April 28, - The US government watchdog group Protecting Public Trust has filed a complaint with the Department of Health and Human Services, alleging a violation of scientific integrity involving the effects of e-cigarettes, according to reports.

The complaint alleges that the Food and Drug Administration is promoting public health messages about e-cigarettes that do not appear to be supported by its own research and scientific findings, according to Center Square.

Protect the Public's Trust said the FDA is making statements about the e-cigarette industry that are not scientifically based, contrary to its own research, adding that the agency's own data appears to contradict the FDA's public position on e-cigarette products.

Protect the Public's Trust says an FDA report found that only some of the many harmful compounds found in cigarettes are present in e-cigarettes, and at much lower levels than those found in cigarette smoke.

The FDA report found that menthol e-cigarettes were better at helping adult smokers quit than fruit, candy or traditional tobacco flavors.

In its complaint, Protect the Public's Trust said FDA Commissioner Scott Gottlieb compared e-cigarettes to traditional cigarettes because several dangerous chemicals in tobacco smoke are also present in the aerosols of certain e-cigarette products.

The FDA did not respond to an email seeking comment.

But the FDA says e-cigarettes are not harmless. It poses real health and safety risks, including addiction and other negative health effects.

"Many studies have shown that e-cigarettes and non-combustible tobacco products may be less harmful than combustible cigarettes. However, there is insufficient evidence to support claims that e-cigarettes and other ENDS [electronic nicotine delivery systems] are effective tools for smoking cessation." The FDA said on its website.

Protect the Public's Trust says the U.S. government has a pattern of not following science. Protect the Public's Trust also claimed in December 2022 that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention had failed to track side effects of vaccination against COVID-19.

"Once again, federal public health leadership appears to have chosen to sacrifice scientific integrity and the public's rapidly disappearing trust in the altar of political and special interest agendas." Michael Chamberlain, director of Protecting The Public Trust, said in an email to The. "While we were promised that health officials would follow the science, what we observed was a disturbing trend of ignoring or dismissing scientific studies and data that did not fit their particular biases."