The FDA issued a proposal yesterday that sets a foundation for regulating the sale of e-cigarettes and related products. While the proposal is not expected to make immediate changes, the intention is to prohibit the sale of e-cigarettes to minors and to increase knowledge about the risks of using e-cigarettes. The FDA expects to submit further proposals regarding warning labels for electronic cigarettes as the knowledge surrounding e-cigarette use and risks grows.
Marketing Tactics and Regulation
Electronic cigarette use has increased exponentially in the last several years, and there were several million e-cigarette users worldwide as of the end of 2013. Many companies have touted electronic cigarettes as a safer alternative to smoking. Critics of e-cigarettes feel that the sweet flavored liquid that is available for use with e-cigarettes appeals to children, and may encourage kids to pick up the habit. The FDA expects to focus on marketing tactics, and regulate the types of liquid and other products involved in e-cigarette use to be less appealing for children.
Jeff Stier, an employee at the National Center for Public Policy Research cautions that “If the regulations are too heavy-handed, they’ll have the deadly effect of preventing smokers from quitting by switching to these dramatically less harmful alternatives.” While electronic cigarettes are uncharted territory when it comes to proving the safety and effectiveness for quitting smoking, tobacco is a known killer and introduces thousands of harmful chemicals and tar into a user’s system.