Scott Gottlieb accused of being too lax on e-cigarettes

Former FDA Commissioner Scott Gottlieb has one of the most prominent figures anti-vaping voices in the USA. Apparently, in a shocking revelation, he regrets not taking a stricter stance on the issue. A stunning statement after a range of political players have accused the commissioner of contributing to the under-age vaping epidemic.

Gottleib made the statement during the “Healthy Returns” conference on CNBC. He mentioned that the FDA had not found the right “balance” in terms of e-cigarette regulation. In his opinion, their responsibility is to help smokers while also protecting teens.

For example, the FDA could have placed a full ban on fruit-flavoured e-liquids. These flavours have often been accused of being a major trigger in under-age purchasing decisions. The “vaping epidemic” affecting teenagers is considered a serious public health issues by authorities.

Disappointing policy results

In the past few weeks, Scott Gottlieb has had to face serious criticism regarding his results as FDA commissioner. This lack of effectiveness in the roll-out of PMTA (Premarket Tobacco Application) is under fire. Planned for 2023, the deployment plan was revised and is now scheduled 2021.

For Democratic elect Nita Lowey, the delayed roll-out of PMTA is a major failing and Scott Gottlieb is 100% to blame. According to Lowey, this delayed reaction is the reason that vaping exploded in teen populations. Market regulation of vaping products was the responsibility of the FDA.

Scott Gottlieb nevertheless remains highly critical of e-cigs. Had he remained at the head of the FDA, he would have banned a range of e-liquid flavours marketed by Juul. So far, no study has shown any real causal link between vaping and smoking in teen populations.