FDA Pilot Program on Nicotine Pouches Must Not Jeopardize Scientific Rigor or Kids’ Health

WASHINGTON, D.C. – The FDA this week announced a pilot program to streamline the review process for marketing applications for nicotine pouch products. Any effort to gain efficiency – including this pilot program – must not jeopardize the scientific integrity of the review process required by Congress before new tobacco products can be introduced. There should be no shortcuts when it comes to our kids’ health.

Nicotine pouches appeal to and pose a substantial risk to the health of our kids and are the only category of tobacco product that saw an increase in youth use in recent years. These products share many features that fueled youth use of e-cigarettes. They’re sold in appealing flavors, easy to hide and heavily promoted on social media. These products expose kids to high levels of nicotine, which is extremely addictive and can harm the developing adolescent brain, impacting memory, attention and learning. We should be doing everything we can to prevent youth use of any tobacco product, including nicotine pouches.

The FDA’s scientific review is critical to protect kids and public health from the tobacco industry, which has a long history of introducing products aimed at attracting and addicting kids. Before tobacco companies can market a new product, federal law (the Tobacco Control Act) requires that they provide the FDA with rigorous scientific evidence demonstrating that the product is appropriate for the protection of public health, taking into account the risks and benefits to the population as a whole, including both users and non-users of tobacco products. 

The FDA must ensure the law is applied as intended to protect kids and public health, not the interests of the tobacco industry.