At the bottom of this post I will have links to the FDA website and other links about what I am discussing here.
I will start by saying that cigarettes are obviously bad for you in the first place, but this is about harm reduction. I am not coming from a position of abolishing cigarettes, rather a place of fair competition for harm reduction practices.
The FDA PMTA regulation is more or less the government’s way of saying if you are not a big tobacco company (Phillip Morris, Altria, Imperial, etc) you are not allowed to be “approved” to sell your vapor products. Vapor products in this discussion will mean e-juice, disposables, vapor devices, pods and coils, or anything related to a nicotine vape.
If you check to see the approved products by the FDA PMTA rule, you will only find products made my the big tobacco companies. Not only is this a form of monopoly, but it discourages the attempt to use a vape rather than cigarettes because of the poor options available. People who use only tobacco or menthol e-juice are still getting the taste of a cigarette. The use of flavored juices (let’s say peach for example) is different enough to take the user away from the urge to taste tobacco while still getting their nicotine.
Currently, there is “no good evidence to show that second hand vapor is harmful” according cancerresearchuk.org. Nicotine itself does not cause cancer, however it is responsible for the addictive side of vaping or smoking cigarettes. In another article from Cancer Research UK, “There is no good evidence that vaping causes cancer.”
In short, I believe getting rid of the FDA PMTA regulation or at least allowing other companies to truly compete against the big tobacco companies is a better move towards a healthier America. As more states adopt this PMTA regulation, it becomes harder and harder for a person who is addicted to smoking cigarettes to find a nicotine replacement that is suitable for them.
I will gladly discuss this in more detail with anyone who is interested, but I wanted to get this information out sooner than later. I know many people who are personally against the PMTA regulations from a user standpoint, as well as a business standpoint.
Thank you for taking the time to read what I had to say.
FDA PMTA Rule - Premarket Tobacco Product Applications | FDA.
UK Study showing vaping helped more people stop smoking - https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMoa1808779
Cancer Research UK article - Is vaping harmful? | Vaping side effects | Cancer Research UK