Adult Smokers Need Facts, Not Silence, From The FDA

From bottled water to baby formula and, yes, even tobacco, the U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA) regulates it all. But regulation isn’t the only thing within their power. So, too, is public communication. After all, while the Agency advances public health by helping to speed innovations that make drugs, products, and devices safer, they also have a responsibility to help the public get the accurate and science-based information they need to make better decisions for their health.

When it comes to reducing smoking, there are three things the FDA should do immediately to connect with and motivate adult smokers:

1. Inform Adult Smokers

Accurate information enables informed decisions. So, why wait? The Agency needs to communicate to the public comprehensively and consistently, sharing current information about its authorized modified-risk tobacco products, and educating adult smokers—who would otherwise continue to smoke—about how these innovative, smoke-free options differ from cigarettes.

Of course, the best choice is to never begin using tobacco and nicotine products, and for anyone who smokes to quit products containing nicotine and tobacco altogether. However, many don’t, and these smokers—and those who care about them—would benefit from information about better alternatives to continued smoking.

Scientifically substantiated smoke-free alternatives exist, and the FDA could—and should—do more to make this information readily available. These smoke-free products do not burn tobacco and, therefore emit fewer harmful chemicals than cigarettes, and lower levels of the chemicals they do emit. They are not risk-free and provide nicotine, which is addictive, but adults who smoke ought to know how they differ from cigarettes.

2. Engage Adult Smokers

Prevention campaigns work, but the vast majority are concerned only with youth smoking. Over the years, the FDA has encouraged at-risk youth to reconsider what they think they know about tobacco and nicotine products in highly engaging ways. But what about adults?

There are around 30 million adult smokers in the U.S. today who also need to be encouraged to reconsider what they think they know about tobacco and nicotine products. The FDA could—and should—go beyond making information available and proactively connect with 21+ audiences—who would otherwise continue to smoke—via engaging communications that both discourage initiation, encourage cessation, and also highlight the availability of authorized alternatives to continued smoking for those who don’t quit. After all, if adult smokers are not only made aware of these better alternatives but motivated to switch to them, we can more rapidly achieve a significant milestone in global health: a world without cigarettes.

3. Amplify Facts vs. Fiction

From sunscreen to seat belts, innovations to reduce the harm caused by certain activities and behaviors are woven into our everyday lives. But when it comes to tobacco harm reduction, controversy and misinformation about nicotine and smoke-free alternatives abound.

As an agency in service of the public health, the FDA has a responsibility to amplify the facts about tobacco and nicotine, spotlight that the main source of harm is cigarette smoke, and acknowledge the important role smoke-free products can play in societal harm-reduction efforts. Because we know that:

• The burning process of cigarettes produces thousands of chemicals, of which around 100 have been identified by public health agencies as causes or potential causes of smoking-related diseases.
• While nicotine is addictive and therefore not benign, it’s the toxic mix of chemicals in cigarette smoke that are the primary cause of smoking-related diseases, not nicotine.
• Scientifically substantiated smoke-free alternatives are a much better choice for adults than continued smoking, and the FDA has authorized a number of smoke-free products, deeming them appropriate to promote public health.

The best time to provide clarity to adult smokers was years ago. The second best time is now. Our 30 million smoker friends, family members, and neighbors need to know the facts immediately so they are motivated to quit—while those who would otherwise continue to smoke also need to understand the better, FDA-authorized, smoke-free alternatives available to them. Informative, engaging, and factual communications cost the FDA very little to accomplish. The impact on helping to end smoking will be priceless.

Find out more about harm-reduction alternatives at www.pmi.com/better-choices.