FDA’s tobacco program must be proactive, not reactive, independent panel says after extensive review

CNN — An independent panel of experts says its review of the US Food and Drug Administration’s tobacco program found numerous wide-ranging problems that hinder its ability to regulate the industry and reduce tobacco-related disease and death. If enforcement of tobacco laws is considered a priority for the Agency and the Administration, particularly given the disproportionate public health impact of illegally marketed tobacco products on youth, significant resources must be devoted to establishing enforcement processes that are more effective in clearing the market of illegal products.” An interagency task force including the FDA, DOJ, the US Department of Health and Human Services and the Department of the Treasury could streamline the enforcement process and increase the consequences for violations, the report says. “Even greater challenges and opportunities lie ahead as we determine how the agency will navigate complex policy issues and determine enforcement activities for an increasing number of novel products that could potentially have significant impact on public health.” The Center for Tobacco Products is “a new center with a different kind of mandate,” noted Erika Sward, assistant vice president of national advocacy for the American Lung Association. However, “we want FDA first and foremost to be a public health agency, and we want the Center for Tobacco Products to be looking to protect the public health,” Sward said. And ultimately, that means that FDA needs to do more things like removing all flavored tobacco products from the market, including menthol cigarettes and flavored cigars.” The tobacco industry is “doing everything it can to sabotage the center’s efforts,” she said, including flooding its system with applications “so that it could then claim that FDA was behind and delayed.” But the American Lung Association “has every confidence that under Dr. Califf and, the center will improve,” Sward said.