CTP Launches Webpage on Relative Risks

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s Center for Tobacco Products (CTP) has launched a new webpage aimed at educating the public about the relative risks of tobacco products. The CTP will continue to update the information on this new webpage based on the best available science.

Coinciding with the launch, CTP Director Brian King co-authored a commentary in Nature Medicine, discussing considerations for healthcare providers around talking to adults about the relative risks of different tobacco products.

The commentary reinforces that youth should not use any form of tobacco products. Among adults who smoke, it stresses the importance of using evidence-based cessation methods, including FDA-approved pharmacotherapies, as a first line treatment.

For adults who smoke and have tried proven cessation methods with no success, medical providers may consider educating patients about the relative risks of tobacco products and the potential health benefits of switching completely to a lower-risk product.

Among patients who smoke, the authors note it is critical to reinforce the importance of complete transitioning away from smoking to exclusive e-cigarette use. Further, eventual abstinence from all tobacco products should be the end goal, according to King.