A range of nicotine e-cigarette, or known as vape products, have been urged to receive full approval from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and the Centers for Tobacco Products, according to a press release from the Center for Black Equality (CBE).
The CBE believes that this step is crucial in addressing the significant harm reduction and health equity gaps that are present due to current FDA tobacco policies. They argue that approving vaping products would particularly benefit Black and LGBTQ+ populations, who are disproportionately impacted by the negative health effects of smoking, such as cancer.
The CBE’s push for broad regulatory approval of vapes includes flavored vaping products. This call coincided with the release of an econometric report by Robert J. Shapiro, a former undersecretary of commerce for economic affairs and advisor to former Presidents Clinton, Obama, and Biden. For the first time, this report quantifies the benefits of switching from smoking to vaping in terms of saved lives, economic gains, and reduced healthcare costs.
Shapiro’s report reveals that between 2010 and 2022, the shift from smoking to vaping saved 113,000 lives, preserved $137 billion in GDP, and saved $39 billion in healthcare costs. The availability of vapes also led to a reduction of 6.1 million smokers in the U.S. during that same period.
Earl Fowlkes, president and CEO of the CBE, emphasized the importance of advocating for meaningful harm reduction initiatives for Black and LGBTQ+ communities. Fowlkes stated that if the Biden administration and FDA genuinely prioritize health equity and harm reduction, broad approval of flavored vaping products is necessary. They argue that it would save lives, reduce smoking rates, and make significant progress in lowering preventable cancer rates in vulnerable populations.
Shapiro’s report also analyzed existing academic and medical literature on vaping vs. smoking, confirming that vapes have a significantly lower risk profile and can help individuals reduce or quit smoking altogether.
According to Shapiro, encouraging smokers to switch to vaping is the most effective method of combatting smoking-related deaths, which claim 480,000 lives annually. He emphasized that vaping itself does not cause any deaths.
Shapiro called on the Center for Tobacco Products to be transparent with American smokers, particularly those in Black and LGBTQ+ communities who have higher smoking rates. He urged them to proactively communicate the substantial health benefits of transitioning from smoking to vaping. Shapiro believes that future FDA policies on tobacco and nicotine should be based on established scientific evidence regarding the relative risks of vapes versus cigarettes and the usefulness of vaping for smoking cessation or reduction.
About the impact of vape on youth
The report also addressed concerns about the so-called “youth vaping epidemic,” arguing that the narrative is unfounded. Shapiro pointed out that the CDC’s data shows a substantial decline in adolescent vaping in recent years, returning to 2014 levels and well below the peak of 2019. He noted that most young people who vape do so irregularly or occasionally without developing a nicotine dependence.
Fowlkes concluded by stating that the FDA and the Center for Tobacco Products have a responsibility to follow scientific evidence, support harm reduction and health equity, and advance President Biden’s Cancer Moonshot initiative.
He believes that the FDA must acknowledge the evidence-based benefits of switching from smoking to vaping and actively educate Black, LGBTQ+, and other smokers about these advantages. Failure to approve a wide range of vaping products would be a failure of the FDA’s public health responsibility to individuals who are eager to quit smoking using an effective method.
