Gottlieb himself seems wary of Big Tobacco’s promises to keep e-cigarettes out of teen hands and mouths. “They say they’ve changed from the days of Joe Camel,” the FDA commissioner said. “But look at what’s happening right now, on our watch and on their watch. They must demonstrate that they’re truly committed to keeping these new products out of the hands of kids.”
However, the FDA isn’t just warning e-cigarette makers, but the stores that sell them and their nicotine pods as well. The agency’s statement said in addition to the warning issued to manufacturers, it issued over 1,100 warning letters to retailers such as Walgreens, Circle K, 7-Eleven and Shell gas stations. It also said it recently issued over 130 fines to retails caught selling e-cigarettes to minors, ranging from a few hundred to over $11,000.
Parents are #1 in the battle to prevent e-cigarette use among teens
While I’m glad the FDA seems quite serious about slowing down teen e-cigarette use, I feel that it will certainly be a difficult task. As always, I’m hoping parents will do some preventative work in talking to their teens about how easy it is especially for the not-completely-formed teenage brain to become addicted to nicotine, and about how very hard that habit is to break. As in all things “risky-behavior related,” moms and dads need to start talking to their kids about these things early, by late elementary school, and often, making the conversations ongoing rather than a “one and done.” For instance, your kids need to know not just WHY they shouldn’t try e-cigarettes, but also what to say when they are inevitably offered the chance.
Have your teens encountered e-cigarette use at school or with peers? What conversations have you had with them about it? I’d love to hear about it in the comments.
