The American Dental Association (ADA) has announced a new interim policy on vaping, calling for a total ban on vaping products that aren’t approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for tobacco cessation purposes.
The policy states that the ADA:
- Urgently advocate for regulatory, legislative, and/or legal action at the federal and/or state levels to ban the sale and distribution of all e-cigarette and vaping products, with the exception of those approved by the FDA for tobacco cessation purposes and made available by prescription only; and
- Advocate for research funding to study the safety and effectiveness of e-cigarettes and vaping products for tobacco cessation purposes and their effects on the oral cavity.
The policy mirrors recent action taken by the American Medical Association and is a call to action to ensure the health and safety of consumers.
“While the long-term oral health effects of vaping are under scientific review, as health professionals we must be prudent in protecting consumers from potentially harmful products,” says Chad Gehani, DDS, president of the ADA. “We will continue to advocate for additional research, but we must protect the health of our patients first and foremost. A ban such as this would ensure patient safety while allowing us to explore the impact of vaping products on oral health.”
The ADA has advocated for the development of a body of scientific research examining the oral effects of both tobacco and non-tobacco nicotine delivery products as part of the ADA policy on tobacco use. In addition to this interim policy, in September, the ADA House of Delegates passed a resolution stipulating that the word “vaping” and any other alternative nicotine delivery systems be added to the existing ADA policy focused on tobacco use prevention, research and regulation.
