The US Food and Drug Administration will pursue a strategic, new public health education campaign aimed at discouraging the use of e-cigarettes and other electronic nicotine delivery systems (ENDS) by kids. The agency plans to expand its “The Real Cost” public education campaign this fall to include messaging to teens about the dangers of using these products, while also developing a full-scale campaign to launch in 2018.

These efforts are part of the agency’s new comprehensive plan for tobacco and nicotine regulation, as well as ongoing efforts to educate youth about, and protect them from, the dangers associated with using all tobacco products. It is the first time the FDA will be utilising public health education to specifically target youth use of e-cigarettes or other ENDS.

“While we pursue a policy that focusses on addressing the role that nicotine plays in keeping smokers addicted to combustible cigarettes, and to help move those who cannot quit nicotine altogether onto less harmful products, we will also continue to work vigorously to keep all tobacco products out of the hands of kids,” said FDA Commissioner Scott Gottlieb.

More than 2 million middle and high school students were current users of e-cigarettes and other ENDS in 2016. Data also show that about half of all middle and high school students who were current tobacco users also used two or more tobacco products last year. This use by children and teens is especially of concern because of evidence that youth exposure to nicotine affects the developing brain and may rewire it to be more susceptible to nicotine addiction in the future.

Source : USFDA

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