FDA direction on e-cigarettes up in the air after Gottlieb resignation

The FDA’s continued crackdown of the vaping and e-cigarette industry is questionable after the resignation of its commissioner Scott Gottlieb, who announced March 5 he would depart sometime in the next month.

The agency had been pursuing an aggressive campaign to limit youth access to vapor tobacco products, such as e-cigarettes, by potentially banning flavored nicotine. However, the work was left undone as Gottlieb announced his departure, according to The Hill.

“But none of the proposals have been implemented, and it’s not known whether his eventual replacement will follow the same strategy,” The Hill reported.

Gottlieb’s stance on vaping products has been harsh, even threatening to ban such products altogether. Some studies have shown that e-cigarettes can be a helpful tool to drop traditional smoking. In the aftermath of Gottlieb’s resignation, tobacco stocks rose, according to The Hill. A replacement has not yet been named.

The American Heart Association (AHA) has publicly urged the agency to continue its crackdown on the vaping industry in the aftermath of the resignation.

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