The U.S. Food and Drugs Administration has proposed the first set of e-cigarette rules in an attempt to curb the growing trend.
Electronics cigarettes have soared in popularity, especially in the United States. To curb this growing trend, the FDA has proposed the first set of e-cigarette rules, which will ban the sale of new tobacco products like e-cigarettes, flavored cigars and nicotine gels to minors. The agency also revealed that it will not be putting a ban on Internet sales or television advertising of these products, at least not yet!
In a recent briefing, FDA Commissioner Margaret Hamburg said that the new proposal is the first "foundational" step toward setting more extensive regulations on e-cigarettes that would result in quality standards and include restrictions on flavoring and marketing, Reuters reported.
Health experts have been anticipating action from the FDA for some time now and were anxious to see what the agency would do to curb the booming e-cigarette industry. The FDA also had to give this proposal a lot of thought, considering the plethora of studies conducted recently that have highlighted the pros and cons of e-cigarette smoking. While some researchers are of the opinion that the electronic device may help smokers kick the habit, others worry that it might keep smokers hooked and attract a new generation of nicotine addicts.
The new rules ban companies from distributing free e-cigarette samples and selling to minors. The rules also prohibit vending machine sales in zones that are not "adult-only." Companies selling e-cigarettes will have to attach a warning label to their products highlighting the addictive nature of nicotine but will not be forced to include any other health warnings. These warnings will have to be included within two years after the rules are finalized, according to NY Times.
The proposal is currently subject to a public comment period of 75 days and if finalized, will be the first time the e-cigarette industry will be subjected to federal regulation. Though the Congress gave the FDA authority to regulate tobacco products in 2009, it didn't include e-cigarettes and certain other products. Moreover, the FDA isn't authorized to completely ban any tobacco products but can limit sales and advertizing. It can also order manufacturing companies to add warning labels to their products. The law also said the FDA could extend its authority over other tobacco products but only after passing a proposal.
"Any further rules will have to be grounded in our growing body of knowledge and understanding about the use of e-cigarettes and their potential health risks or public health benefits," Commissioner Dr. Margaret Hamburg told ABC News.
Dubbed as "vaping", the use of e-cigarettes has taken off in a big way, with sales rising to approximately $2 million in 2013. One e-cigarette device can cost anywhere between $10 and $120, depending on its quality and how many charges it provides. Though these plastic and metallic tubes have been around since 1963, they have risen in popularity only in the last decade.
"The tobacco industry are very vigorously looking at alternative products to smoking tobacco and are betting a lot that this will be a product for them that will be viable in the future," said American Heart Association president Dr. Mariell Jessup, according to NBC News. "It's being marketed a lot that the smoke is harmless and we don't know that. We shouldn't be fooled by the promises that these devices, these nicotine delivery systems, are safe."
Previously the FDA faced a lot of heat from health experts for their failure to regulate the use and marketing of e-cigarettes.
"The failure of FDA to act before this has allowed the e-cigarette market to explode in uncontrolled ways," Matthew Myers, president of the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids told NBC News. "People are not using e-cigarettes to quit smoking but are using them to maintain their smoking habits."
Earlier the FDA did try to bring e-cigarettes under their wing of authority saying they were medical devices. However, tobacco companies challenged them and won in federal appeals courts, which ruled that e-cigarettes should be regulated like tobacco products.
Nonetheless, the agency issued a first order to ban the sale of a line of hand-rolled, leaf-wrapped tobacco cigarettes known as bidis in February this year. Prior to this, the agency also launched a $115 million "Real Cost" campaign targeting teens who smoke. In September 2013, the CDC announced that the percentage of high school students who had tried e-cigarettes had more than doubled within a year, from 4.7 percent in 2011 to 10 percent in 2012.
Consequently, poison centers across the country have reported a sharp increase in nicotine poisoning, particularly of small children. According to the CDC, calls increased from just one in September 2010 to 215 in February 2014, with more than half involving children under 5.
Earlier this month, a group of Democrats in Congress released a report, accusing e-cigarettes manufacturers of aggressively targeting minors with marketing tactics that would be illegal if used for traditional cigarettes.
