People’s trust of public health officials is alarmingly low because from time to time they’ve relied on politics rather than on science when making decisions. This episode of What’s Ahead examines a small but telling example of this malfeasance.

Several years ago, the FDA went after premium cigars—products of a cottage industry—as if they were the equivalent of cigarettes. Finally, a federal court firmly smacked down the FDA’s egregious overreach.

Unfortunately, the FDA’s scientific misbehavior continues elsewhere, most murderously with vaping. Just as it did with cigars, the agency equates vaping with cigarette smoking. The reality is that vaping is the most effective tool in getting smokers to quit.