U.S. Government Watchdog Says FDA Is Ignoring Vape Science

Today, on April 28, news reports indicate that a U.S. government watchdog has filed a complaint with the Department of Health and Human Services, claiming that it has violated scientific integrity regarding the impact of e-cigarettes.

According to Center Square, the complaint states that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is promoting public health information about e-cigarettes that appears not to be supported by its own research and scientific findings.

Protect the Public's Trust stated that the FDA is making statements about the e-cigarette industry that lack scientific basis, which contradicts its own research, and added that the agency's own data seems to contradict the FDA's public stance on e-cigarette products.

Protect the Public's Trust noted that an FDA report found that many harmful compounds found in cigarettes are present in only a fraction in e-cigarettes, and at levels far lower than those in cigarette smoke.

The FDA's report found that menthol e-cigarettes are more effective in helping adult smokers quit than fruit, candy, or traditional tobacco flavors.

In the complaint, Protect the Public's Trust stated that FDA Commissioner Scott Gottlieb equated e-cigarettes with traditional cigarettes because several hazardous chemicals found in tobacco smoke are also present in the aerosol of certain e-cigarette products.

The FDA did not respond to requests for comment.

However, the FDA claims that e-cigarettes are not harmless. They pose real health and safety risks, including addiction and other negative health effects.

'Many studies suggest that the harms of e-cigarettes and non-combustible tobacco products may be lower than those of combustible cigarettes. However, there is not enough evidence to support the claim that e-cigarettes and other ENDS [electronic nicotine delivery systems] are effective tools for smoking cessation,' the FDA stated on its website.

Protect the Public's Trust stated that there is a pattern of the U.S. government not following science. Protect the Public's Trust also claimed in December 2022 that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention failed to track the side effects of COVID-19 vaccines.

'Once again, federal public health leadership seems to choose to sacrifice scientific integrity and public trust at the altar of political and special interest agendas,' said Michael Chamberlain, director of Protect the Public's Trust, in an email to The . 'While we were promised that health officials would follow the science, what we observe is a disturbing trend of ignoring or dismissing scientific research and data that does not align with their specific biases.'