PRESS RELEASE: ICYMI: JAMA Urges Integration Of FDA-Authorized E-Cigarettes into Patient-Centered Conversations About Smoking Cessation

Regulate Smarter: “Leading public health authorities agree that it’s time to include e-cigarettes in patient-centered conversations regarding cessation that can help adult smokers leave cigarettes behind. It’s time for FDA to catch up.”

WASHINGTON, D.C. – A groundbreaking analysis published in JAMA, one of the nation’s most well-respected medical publications, calls for the integration of U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-authorized e-cigarettes into patient-centered conversations about smoking cessation and provides recommendations to clinicians on how to include e-cigarettes as potential cessation strategies to consider for adult smokers.

The Special Communication, titled “Nicotine E-Cigarettes for Cigarette Smoking Cessation: Recommendations to US-Based Clinicians,” and its accompanying editorial conclude that, “The significant burden of cigarette smoking, coupled with the state of the science on the efficacy of e-cigarettes for smoking cessation, clearly indicates that it is time to include e-cigarettes in patient-centered conversations regarding cessation.”

JAMA cites a recent Cochrane study finding nicotine e-cigarettes more effective at helping adults quit smoking than other FDA-approved nicotine replacement therapies.

“Published in one of the world’s most prestigious medical journals, the significance of these recommendations cannot be overstated,” said Richard Burr, chairman of the Coalition for Smarter Regulation of Nicotine (Regulate Smarter) and former U.S. Senator. “The JAMA analysis leaves no doubt that FDA-authorized e-cigarettes are less harmful alternatives that can serve as legitimate smoking-cessation tools and underscores the need for FDA to accelerate the authorization of more smoke-free, quality-controlled products. Leading public health authorities agree that it’s time to include authorized e-cigarettes in patient-centered conversations regarding cessation that can help adult smokers leave cigarettes behind. Rather than foster an illicit product market, FDA should embrace science and the growing public health consensus -- adult consumers deserve access to regulated smoke-free products and accurate information about the health impacts of switching.”

Noting that combustible cigarette smoking remains the leading cause of preventable death in the United States, JAMA's document outlines three specific recommendations for clinicians:

• Include authorized e-cigarettes on the list of smoking cessation options alongside FDA-approved medications. 

• Assess and correct misperceptions about the relative harm and safety of FDA-authorized e-cigarettes.

• Use key questions to guide shared decision-making with patients.

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The Coalition for Smarter Regulation of Nicotine (Regulate Smarter) is comprised of members representing manufacturers, distributors, and retailers committed to operating responsibly within the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-regulated marketplace. Regulate Smarter supports an FDA regulatory system that delivers on the original harm reduction vision of the Tobacco Control Act. Chaired by former U.S. Senator Richard Burr (R-NC), the Regulate Smarter Coalition is committed to advancing a modern, common-sense approach to regulating tobacco and nicotine that is grounded in science. To learn more, visit: https://www.regulate-smarter.org/