Contact: Katie Glenn, kglenn@acc.org, 202-375-6472

WASHINGTON (Nov 15, 2018) -

American College of Cardiology President C. Michael Valentine, MD, FACC, made the following statement on the U.S. Food and Drug Administration's announcement restricting the sale of flavored e-cigarettes and other tobacco products in an effort to reduce underage tobacco use:

"Traditional cigarettes are an often-lifelong habit with major health implications that usually begins in adolescence. According to the CDC, youth who use e-cigarettes may be more likely to smoke in the future. When the latest e-cigarettes are designed to almost mimic a flash drive and feature flavors like strawberry and chocolate, it's not hard to see why they're on the rise among American youth. It is the responsibility of the health community—public organizations, medical societies and even individual clinicians—to make it less likely American children become smokers. Furthermore, we have concerns about the widespread use of a product for which, frankly, the medical and scientific community has yet to clearly establish the long-term health implications. The FDA's announcement restricting the sale of flavored e-cigarettes and other tobacco products shows they are ready to do their part in making tobacco products less available to our children. Let's do our part to make sure they don't become our future patients."

The American College of Cardiology envisions a world where innovation and knowledge optimize cardiovascular care and outcomes. As the professional home for the entire cardiovascular care team, the mission of the College and its more than 52,000 members is to transform cardiovascular care and to improve heart health. The ACC bestows credentials upon cardiovascular professionals who meet stringent qualifications and leads in the formation of health policy, standards and guidelines. The College also provides professional medical education, disseminates cardiovascular research through its world-renowned JACC Journals, operates national registries to measure and improve care, and offers cardiovascular accreditation to hospitals and institutions. For more, visit acc.org.

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