Insider Q&A: FDA official on vaping’s “promise or peril”

By MATTHEW PERRONE
AP Health Writer

WASHINGTON (AP) — The new chief at the Food and Drug Administration’s tobacco center has inherited a raft of problems. Brian King joined the division tasked with regulating cigarettes, vaping products and other forms of nicotine in July. The agency is struggling to review a backlog of electronic cigarettes, which have contributed to a rise in underage vaping. It is also working to implement a long-delayed plan to ban menthol cigarettes and flavored cigars. King wants to exploit the potential for e-cigarettes to serve as as a less harmful alternative to smoking while at the same time prevent teen use.