FDA Orders Camel Crush Bold off the Market

 
The FDA has ordered R.J. Reynolds to pull four of its cigarette brands, including Camel Crush Bold, off the market. In its ruling, the FDA stated “These decisions were based on a rigorous, science-based review designed to protect the public from the harms caused by tobacco use.” The agency found that the tobacco company had failed to demonstrate that the products don’t “raise different questions of public health” due to higher levels of menthol, new methods of menthol delivery, the addition of sweeteners, and increased levels of potentially harmful substances. Camel Crush, a cigarette with a capsule in the filter that releases menthol when crushed, has been heavily marketed in magazines with large readerships among young people.
 
For decades tobacco companies were free to modify their products with no oversight, and the result has been the development of cigarettes that are increasingly more addictive, more deadly and more attractive to kids. Since the FDA was given regulatory authority over tobacco products in 2009, law prohibits the introduction of new tobacco products unless the manufacturer shows that the product is “substantially equivalent” to products already on the market, or is “appropriate for the protection of public health.” In addition to Camel Crush Bold, the ruling covers Pall Mall Deep Set Recessed Filter, Pall Mall Deep Set Recessed Filter Menthol and Vantage Tech 13 cigarettes.
 
With more smokers quitting and fewer young people smoking conventional cigarettes, tobacco companies need to develop new products to hook a new generation. The FDA’s actions set a precedent for dealing with new products that appeal to and are marketed to young people. Tobacco companies won’t stop trying to recruit our kids as replacement smokers. That’s why we can’t stop working to keep our young people smoke-free, tobacco-free and nicotine-free.