Consumer Watchdog Praises IQOS Reauthorization, Urges Broader Support for Smoking Alternatives

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: Kara Zupkus (224) 456-0257

WASHINGTON, D.C. – The Taxpayers Protection Alliance (TPA) today welcomed the Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) April 17 decision to reauthorize two IQOS devices and three variants as Modified Risk Tobacco Products, a move that will allow manufacturer Philip Morris International to continue communicating the harm-reduction benefits of this technology to adult smokers seeking to quit combustible cigarettes.

The agency said in its decision that scientific evidence shows switching completely from conventional cigarettes to the IQOS system significantly reduces exposure to harmful or potentially harmful chemicals.

In response to this decision by the FDA, Ross Marchand, Executive Director of TPA, offered the following comment:

“This reauthorization is great news for the millions of Americans desperately trying to quit smoking. The FDA has taken far too long to get harm-reduction products to market, but the agency deserves praise for listening to the science and allowing this revolutionary product to help smokers quit cigarettes.

“Innovative harm-reduction products such as IQOS have been proven in multiple studies to be far safer than cigarettes and have the capacity to save millions of lives. IQOS will give these smokers the opportunity to lead better and healthier lives, but the FDA can do far more to embrace harm reduction and promote smoking alternatives. The FDA has chosen to continue its misguided crusade against vaping products, even as it allows heat-not-burn products to be marketed. As the next step toward harm reduction, the FDA should resolve to keep vaping products free from onerous regulations.

“If the FDA is serious about protecting public health, it should follow the evidence and adopt a light-touch approach to harm-reduction products. Expanding access to these products is not only a commitment to public health, but also the right thing to do. The agency deserves applause for this decision, and hopefully, it follows through with a consistent approach to harm reduction that puts consumers before bureaucrats.”

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The Taxpayers Protection Alliance (TPA) is a non-profit, non-partisan organization dedicated to educating the public through the research, analysis, and dissemination of information on the government’s impact on the economy.