Today, the US Food and Drug Administration has proposed to expand its regulatory oversight in the tobacco industry and said that it will reviewing the $3 billion e-cigarette market. The regulator said that it will be implementing rules on the niche market, which will including an age limit to sell the products to discourage use and acquisition by minors, ban on offering free samples, and nicotine addiction warning requirements on products like NJOY and blu brands, Bloomberg reported
In a briefing, FDA's Center for Tobacco Products director Mitch Zeller said, "For the first time there will be a science-based, independent regulatory agency providing gatekeeping. The regulator will finally be doing its job."
On the other hand, e-cigarette manufacturers welcomed the idea of an regulatory agency to govern the market.
Vapor Corp co-founder Jeff Holman told Bloomberg in an interview, "I didn't see anything in the proposal that would appear to prohibit growth. The things that have come out are things that are going to enhance public opinion of the product and continue to legitimize us and there's going to be a good comfort level now that the FDA has stepped in."
On the other hand, politicians who had been vocal about the new industry called out FDA's move as a political compromise. Democrat US Senator Richard Durbin of Illinois said in a statement, "Prohibiting sales to kids but doing nothing to protect children from candy flavored marketing in children's venues is an awful outcome. Parents across America lost their best ally in protecting their kids from this insidious product."
Bloomberg said the FDA's authority on e-cigarettes and cigars was gained in 2009. The latest proposal on oversight of the two industries will require manufacturers to provide the agency ingredient lists. The rules will reportedly be applied to pipe tobacco and hookah tobacco products once approved. The proposal is open to the public for comment for 75 days.
