Leadership Change at FDA’s Tobacco Center Signals Turbulent Times for US Vapor Policy

COMMENTARY

In a significant development for tobacco and vapor policy, Brian King, director of the Center for Tobacco Products at the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, was placed on leave as of April 1. His departure is part of a sweeping overhaul of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services that also includes the exit of approximately 3,500 FDA personnel.

While some may view this news positively — given King’s opposition to flavored tobacco and harm-reduction products — it will undoubtedly plunge an already chaotic regulatory landscape into further disarray.

King’s appointment as head of CTP in 2022 was met with skepticism. His track record has consistently contradicted the notion of a “continuum of risk” among tobacco products — a principal foundation of modern tobacco harm reduction.

King’s background includes extensive time at the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention under former Director Tom Frieden, a longtime New York City Health commissioner and close ally of billionaire anti-tobacco crusader Michael R. Bloomberg. Bloomberg has funneled hundreds of millions of dollars into campaigns to ban flavored vapor products both in the United States and abroad.

At the CDC, King made headlines with his now-infamous analogy likening flavored e-cigarettes to water and horses, suggesting that “advertising brings the horse to water, flavors get them to drink, and nicotine keeps them coming back.” He made similar remarks in both 2017 and 2019.

More concerning was King’s role in public messaging during the 2019 outbreak of vaping-related lung injuries. He repeatedly downplayed the role of illicit THC products and pivoted blame to legal nicotine vaping products, stating vaguely that “there’s a variety of things in e-cigarette aerosol that could have implications for lung health.”

His time at CTP has been no less contentious. Since his appointment, only 11 e-cigarette products have received FDA authorization — out of 34 total ever approved. Notably, those approvals have overwhelmingly favored large tobacco companies, three of whom are the only firms to receive marketing orders. Meanwhile, the FDA, under King’s leadership, has expended considerable resources — both internally and through other federal agencies — to crack down on flavored vapor products.

This is a far cry from the vision set forth by former FDA Commissioner Scott Gottlieb, who in 2018 declared that the agency’s regulatory approach should “encourage innovation of less harmful products.”

That vision has since been reversed, particularly under King’s leadership.

During his tenure, CTP issued 1,544 marketing orders for tobacco products — of which only 11 (less than 1%) were for e-cigarettes. By contrast, 783 of those orders — more than half — were for combustible cigarettes, the most harmful tobacco product on the market.

The state of CTP reflects a system mired in outdated congressional mandates that grant unelected officials sweeping authority to shape the tobacco harm-reduction narrative — often in direct conflict with scientific evidence.

Though King has repeatedly claimed that the agency’s actions are “guided by science,” real-world data paints a different picture. E-cigarettes are demonstrably less harmful than combustible tobacco, yet they remain largely inaccessible to adult smokers seeking alternatives.

In December 2024, CTP touted its enforcement actions: over 700 warning letters to manufacturers, 800 to retailers, and nearly 260 civil monetary penalty complaints — largely targeting unauthorized vapor products. But while the agency continues to penalize companies offering potentially lifesaving alternatives, it drags its feet in approving safer products and vilifies adult users who have successfully quit smoking with these tools.

Hon Lik may be credited with inventing the modern e-cigarette, but the U.S. vapor industry has shown remarkable resilience and health impact. Smoking rates are at historic lows, with some states reporting smoking prevalence below 5% among 18- to 24-year-olds — approaching the World Health Organization’s definition of a smoke-free society.

There is reason for optimism — but also an urgent need for reform.

Swapping out agency figureheads won’t eliminate misinformation. Still, a new CTP director could signal a much-needed shift — one that prioritizes science, embraces innovation and stops pushing combustible cigarettes down Americans’ throats.

Lindsey Stroud is a tobacco harm reduction advocate based in Florida and creator and manager of Tobacco Harm Reduction 101. THR 101 can be found here.