Electronic Cigarettes In The News

More Grand Vaping News From Across the Pond

While the latest news from the United States won’t directly affect the electronic cigarette market here in Britain, it does set an excellent example, of common sense rules, being applied to the industry.

The United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) have now closed comments on the proposed regulations that it feels are adequate for regulating the e-cig industry. Among the proposed regulations:

• A ban on the sale to minors
• A ban on vending machine sales in areas where minors are allowed
• A warning label stating that nicotine is addictive
• An ingredient list will be required on e-juice bottles
• Submission, for approval, of products to the FDA for safety evaluation

Industry Thrilled

Many industry leaders had been living in fear of just exactly what regulations the FDA might have been considering, but are pleasantly surprised by the outcome thus far.

Miguel Martin the president of Logic Premium Electronic Cigarettes was quoted, as saying “they’ve hit the ball right down the middle of the fairway” and Craig Weiss, the President and CEO of NJOY, another major U.S. electronic cigarette manufacturer stated, “. . . The FDA has brought NJOY a giant step closer to achieving its corporate mission of obsoleting cigarettes.”

Hidden Win

While not everyone will be thrilled by these new regulations, overall they are being seen as a positive outcome, for the industry.

While the approval process will be an added expense for manufacturers, the FDA is allowing them a two year window in which to complete the process, and as an added bonus, by submitting supporting documentation, electronic cigarette companies will have the opportunity to prove their case, that e-cigarettes are a healthier alternative to tobacco.

Citing the early research that has been done on using electronic cigarettes as a smoking cessation aid, Miguel Martin said “I suspect that many companies are going to take a run at that,”

Time to Grow Up

The electronic cigarette industry is extremely young and has been, as one FDA official put it, “a wild west show” thus far. The regulations that are presently being implemented can best be seen as part of the maturing process. They will for the first time on a national scale, within the United States, set standards and a process that will both protect the industry from less than ethical people and give assurance to consumers. The FDA has set a fine example, that it can only be hoped, others will choose to follow.