43
TOBACCO BUSINESS INTERNATIONAL
JULY/AUGUST 2014
T
he wait is over—let the true chess
game begin.
With the late April Food and
Drug Administration (FDA) regulatory
blueprint proposal for e-cigs and vapes
came a sigh of relief. Not because it
was (or wasn’t) what the industry was
hoping for, but simply because it was
finally out—it initiated discussion and
more educated consideration for how
industry players from all walks can start
strategizing their next moves.
In a nutshell, nearly five years after
Congress passed the Tobacco Control
Act and gave the FDA the authority
to regulate various tobacco products,
the governmental agency expanded its
sights to include e-cigarettes and the
vapor market. On April 25, the FDA
put forth a 241-page document of
proposed rules for the market, which
included no sales to minors, no health
claims in advertising, and no free
samples.
“Perhaps the biggest proposed
change,” according to
The New York
Times,
is the requirement for e-cig
manufacturers to “register with the
FDA, provide the agency with a
detailed accounting of their products’
ingredients,
and
disclose
their
manufacturing processes and scientific
data.” E-cig companies would also be
subject to FDA inspection. In essence,
they would have to apply for FDA
approval for their products, but would
New E-Vapor Game in Play
Now that the FDA’s initial regulatory framework
on the e-cig/vapor market has been revealed,
the industry weighs more educated moves.
By Renée M. Covino
Now the chess board is in front of us,
we see the pieces…the question is,
how are we going to play the game?
—Linc Williams
