April 1, 2025 – Brian King, Director of the Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) Center for Tobacco Products (CTP), was removed from office along with dozens of staff as part of the Trump Administration’s effort to refocus the agency on its core mission.
In 2022, a study commissioned by FDA (the Reagan Udall Report) noted that CTP struggled to function as a regulator. The report emphasized that CTP needs to fully understand and engage directly with its impacted industries before attempting to regulate them.
Last week, a delegation from the Cigar Association of America (CAA) met with the White House to highlight the industry’s broad economic impact. CAA also expressed frustration with CTP’s singular approach to rulemaking, which often threatens the viability of cigar and pipe tobacco products.
“While CTP is statutorily prohibited from banning tobacco products, they have continued to propose regulations that would have the effect of removing cigar and pipe tobacco products from the market in their current form,” said Scott Pearce, President Cigar Association of America (CAA).
CTP has long faced criticism for prioritizing political expediency regarding tobacco products regulation. Critics argue that this approach undermines the agency’s commitment to evidence-based policy and jeopardizes its credibility with the public. With underage tobacco use at record lows across the nation, many have viewed CTP’s adversarial posture as evidence the agency is too closely aligned with advocacy groups to fairly regulate tobacco markets.
