The Food and Drug Administration recently approved the use, sale and marketing of flavored-vape products. It’s the first time ever the agency has approved non-tobacco and non-menthol vapes.
The decision is garnering a lot of reaction.
What You Need To Know
For the first time ever, the FDA has approved a non-tobacco and non-menthol vapes.
Health professionals are worried vapes will have long-term health impacts, especially on youths.
Some says the government’s job shouldn’t be to regulate. They say people should have a say in what they do.
“I think we’re seeing a lot of the negative effects and the studies coming out now,” said Camryn Chaffee, the youth public health educator for the Tobacco-Free CNY Program in Syracuse.
She says those studies show the dangers vaping has on short-term health.
“Which still includes, like popcorn lung, which is a chronic lung condition. It’s irreversible,” she said.
She says she has serious concerns about the long-term effects.
“Those correlations take a while because of how long chronic diseases may take to manifest,” she added.
Trusting what she’s seen, she says she’s baffled at the recent FDA decision to legalize flavored-vapes — especially as it relates to kids.
“Youth that are using any tobacco product are using flavored products,” Chaffee said.
Camryn says this is known, because of how prevalent the product already is on the black market.
And her feelings are shared.
“We see so many young patients coming in with lung issues, patients who should not have any lung issues,” said Dr. Prinita Ghimire, critical care specialist at St. Joseph’s Health in Syracuse.
She specials on pulmonary disease, the lungs.
“The only the only risk factor that they have is vaping,” Ghimire added.
It’s a point the FDA isn’t exactly arguing.
Supporting its decision by describing vaping as ‘less harmful’ alternative to smoking. It also makes it very clear these products are not to be sold or marketed to anyone under the age of 21.
A decision that brings up the question of personal choice.
“It’s really up to us as individual citizens, as parents, as responsible citizens, to make that decision on our own,” said Yael Ossowski, deputy director of the Consumer Choice Center.
He says the government got this one right, saying he believes this decision can help people.
“People who are trying to quit don’t want the same taste of tobacco when they’re switching to a new product,” Ossowski added.
And as for the youth, he says the role of parents is critical.
“Parents are better able to surveil their kids, to actually parent actually promote healthier decisions. I think that’s a good thing, and it’s something that we should promote a lot more,” he added.
However, that is something that others believe the government should be stepping in on.
“I guess we’re going to have to see. That’s unfortunate,” Chaffee said.
Now, New York does have a state law that prohibits flavored-vapes. However, the Onondaga County Health Department says there is an exception for FDA approved products and this would certainly fall under that exception.