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FDA has proposed regulation that
would require a pre-market review of
any e-cigarette or vaping product unless
the manufacturer can show the product
to be “substantially equivalent” to one
that was on the market prior to the
February 2007 predicate date. Given
the nature of the vapor industry—one
launched by a revolutionary idea that
has since evolved through continuous
innovation—this would essentially
relegate every product in it to undergo a
costly pre-market evaluation.
As Gregory Conley, president of
the advocacy group American Vaping
Association (AVA), puts it, “Essentially
the FDA regulation is a guaranteed
death knell for over 99 percent of
the companies in the industry.”
The Deeming Dilemma
Enter VTA. “Our top priority
is addressing the one-size-fits-all
deeming regulations,” says Abboud.
“The attempt to overlay a somewhat
anachronistic regulatory scheme that
applies to tobacco products onto a
technology product that has virtually
none of the same characteristics as
traditional tobacco products is an
incorrect approach. The pre-market
tobacco application is such an expensive
endeavor that you will see an enormous
On Board With VTA
Vapor Technology Association’s board has the experience to guide the
industry through the adoption of standards, says Tony Abboud, who
relays that the board is comprised of industry veterans, public policy
advocates and legal experts.
George Cassels-Smith
Tobacco Technology
Ron Tully
Next Generation Labs
Brittani Cushman
Intrepid Brands
Sanjiv Desai
VMR Products
Patricia Kovacevic
Nicopure Labs
Arnaud Dumas de Rauly
FIVAPE