New actions by FDA

The US Food and Drug Administration says that it is taking new actions focused on retailers and manufacturers as part of its Youth Tobacco Prevention Plan.

But, in large part, the actions seem to be focused on electronic cigarettes, which the FDA ‘deems’ to be ‘tobacco products’.

In a statement about the actions, the FDA commissioner Scott Gottlieb, MD, said the FDA had sent a letter to the corporate management of Walgreen, requesting a meeting to discuss where there was a corporate-wide issue related to its stores’ repeat violations of selling tobacco products to ‘kids’.

‘The company is currently the top violator among pharmacies that sell tobacco products, with 22 percent of more than 6,350 inspected stores cited for illegally sold tobacco products to minors,’ the statement said.

‘FDA identified 14 other national retail chains as well, whose rates of violative inspections exceed 15 percent of their total inspected stores since the inception of the FDA’s retailer compliance check inspection program in 2010. FDA plans to ask these companies to share what policies they have in place and what more they can commit to do to prevent youth tobacco sales.

‘Furthermore, FDA sent letters to more than 40 companies seeking information about whether more than 50 products – including a variety of flavored e-cigarette products – are being illegally marketed and outside the agency’s current compliance policy.

‘The agency also today sent the first warning letters to several companies for, among other things, selling electronic nicotine delivery system (ENDS) products and a waterpipe tobacco product with labeling and/or advertising that failed to include the required nicotine warning statement.’

Gottlieb’s statement is here.