capacities, challenges, and
opportunities to implement state-based tobacco prevention initiatives.
ASTHO works with national partners in tobacco prevention and control
through the ASTHO Tobacco Issues Forum chaired by Edward Ehlinger, MD,
MSPH, Minnesota Commissioner of Health, and on preventing tobacco use
before, during, and after pregnancy. ASTHO's tobacco and chronic
disease projects provide national leadership in linking tobacco
control with other chronic disease prevention issues, such as obesity,
cancer, heart disease, and stroke, as well as aligning tobacco-control
efforts with the National Prevention Strategy.
SOURCE Association of State and Territorial Health Officials
-0- 04/24/2014
/CONTACT: Scott Briscoe, 571-527-3173, sbriscoe@astho.org
/Web Site: http://www.astho.org
CO: Association of State and Territorial Health Officials
ST: Virginia
IN: TOB HEA
SU: AVO
PRN
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0000 04/24/2014 17:19:00 EDT http://www.prnewswire.com
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