Public HealthAssociation For The Treatment Of Tobacco Use And Dependence Supports The FDA Ban Of 'Electronic' Cigarettes
The
Association for the Treatment of Tobacco Use and Dependence
(ATTUD), the premier professional organization of tobacco
treatment specialists, today announced its support of the
FDA ban on so-called "electronic" or e-cigarettes. The
letter addressed to Acting Commissioner Sharfstein (see
below) stated that there is no scientific evidence that the
e-cigarettes are safe and effective.
"As tobacco treatment professionals we are concerned that
smokers desperate to quit will place their faith in unproven
therapies," said John Hughes, MD, President-elect of ATTUD
and professor of psychiatry at the University of Vermont
College of Medicine. "Money spent on unproven treatments is
money unavailable for proven, FDA-approved treatments," Dr.
Hughes continued.
Furthermore, an unsuccessful attempt can precipitate a sense
of failure, which can delay another quit attempt for years.
Unfortunately, this can mean that some smokers will die or
suffer serious disease after an unsuccessful quitting
effort. While ATTUD supports the quit attempts of all
tobacco users, it strongly encourages all smokers to use
FDA-approved and proven medications with the support of
tobacco treatment professionals.
The Association for the Treatment of Tobacco Use and Dependence