Is this good news or what? FDA to regulate e-cigs as tobacco products | cleveland.com
The FDA also had said that its tests found the liquid in some electronic cigarettes contained toxic substances -- besides nicotine, which is itself toxic in large doses -- as well as carcinogens that occur naturally in tobacco. Most e-cigarettes are imported from overseas.
However, some public health experts say the level of those carcinogens was comparable to those found in nicotine replacement therapy, because the nicotine in all of the products is extracted from tobacco.
Not so fast Cash. From the email I recieved from the FDA, now also posted on its website:
"The Agency intends to propose a regulation that would extend the Agency’s “tobacco product” authorities in Chapter IX of the FD&C Act, which currently only apply to certain specifically enumerated “tobacco products,” to other categories of tobacco products that meet the statutory definition of “tobacco product” in Section 201(rr) of the Act. The additional tobacco product categories would be subject to general controls, such as registration, product listing, ingredient listing, good manufacturing practice requirements, user fees for certain products, and the adulteration and misbranding provisions, as well as to the premarket review requirements for “new tobacco products” and “modified risk tobacco products.”"
See, Regulation of E-Cigarettes and Other Tobacco Products
The key words are the "Agency intends to propose a regulation ... ."
As Bill G. has been posting repeatedly, first the FDA has to propose its new regulations over e-cigs, then there is a public comment period, and only after the whole administrative process is undertaken do the regulations become officially in effect. This can take up to two years, during which time we must all be vigilant and active in the battle to ensure that any actually officialized regulations are reasonable and science-based. And we must start to prepare, now, whatever evidence will be needed in that battle, starting with a very careful reading of the full announcement I linked to above, and then paying equally close attention to other "guidance" documents the FDA issues as it proceeds.
Yes, we have a lot of other battles to wage, but this concession to the court ruling in favor of Njoy is still a HUGE win for now!
And a PS: this does NOT mean automatic PACT Act inclusion. That would ONLY happen with an amendment of the PACT ACT itself. Nor does it mean an automatic flavor ban, as that specifically only applies to cigarettes. ALL future regulation of e-cigs remains to be proposed, warred over (and that can include further litigation, even, if the proposals are unnecessarily harsh or rigid), and then ultimately enacted.
One way to look at it is: If they do stop the flavored liquids and just limit them to regular and menthol tobacco flavors, then all we would have to do is buy our tobacco juice and mix our own flavors. Not something I realy want to do, but if it comes to that then so be it.
what happens if they regulate ecigs to only be sold with "Filled Cartridges" ???
i'm very interested to see what or how they might regulate eLiquid.