WASHINGTON, D.C., November 1, 2019 – American Heart Association CEO Nancy Brown issued the following statement today following the announcement of President Trump’s intent to nominate Stephen M. Hahn to lead the Food and Drug Administration (FDA):
"We welcome the nomination of a permanent FDA commissioner at a time when the agency’s role to protect and promote public health is only growing in importance. Should Dr. Hahn be confirmed, we look forward to working with him to aggressively advance public health priorities in areas including tobacco control, nutrition, drug and device development and review and more.
We urge Dr. Hahn to make the crisis of rising tobacco use and nicotine addiction among youth a top priority. Flavored tobacco is what causes most youth tobacco users to begin the habit, and flavors including fruit, candy, mint and menthol have driven the alarming rise of electronic cigarette use among kids in this country. We hope that while this nomination is pending, the administration will move forward quickly to protect America’s children by removing all flavored e-cigarettes, including mint and menthol, from the market.
With applications for FDA authorization of e-cigarettes currently on the market due in May, we urge the agency to subject these products to rigorous review for the protection of public health. We also urge the agency to quickly implement new graphic warning labels for cigarettes that effectively educate consumers about the harms of tobacco use. Further, the FDA should act to reduce nicotine in traditional tobacco products and facilitate the development of new nicotine replacement therapies within the Center for Drug Evaluation and Research.
We hope the FDA will continue its work to improve nutrition and reduce the burden of chronic disease, and we urge the agency to advance voluntary sodium targets for food companies that could save billions in health care costs and improve lives. We also urge the FDA to continue its work to bring innovative drugs and medical devices to market in a timely fashion while subjecting them to robust scientific review.”
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About the American Heart Association
The American Heart Association is a relentless force for a world of longer, healthier lives. We are dedicated to ensuring equitable health in all communities. Through collaboration with numerous organizations, and powered by millions of volunteers, we fund innovative research, advocate for the public’s health and share lifesaving resources. The Dallas-based organization has been a leading source of health information for nearly a century. Connect with us on heart.org, Facebook, Twitter or by calling 1-800-AHA-USA1.
Steve Weiss: 202-607-0911; steve.weiss@heart.org
Suniti Bal: 916-390-1860; suniti.bal@heart.org
For Public Inquiries:
1-800-AHA-USA1 (242-8721)
