On April 10, the AAFP wrote a letter to Leslie Kux, associate commissioner for policy at the FDA, offering guidance on the use of nicotine for tobacco product cessation to the agency’s newly created Nicotine Steering Committee.
“The AAFP calls for strong regulatory action on all nicotine and tobacco-related issues,” the AAFP stated in the letter, which was signed by Board Chair John Meigs, MD, of Centreville, Ala. “Tobacco use is the leading cause of preventable death in the United States. Nicotine is the leading cause for addiction to tobacco products, further propagating the public health crisis.”
Although it wasn’t addressed in the FDA’s request for comments, which was published in the Feb 20 Federal Register,(www.gpo.gov) the AAFP called on the agency to work with CMS to increase opportunities for family physicians and other health care professionals to counsel patients about tobacco cessation.
