The Risk Continuum
According to the FDA, more than 30 million adults in the United States still smoke combustible cigarettes. Cigarette smoking remains one of the leading causes of preventable disease and death in the U.S. – with more than 480,000 deaths every year.
Millions of Americans are moving away from cigarettes to innovative smoke-free nicotine products that FDA acknowledges are much less harmful. Unfortunately, FDA regulation has failed to keep up with the pace of changing consumer landscape. The current regulatory process has left millions of adult smokers, vape consumers, and pouch consumers with few legal, properly regulated options to move to.
Alternative Nicotine Products and Harm Reduction
The scientific community agrees that while nicotine is addictive, it is the smoke from conventional cigarettes that is responsible for all or almost all tobacco-related harm [8].
We do know that e-cigarettes - as a general class - have markedly less risk than a combustible cigarette product.
FDA Center for Tobacco Products Director
Approximately 85% of the vapes sold in the U.S. are unauthorized.
A large majority of these products are flagrantly illegal and are responsible for most underage use of vapes today.
A Growing Illicit Market
Since 2009, applications for over 26 million innovative, potentially less risky nicotine products have been filed, yet the FDA has only authorized 46.
This outdated regulatory process has left millions of adult smokers, e-cigarette consumers and pouch consumers with few legal options to turn to, creating a rapidly growing illicit market fueled by China with products made in factories no one inspects - and ingredients no one verifies.