American Vaping Association wants more time for public comment on proposed FDA e-cigarette regulations
From: AL.com
By Lucy Berry
The American Vaping Association wants the Food and Drug Administration to allow more time for public comment on a federal proposal that would regulate electronic cigarettes.
The public comment period, which was originally scheduled to end July 9 but was extended to Aug. 8, allows U.S. residents to express their thoughts about an FDA proposal that would ban e-smokes for minors under 18, require warning labels and agency approval for new products, not allow the distribution of free samples and prohibit vending machine sales, unless they are in a facility that never admits youth.
The AVA said the FDA’s proposal to classify e-cigarettes as tobacco products would “cripple” the burgeoning business.
“FDA’s proposed rule would cripple the fast-growing, U.S.-based e-cigarette industry with complicated, expensive and unnecessary regulation,” said AVA President Gregory Conley in a statement. “E-cigarettes shouldn’t be treated as tobacco products because they are, in fact, anti-tobacco products.”