As of August 8 2016, the FDA officially updated rules and regulations around all tobacco products. This new rule was specifically designed to encompass e-cigarettes, and all related vaping devices down to nicotine e-liquid. Minors are now better protected by finally enlisting the restriction of e-cigarette products to minors.
If you’re wondering what on Earth e-cigarettes have to do with the FDA seeing as it isn’t necessarily a “tobacco product”, well, you aren’t the first to have raise that very same question seeing as it just seems rather illogical to constitute e-cigarettes as being a tobacco product without actually virtually using any tobacco. Well, the problem rises where the nicotine used in all e-cigarettes derive from tobacco which is the main reason and argument the FDA is giving.
The recent regulations have made in compulsory for all e-cigarette vendors to check photo IDs in order for consumers to purchase e-cigarettes. Many vendors have stated that this never was an issue as they didn’t agree to the sale of e-cigarettes to minors in the first place however these stringent rules overall have raised the question on whether the vaping industry will soon see its days as being an extremely highly regulated industry similar to that of the tobacco conglomerates despite not being as powerful in the stronghold.
According to Mitch Zeller, the Director of the FDA Center for Tobacco Products, the implementation of this regulation is seen to be a foundational step which will enable the FDA to monitor products which the younger generation are inclined to use. The FDA regards the use of e-cigarettes to be at somewhat an alarming rate having tripled in use throughout middle school and high school kids within the years 2011 and 2014 (a mere 3 year span). E-cigarettes were never once regulated which drew upon the issue of unsafe products and lack of quality control evidently leading to several faulty devices being sold with reports of spontaneous combustion of devices, people setting on fire due to ignition of batteries in pockets and health concerns being brought to question.
Several medical associations have heavily praised the FDA’s actions to regulate e-cigarettes alongside all tobacco products in view of a greater benefit to the general public’s health due to concerns of e-cigarettes serving as a “gateway drug”. Problem is, all the allegations have yet to be proven as the other counter argument stands where in a world where e-cigarettes did not exist, the children who would have ended up smoking e-cigs may not have ever indulged in other drugs throughout their lifetime. Hypothetical situations are a conundrum and it pretty much is pointless seeing as there is no method of proving or disproving these situations.
Zeller even went as far as saying that younger generations have been observed as using e-cigarettes at a higher rate when compared to any other tobacco products (albeit again, e-cigarettes not really being a tobacco product other than its e-liquids containing nicotine derived from tobacco). Further to the ban of sale of e-cigs to minors, e-cigarette vendors will be prohibited from promoting all e-cigarettes as a healthier alternative to conventional tobacco smoking (unless strong and reliable scientific evidence is provided in support to such claims).
Zeller said that reliable studies have shown that up to 70% of e-cigarette users who are above 18 years old simultaneously smoking conventional tobacco cigarettes whilst using e-cigarettes. Despite this statement being made, it is uncertain how the studies were done as proportionally, it is near impossible to obtain a clear reflection of percentages of e-cigarette users vs conventional tobacco smokers.
Adding to the new regulations, e-cigarette manufacturers will also be under a requirement to submit all existing products as well as those that are expected to be sold in future to the FDA for its analysis and evaluation of safety standards unless the product has been present in the market before February 15, 2007.
Let us know what your thoughts are with regard to these latest imposed regulations seeing as the future of e-cigarettes seem to be one that will be further monitored.