AMA Says FDA Should Regulate E-Cigarettes

Electronic cigarettes are drug-delivery devices and should be regulated by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the American Medical Association (AMA) says.

FDA is currently considering if and how to regulate so-called e-cigarettes, which are sometimes marketed as a safer alternative to smoking or an option for smokers facing public smoking bans. AMA, the nation’s largest physician’s organization, said that FDA should regulate e-cigarettes as medical devices and ban those that do not receive agency approval.

“Very little data exists on the safety of e-cigarettes, and the FDA has warned that they are potentially addicting and contain harmful toxins,” said AMA board member Edward L. Langston, M.D. “Because e-cigarettes have not been thoroughly tested, one cannot conclude that they are less harmful or less dangerous than conventional cigarettes,” said Langston. “The fact that they come in fruit and candy flavors gives them the potential to entice new nicotine users, especially teens.”

The policy was adopted at the AMA annual meeting in Chicago.