By: Maggie Cherneff
This May, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) enacted a new rule expanding their authority to monitor a wider range of tobacco related products including e-cigarettes and other vaporized nicotine devices. In light of this new policy, the tobacco industry has launched aggressive new efforts in Washington D.C. to block the FDA in order to ensure E- cigarettes remain securely on the market. Spearheaded by The Altria Group, which oversees the tobacco powerhouse Philip Morris, this initiative now involves over 75 lobbyists from both major political parties. This new rule, which was set to go into effect last month, enacts the first federal law prohibiting any sale, including online sales, of e-cigarettes to anyone under the age of 18.
This May, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) enacted a new rule expanding their authority to monitor a wider range of tobacco related products including e-cigarettes and other vaporized nicotine devices. In light of this new policy, the tobacco industry has launched aggressive new efforts in Washington D.C. to block the FDA in order to ensure E- cigarettes remain securely on the market. Spearheaded by The Altria Group, which oversees the tobacco powerhouse Philip Morris, this initiative now involves over 75 lobbyists from both major political parties. This new rule, which was set to go into effect last month, enacts the first federal law prohibiting any sale, including online sales, of e-cigarettes to anyone under the age of 18.
Retrieved From: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:E-Cigarette-Electronic_Cigarette-E-Cigs-E-Liquid-Vaping-Cloud_Chasing_(16323004716).jpg
According to the American Lung Association, the term e-cigarettes refers to a range of electronic smoking devices that deliver nicotine via an aerosol. These products have been a growing cause for concern as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) found that the percent of high school aged teenagers that use these products has jumped by over 14 percentage points in the last 6 years.[1] The American Lung Association has voiced its concerns that these products are being inappropriately marketed towards children and young adults. E-cigarettes and other vaporized nicotine products come as small battery-operated devices, are offered in a wide range of flavors, including candy-like flavors, and are easily accessible for online purchase. Safety information about these products is still unclear. Some studies have found that, in addition to the nicotine, e-cigarettes contain trace amounts of diethylene glycol, a toxic chemical found in anti-freeze and other known carcinogens.[2] Additionally, it seems as though there is a significant amount of unconfirmed or incorrect information circulating about these products. Theories that e-cigarettes help regular smokers quit are highly contested and there is little concrete evidence confirming that these devices are safer than traditional smoking methods.
Retrieved From: vaping360.com
Regardless of the health concerns, e-cigarettes sales have developed into a booming industry that was valued at around 3.7 billion dollars in 2015. However, some estimate that it will cost the e-cigarette companies over 2 million dollars to properly comply with the new FDA regulations. Opponents of the new FDA rule argue that these new regulations will result in larger companies that can afford these types of costs will come to dominate the market, while smaller companies will be forced to close, leaving people unemployed. In an article featured in the Wisconsin State Journal, Christian Berkey, C.E.O. of Johnson Creek Enterprises, an e-liquid manufacturing company, stated he feared “close to a million jobs could vanish and nearly 30,000 businesses could close.”
Tobacco companies are hardly strangers to Washington D.C. It has not yet been 20 years since the Master Settlement Agreement of 1998 in which the major tobacco companies were ordered to pay significant amounts money as reparations for the harm their products caused on the American public. These recent lobbying efforts mark the industry’s latest backlash against lawmakers and public health officials. This current tension is a reflection of the constant intersection between government, industry and public health. To find out more about the latest FDA rules regarding e-cigarettes, or for more information about nicotine safety, Destination Health EU recommends you visit fda.gov.
[1] Singh T, Arrazola RA, Corey CG, et al. Tobacco Use Among Middle and High School Students — United States, 2011–2015. MMWR Morb Mortal
[2] Christoph, Meike Paschke, Svetlana Kruschinski, Frank Henkler, Jürgen Hahn, and Andreas Luch. "Chemical Hazards Present in Liquids and Vapors of Electronic Cigarettes." Archives of Toxicology Arch Toxicol 88.7 (2014): 1295-308. Web.
Tobacco companies are hardly strangers to Washington D.C. It has not yet been 20 years since the Master Settlement Agreement of 1998 in which the major tobacco companies were ordered to pay significant amounts money as reparations for the harm their products caused on the American public. These recent lobbying efforts mark the industry’s latest backlash against lawmakers and public health officials. This current tension is a reflection of the constant intersection between government, industry and public health. To find out more about the latest FDA rules regarding e-cigarettes, or for more information about nicotine safety, Destination Health EU recommends you visit fda.gov.
[1] Singh T, Arrazola RA, Corey CG, et al. Tobacco Use Among Middle and High School Students — United States, 2011–2015. MMWR Morb Mortal
[2] Christoph, Meike Paschke, Svetlana Kruschinski, Frank Henkler, Jürgen Hahn, and Andreas Luch. "Chemical Hazards Present in Liquids and Vapors of Electronic Cigarettes." Archives of Toxicology Arch Toxicol 88.7 (2014): 1295-308. Web.
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