In a move that sent shockwaves through federal agencies, Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. terminated approximately 10,000 FDA employees this April — including the entire tobacco enforcement division. The rationale? A sweeping overhaul to fix what he called “entrenched bureaucracies” failing the American people.

And yet, despite this bold shakeup, the FDA’s Center for Tobacco Products (CTP) continues to issue warning letters to manufacturers and retailers of vaping devices and nicotine pouches — many of which are tools adult smokers rely on to reduce harm and quit traditional cigarettes.

So the question remains: When will real change happen at the CTP to stop the unfair targeting of harm reduction products?

The Double Standard in FDA Enforcement

While the FDA has approved only a handful of vape products — most notably from Big Tobacco companies — it has denied or stalled applications for thousands of others, including many made by smaller, innovative firms trying to provide safer alternatives to smoking.

Instead of guiding the market, the FDA has relied heavily on public scare tactics and warning letters. And yet, as Dr. David Khayat, one of France’s leading oncologists, has plainly stated: nicotine is not what causes cancer. It’s the tar and combustion from traditional cigarettes — the very thing vapes, pouches, and other alternatives are designed to eliminate.

You can read more about Dr. Khayat’s harm reduction stance Aici.

The Fallout From RFK Jr.’s Firing Spree

After RFK’s action, the FDA found itself unable to issue civil monetary penalties against retailers selling to minors — a task usually reserved for the now-terminated staff. Ironically, the agency is now asking some of those same employees to return temporarily until their official separation in June. (Politico)

So who’s steering the ship now?

Meanwhile, instead of focusing enforcement on dangerous illicit products or helping the legal market comply with regulations, the FDA appears stuck in a pattern of warning-letter theater — issuing slaps on the wrist while doing little to shape a smarter, safer nicotine policy.

A Call for CTP Reform

Harm reduction advocates, scientists, and even former regulators have all voiced frustration with how the CTP operates. The center has been accused of favoring prohibitionist approaches over evidence-based regulation, stalling innovation and pushing adult smokers back to deadly combustible products.

Retailers and small manufacturers continue to face legal limbo. Consumers are confused. And the black market is booming.

As one Reuters report shows, companies are pivoting around federal pressure — some retreating underground, others rebranding, and many simply folding under the weight of red tape.

The Path Forward

The FDA needs to take harm reduction seriously. That means:

• Prioritizing clear, fair pathways for product authorization.
• Supporting innovation that helps smokers quit.
• Shifting resources from warning-letter campaigns to real enforcement against bad actors.
• Opening up public dialogue about the role of nicotine without conflating it with smoking.

RFK’s mass firing may have cleared the decks, but it’s what comes next at the CTP that really matters. Will the FDA continue targeting harm reduction? Or will it finally help usher in a future where fewer people die from smoking-related disease?

We’re all waiting to find out.