Accountability Mechanisms: How to Make Sure Nicotine Policy Serves the Public
Nicotine policy is made by institutions that are accountable to almost no one for the consequences of their decisions. Accountability mechanisms—independent review, consumer participation, transparency requirements—would change that.
When the FDA restricts a product that smokers use to stay off cigarettes, who measures how many of those smokers return to smoking? No one. The agency is not required to evaluate the unintended consequences of its decisions. **Accountability mechanisms—independent review bodies, mandatory impact assessments, consumer participation in advisory committees—would require regulators to measure and report the full consequences of their decisions. The mechanisms exist in other domains (environmental regulation, financial regulation). They don't exist in nicotine.**
