Press Releases

The American Cancer Society (ACS) today announced an update to the organization’s position on electronic cigarettes, also known as e-cigarettes. The revision seeks to clarify ACS guidelines in light of recent spikes in e-cigarette use among youth and young adults, combined with the lack of regulation by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

ACS’s new, clarified position is:

• No youth or young adult should begin using any tobacco product, including e-cigarettes. ACS encourages young people currently using these products to ask for help in quitting and to quit as soon as possible.
• The ACS also believes e-cigarettes should not be used to quit smoking. No e-cigarette has been approved as a safe and effective cessation product by the FDA. All tobacco products, including e-cigarettes, pose a risk to the health of the user.
• Additionally, current e-cigarette users should not also smoke cigarettes or switch to smoking cigarettes, and former smokers now using e-cigarettes should not revert to smoking. Beginning smoking or vaping or switching from e-cigarettes to smoking exposes the user to potentially devastating health effects.

The guideline update was approved by ACS’s board of directors at their November 2019 meeting.

“Since ACS first released a position statement on e-cigarettes in 2018, the landscape for tobacco control and these products has shifted significantly,” said Gary Reedy, chief executive officer, ACS. “We committed then to revisiting the position as required to reflect new scientific data and public health trends.”

ACS’s full e-cigarette position statement can be found here: https://www.cancer.org/healthy/stay-away-from-tobacco/e-cigarette-position-statement.html