WASHINGTON -- In a provocative announcement, the commissioner of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) said the agency will announce a new action plan in mid-November to advance initiatives on electronic cigarettes and preventing minors from using tobacco products.
In a statement issued Oct. 31, Commissioner Scott Gottlieb said the soon-to-be announced plan will “set forth a series of new forceful steps to firmly confront and reverse the youth addiction trends that are at epidemic levels.”
In September, the FDA issued 1,300 warning letters to retailers who allegedly sold tobacco products to undercover operatives and met with major e-cigarette manufacturers to discuss marketing techniques and their plans to address underage youth having access to their products.
In that October press statement, Gottlieb also said that he met with several of those manufacturers, calling the meetings “constructive.” He said, “the companies acknowledged the serious public health consequences associated with youth use of tobacco products … [and] presented thoughtful proposals.”
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