The American Academy of Family Physicians (AAFP) recently included itself among 29 other organizations that are pushing President Barack Obama to give the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) more authority over tobacco regulation.
The organizations have expressed their concerns that unregulated tobacco products are dangerous to the public health of the U.S. Unfortunately, there have been numerous delays over this decision. They are pushing the president to stop these delays and be the leader that is needed to guarantee that the FDA can regulate tobacco products within the U.S.
"Every one of these delays comes with a cost to public health," the organizations' representatives said in a letter.
The AAFP added its signature to the letter that was sent on April 13. The letter asks Obama to finalize a rule that would categorize “tobacco products” that are now unregulated, such as electronic cigarettes (e-cigarettes), pipe tobacco, water pipe tobacco (hookah), cigars and dissolvables. The ruling would also apply to all future tobacco as well as nicotine products in the U.S.
"There are no restrictions in place to protect public health against the risks these products pose, particularly to the health of our children," they said.
