Feds announce final e-cigarette rule that nearly bans them

[phill4paul]

Electronic cigarettes and premium cigars will now be regulated the same way as tobacco cigarettes and regular cigars, according to a new federal rule issued on Thursday.

Under the rule, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration would have to approve all tobacco products not currently regulated that hit stores after February 2007. The e-cigarette industry was virtually non-existent before then.

Premium, hand-rolled cigars would also be included in the new regulation.This final rule also prohibits the sale of "covered tobacco products" to individuals under the age of 18 and requires the display of health warnings on cigarette tobacco, roll-your own tobacco, and covered tobacco product packages and in advertisements.

The Tobacco Control Act of 2009 sets February 15, 2007, as the latest date by which all tobacco products would have to have to be grandfathered in. Mitch Zeller, head of the FDA's Center for Tobacco Products, has said publicly that he couldn't choose a later date, although industry officials disagree.

That means nearly all every e-cigarette on the market — and every different flavor and nicotine level — would require a separate application for federal approval. Each application could cost $1 million or more, says Jeff Stier, an e-cigarette advocate with the National Center for Public Policy Research and industry officials.


An amendment to appropriations legislation working its way through the House would change the date so more e-cigarettes would be grandfathered in.

The proposed rule was released more than two years ago in April 2014 and the final rule gives the industry two additional years to comply. The industry will have had "plenty of time to submit their applications," says Robin Koval, CEO of the Truth Initiative, an anti-tobacco health group.

Koval says "it's perfectly reasonable" that people should know what's in something that "you inhale into your lungs."


Industry experts say treating e-cigarettes, which don't contain tobacco, the same as cigarettes could lead to such onerous and costly approval that all but the largest tobacco companies would be forced out of the market — and possibly those companies too.(Cui bono-Who helped write the legislation? p4p)

http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2016/05/05/feds-expected-announce-final-e-cigarette-rule-could-nearly-ban-them/83951786/

[presence]

Each application could cost $1 million
[]
all but the largest tobacco companies would be forced out of the market

just like EVERY other industry

[tod evans]

So how many more days do those of us who vape have to order juice?

[younglibertarian]

Sickening. Will this government intrusion ever end?

Funny how members of the US military can buy cigs for 10-20% lower prices and no taxes in the oversea bases.

Then again hypocrisy has always been rampant.

[younglibertarian]

So how many more days do those of us who vape have to order juice?

Better fill up some 50 gallon barrels.

[tod evans]

Better fill up some 50 gallon barrels.

I'll go back to smoking a pipe.........

[tod evans]

Live blog about this;

https://vaping.com/deeming-live-blog/

[ZENemy]

Sickening. Will this government intrusion ever end?

.

NO! It wont. As long as it exist it will only intrude, that is its only function.

[tod evans]

Gallons;

https://www.shop-e-cigs.com/categories/e-liquid-base-nicotine-pg-vg.html

[wizardwatson]

It was only a matter of time.

Big tobacco is losing customers and Uncle Sam is losing tax revenue. You'll still be able to get them. It will just be the same price as tobacco.

The cheapness is the biggest incentive to switch, really, so when they do this more people will die as a result.

All to save the children of course.

[wizardwatson]

I'm confused about enforcement on manufacturers. Can anyone point me to a confirmation?

It says the "new rules" take effect in 90 days (not selling to minors, etc.). But that manufacturers have two years to sell their products and then an additional year while FDA approves license. But elsewhere it says this "rule" was instituted in April of 2014.

So are manufacturers at the end of the two year deadline for submitting an application or is that just starting and thus potentially 2 more years of relatively cheap juice? Confused.

[LibertyEagle]

An amendment to appropriations legislation working its way through the House would change the date so more e-cigarettes would be grandfathered in.

This was in the article too. So, it wouldn't hurt to send a letter to your congressman.

[Anti Federalist]

according to a new federal rule issued on Thursday.

No vote.

No representation.

No debate.

No "checks and balances".

Just a rule, a fatwa, a dictate, that you will comply with or woe betide you Mundane.

Do you know what a government that rules by un-representative dictates is called?

A dictatorship.

Had enough yet slaves?

HAHHAHAHAHAHAH, what the fuck am I talking about???

The slaves want and enjoy this.

They want more.

Fuck this place...burn it all.

[tod evans]

Now, now AF........

Don't you care about the children?

[wizardwatson]

Ok, it does look like manufacturers are being given two years to comply. And then another year of being allowed to sell while the FDA approves/reviews.

So not quite the doomsday I thought. The 90 day implementation is for the "have to be 18" rule, essentially.

Still an industry killer, but our masters are giving a little lube concession while the screw us.

This is official FDA press release. With many references to the poor children of course.


Today, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration finalized a rule extending its authority to all tobacco products, including e-cigarettes, cigars, hookah tobacco and pipe tobacco, among others. This historic rule helps implement the bipartisan Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act of 2009 and allows the FDA to improve public health and protect future generations from the dangers of tobacco use through a variety of steps, including restricting the sale of these tobacco products to minors nationwide.

“We have more to do to help protect Americans from the dangers of tobacco and nicotine, especially our youth. As cigarette smoking among those under 18 has fallen, the use of other nicotine products, including e-cigarettes, has taken a drastic leap. All of this is creating a new generation of Americans who are at risk of addiction,” said HHS Secretary Sylvia Burwell. “Today’s announcement is an important step in the fight for a tobacco-free generation – it will help us catch up with changes in the marketplace, put into place rules that protect our kids and give adults information they need to make informed decisions.”

Tobacco use is a significant public health threat. In fact, smoking is the leading cause of preventable disease and death in the United States and responsible for 480,000 deaths per year. While there has been a significant decline in the use of traditional cigarettes among youth over the past decade, their use of other tobacco products continues to climb. A recent survey supported by the FDA and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention shows current e-cigarette use among high school students has skyrocketed from 1.5 percent in 2011 to 16 percent in 2015 (an over 900 percent increase) and hookah use has risen significantly. In 2015, 3 million middle and high school students were current e-cigarette users, and data showed high school boys smoked cigars at about the same rate as cigarettes. Additionally, a joint study by the FDA and the National Institutes of Health shows that in 2013-2014, nearly 80 percent of current youth tobacco users reported using a flavored tobacco product in the past 30 days – with the availability of appealing flavors consistently cited as a reason for use.

Before today, there was no federal law prohibiting retailers from selling e-cigarettes, hookah tobacco or cigars to people under age 18. Today’s rule changes that with provisions aimed at restricting youth access, which go into effect in 90 days, including:

Not allowing products to be sold to persons under the age of 18 years (both in person and online);
Requiring age verification by photo ID;
Not allowing the selling of covered tobacco products in vending machines (unless in an adult-only facility); and
Not allowing the distribution of free samples.
The actions being taken today will help the FDA prevent misleading claims by tobacco product manufacturers, evaluate the ingredients of tobacco products and how they are made, as well as communicate their potential risks.
Today’s rule also requires manufacturers of all newly-regulated products, to show that the products meet the applicable public health standard set forth in the law and receive marketing authorization from the FDA, unless the product was on the market as of Feb. 15, 2007. The tobacco product review process gives the agency the ability to evaluate important factors such as ingredients, product design and health risks, as well as their appeal to youth and non-users.

Under staggered timelines, the FDA expects that manufacturers will continue selling their products for up to two years while they submit – and an additional year while the FDA reviews – a new tobacco product application. The FDA will issue an order granting marketing authorization where appropriate; otherwise, the product will face FDA enforcement.

For decades, the federal government and the public health community have fought to protect people from the dangers of tobacco use. Since the first Surgeon General’s report on Smoking and Health in 1964, which warned Americans about the risks associated with smoking, significant progress has been made to reduce smoking rates among Americans. In fact, tobacco prevention and control efforts have saved at least 8 million lives in the last 50 years, according to the 2014 Surgeon General’s Report on the Health Consequences of Smoking. In 2009, Congress took a historic step in the fight for public health by passing the bipartisan Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act (TCA) giving the FDA authority to regulate the manufacturing, distribution and marketing of tobacco products to protect the public health.

Today’s action marks a new chapter in the FDA’s efforts to end preventable tobacco-related disease and death and is a milestone in consumer protection.

“As a physician, I’ve seen first-hand the devastating health effects of tobacco use,” said FDA Commissioner Robert M. Califf, M.D. “At the FDA, we must do our job under the Tobacco Control Act to reduce the harms caused by tobacco. That includes ensuring consumers have the information they need to make informed decisions about tobacco use and making sure that new tobacco products for purchase come under comprehensive FDA review.”

Today’s actions will subject all manufacturers, importers and/or retailers of newly- regulated tobacco products to any applicable provisions, bringing them in line with other tobacco products the FDA has regulated under the TCA since 2009.

These requirements include:

Registering manufacturing establishments and providing product listings to the FDA;
Reporting ingredients, and harmful and potentially harmful constituents;
Requiring premarket review and authorization of new tobacco products by the FDA;
Placing health warnings on product packages and advertisements; and
Not selling modified risk tobacco products (including those described as “light,” “low,” or “mild”) unless authorized by the FDA.
“This final rule is a foundational step that enables the FDA to regulate products young people were using at alarming rates, like e-cigarettes, cigars and hookah tobacco, that had gone largely unregulated,” said Mitch Zeller, J.D., director of the FDA’s Center for Tobacco Products. “The agency considered a number of factors in developing the rule and believes our approach is reasonable and balanced. Ultimately our job is to assess what’s happening at the population level before figuring out how to use all of the regulatory tools Congress gave the FDA.”
To assist the newly-regulated tobacco industry in complying with the requirements being announced today, the FDA is also publishing several other regulatory documents that provide additional clarity, instructions and/or the FDA’s current thinking on issues specific to the newly-regulated products.

The FDA, an agency within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, protects the public health by assuring the safety, effectiveness, and security of human and veterinary drugs, vaccines and other biological products for human use, and medical devices. The agency also is responsible for the safety and security of our nation’s food supply, cosmetics, dietary supplements, products that give off electronic radiation, and for regulating tobacco products.

For the children! :rolleyes:

[Anti Federalist]

Now, now AF........

Don't you care about the children?

I am to the point where I don't really give a frog's fat ass about any of it.

There's no fucking point in trying to talk to these people anymore, it's as pointless as trying to teach a pig to whistle: you never succeed and it only annoys the pig.

[GunnyFreedom]

It was only a matter of time.

Big tobacco is losing customers and Uncle Sam is losing tax revenue. You'll still be able to get them. It will just be the same price as tobacco.

The cheapness is the biggest incentive to switch, really, so when they do this more people will die as a result.

All to save the children of course.

No, it's worse than that. A lot of the smaller craft ejuice makers are hyper-aware of the chemicals they use and make an effort to avoid anything that has Diacetyl or it's precursors. The big tobacco companies who will NOT be harmed by this rule, maintain a lot less care and their juices have been found to contain high levels of Diacetyl, which leads to popcorn lung and permanent disability.

This rule will eliminate all the safe e-juice makers leaving only the dangerous ones still on the market.

[dannno]

The e-juice part should be easy to get around - just sell the e-juice without nicotine, and then add the nicotine yourself. Of course that means that every vaper will need to have concentrated nicotine on hand, which is potentially dangerous.

[phill4paul]

No, it's worse than that. A lot of the smaller craft ejuice makers are hyper-aware of the chemicals they use and make an effort to avoid anything that has Diacetyl or it's precursors. The big tobacco companies who will NOT be harmed by this rule, maintain a lot less care and their juices have been found to contain high levels of Diacetyl, which leads to popcorn lung and permanent disability.

This rule will eliminate all the safe e-juice makers leaving only the dangerous ones still on the market.

The government is here to protect us!

[GunnyFreedom]

The government is here to protect us!

Hooorraaaayyy for biggov! If not for biggov forcing me to choose between lung cancer and popcorn lung I wouldn't know what to do with myself!!!

[wizardwatson]

No, it's worse than that. A lot of the smaller craft ejuice makers are hyper-aware of the chemicals they use and make an effort to avoid anything that has Diacetyl or it's precursors. The big tobacco companies who will NOT be harmed by this rule, maintain a lot less care and their juices have been found to contain high levels of Diacetyl, which leads to popcorn lung and permanent disability.

This rule will eliminate all the safe e-juice makers leaving only the dangerous ones still on the market.

It is bad. And it's about nothing other than money.

I'm probably just going to quit. Just glad have a couple years. I thought at first the ban was immediate.

I've been vaping almost 3 years I think after being an on-again off-again smoker, and really the cheapness is an incentive to stay vaping. It is a crappy thing for ex-smokers as a whole, but for me, I've been on the fence anyway. Kansas is already planning to tax it anyway, and now that it's regulated like tobacco likely all 50 states will tax them like they tax cigarettes at around $6 per 30ml bottle or more.

Anyway, just another crappy thing that makes me wish the apocalypse would hurry up and come and end this insanity.

[Matt Collins]

Reason has a good article on it explaining the details:


http://reason.com/blog/2016/05/05/fda-imposes-a-slow-motion-ban-on-e-cigar



The FDA can go suck on a cancer stick.



My question is, what counts as "flavored" cigars?

[LibertyEagle]

Call your Congressman. I just did. Look guys, it can't hurt and just might help.

[FindLiberty]

Yet another classic tale of unintended regulation consequences:

Tidy profits for a few friends and death for everyone else who
tries to resist or happens to become a physical victim (life/limb) or
is ruined through financial drain and/or prison.

Very sad.

[dannno]

It is bad. And it's about nothing other than money.

I'm probably just going to quit. Just glad have a couple years. I thought at first the ban was immediate.

I've been vaping almost 3 years I think after being an on-again off-again smoker, and really the cheapness is an incentive to stay vaping. It is a crappy thing for ex-smokers as a whole, but for me, I've been on the fence anyway. Kansas is already planning to tax it anyway, and now that it's regulated like tobacco likely all 50 states will tax them like they tax cigarettes at around $6 per 30ml bottle or more.

Anyway, just another crappy thing that makes me wish the apocalypse would hurry up and come and end this insanity.


How would they tax online sales?

https://artisanvaper.com/ has e-juice for $35/250ml - $25/250ml during sales.

A lot of other places are starting to come down in price too.

[dannno]

This is definitely a bad direction to go, it will make it much more difficult for people to quit smoking cigs and get into vaping, but I don't think it is going to ruin it for those who it has become a hobby. People here who are saying, "oh, I'm going to quit because the government.." aren't really considering the full impact of where the market is going to go once these regulations are in place.

You will probably be able to continue to buy hardware from China, and like I said e-juice you can get locally with no nic and then add the nic yourself.

[wizardwatson]

How would they tax online sales?

https://artisanvaper.com/ has e-juice for $35/250ml - $25/250ml during sales.

A lot of other places are starting to come down in price too.

Well, cig taxes aren't paid by retailer. The states (currently) force the manufacturers to buy stamps. Then the state enforcers spy on retailers making sure all cigs are stamped.

Kansas currently has a law to tax juice that goes into effect next month, but as far as I know they still don't know how they are going to do it. I assume these new FDA rules are in light of that. Get all the small timers out then it's easier to tax the manufacturers that remain. So my guess is the taxmasters and big tobacco are shooting to put the taxes in place in a few years everywhere.

Right now, I agree, it's pretty unworkable.

[GunnyFreedom]

http://i.imgur.com/hrouvOp.png

[puppetmaster]

just like EVERY other industry

the big companies push these regs. to block competition....a protection racket...racketeering by our gov.. fuck them this crap is just going to make me more money

[puppetmaster]

All you need is a base liquid and add flavors after you buy.

[bunklocoempire]

Protecting my rights again, eh? No, no you're not.

[tod evans]

All you need is a base liquid and add flavors after you buy.

I'm thinking about getting a gallon of the 100mg/ml VG to put in the freezer just in case.......

https://www.nudenicotine.com/product/nude-armor-100mgml-nicotine-base-extended-shelf-life/

[TomtheTinker]

black market $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$ $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$

[Uriel999]

Sickening. Will this government intrusion ever end?

Funny how members of the US military can buy cigs for 10-20% lower prices and no taxes in the oversea bases.

Then again hypocrisy has always been rampant.


I'm thinking about getting a gallon of the 100mg/ml VG to put in the freezer just in case.......

https://www.nudenicotine.com/product/nude-armor-100mgml-nicotine-base-extended-shelf-life/

Welcome to the world of prepping.

May I suggest you join www.survivalistboards.com.

[Slave Mentality]

Nothing left to do really, but enjoy what you can without being put in a cage and hope for a meteorite the size of Africa to rain its sweet relief down on our stupid ass species. Apes with nukes.

[LibertyEagle]

I'm thinking about getting a gallon of the 100mg/ml VG to put in the freezer just in case.......

https://www.nudenicotine.com/product/nude-armor-100mgml-nicotine-base-extended-shelf-life/

I've always heard that it was better to get PG to freeze and then if you want, use VG to cut it later.

[LibertyEagle]

There is legislation in the House right now to push the grandfathering date out beyond 2007. The e-cig orgs are asking that everyone call your Congressman and ask them to support it.

[LibertyEagle]

This is definitely a bad direction to go, it will make it much more difficult for people to quit smoking cigs and get into vaping, but I don't think it is going to ruin it for those who it has become a hobby. People here who are saying, "oh, I'm going to quit because the government.." aren't really considering the full impact of where the market is going to go once these regulations are in place.

You will probably be able to continue to buy hardware from China, and like I said e-juice you can get locally with no nic and then add the nic yourself.

Where would you get the nicotine, Danno?

[tod evans]

I've always heard that it was better to get PG to freeze and then if you want, use VG to cut it later.

PG gives me sores on my lips, even 10%.......

[Chomp]

Discriminatory 21 laws against legal adults. So, why not a total ban for e-cigs. Ban the liberals !

[Chomp]

http://www.davno.ru/assets/images/posters/propaganda/big/poster-22.jpg

Old Soviet poster of 1960s that became a bitter reality in the US today. Translate - Liberty in America -

[puppetmaster]

I'm thinking about getting a gallon of the 100mg/ml VG to put in the freezer just in case.......

https://www.nudenicotine.com/product/nude-armor-100mgml-nicotine-base-extended-shelf-life/

Great idea. Lasts a long time.

[puppetmaster]

PG gives me sores on my lips, even 10%....... propylene sucks imho.

[dannno]

Where would you get the nicotine, Danno?

From a person willing to pay $1 million, I suppose..

The idea is it doesn't make sense to pay $1 million for every flavor, so you sell the flavors without nicotine so they aren't under the regulation - but then certain brands may be willing to pay the fee to sell the nicotine that people will need.

It's stupid because the nicotine is extremely toxic when it is concentrated, although you could get the VG/PG blended in with it already and that could be a $1 million product, not sure if they would have to pay $1 million for each level of concentration..

[r3volution 3.0]

...they just do not stop having yankees in Washington.

[jbauer]

Call your Congressman. I just did. Look guys, it can't hurt and just might help.

Did you give a large re-election donation with your call?

[jbauer]

I'm thinking about getting a gallon of the 100mg/ml VG to put in the freezer just in case.......

https://www.nudenicotine.com/product/nude-armor-100mgml-nicotine-base-extended-shelf-life/

So I don't smoke or "vap". How long does a gallon of the stuff last? Are we talking days, weeks, months? I could see if 25 gallons might get you through to go ahead and get it done. However, if we're talking 100s of gallons of the stuff it might be easier to figure a post-ban way around it all.

[tod evans]

So I don't smoke or "vap". How long does a gallon of the stuff last? Are we talking days, weeks, months? I could see if 25 gallons might get you through to go ahead and get it done. However, if we're talking 100s of gallons of the stuff it might be easier to figure a post-ban way around it all.

The way I'm using juice now a gallon of 100mg would last me 2-3 years if I could keep the hardware going...

Different devices use juice differently but I'm a noobie and have only purchased and maintained one style of device..

I did manage to kick a 40+ year tobacco habit using this system.........And if the feds fuck with vaping as they plan I'll be right back to burning tobacco...

[specsaregood]

//

[LibertyEagle]

Got information on the bill #? Or bill name? Or even a silly email/fax form page I can pass around?

This is monumentally stupid. I consider the e-cigs to be one of the greatest inventions for positive improvements for health in a long time. I know so many people that gave up smoking and are much healthier as a result.

I saw it yesterday when I was looking at blogs. Whomever runs into it again should post it.

And yeah, I agree. This has improved so many people's health, it's hard not to be seriously bummed. I know I am.

[Anti Federalist]

I quit cigarettes by vaping years ago...but now, I'm half convinced to grow some of my own tobacco and start smoking again.

If for nothing else but to stuff pepper up the ass of Uncle, and the pantywaist pussies who faint dead away at the very hint of a whiff of tobacco smoke, as if you just blew a cloud of plutonium vapor in their faces.

Couldn't think of two groups of people I would more like to give a collective and hearty "fuck fucking you" to.

[specsaregood]

//

[Anti Federalist]

DW and myself have personally bought e-cig setups and juice for 5 different friends who otherwise wouldn't have put out the cash to try it. All 5 of them gave up cigs completely and 2 don't even vape anymore either.

Yah, that was me.

Vaped for about 6 months and gave that up too.

[presence]

DW and myself have personally bought e-cig setups and juice for 5 different friends who otherwise wouldn't have put out the cash to try it. All 5 of them gave up cigs completely and 2 don't even vape anymore either.

I think we see the necessity of regulating this anti legal addiction drug then.

[specsaregood]

I think we see the necessity of regulating this anti legal addiction drug then.

Exactly, who else is gonna fund slush funds for the schools? Think of the children.

[Tinnuhana]

Speaking as someone who's extremely allergic to tobacco smoke, it has been nice sharing meals and conversation with people vaping when otherwise, I'd have to be in a different room or building.
Maybe when they deschedule MJ at the end of the year, the tobacco growers will switch to that and...nah, we lose no matter what. Does anyone think this is a test run for how they'll regulate cannabis when the time comes?

[puppetmaster]

looks like they will eventually ban tobacco plants and its derivatives.....and legalize smoking weed....??

Looks also like they are banning pipe tobacco brands that were not in production before 07.... This is a home run for the cigarette brands and a big tax increase for the gov.

[opal]

So how many more days do those of us who vape have to order juice?

Is it just the juice or the gear too? The place I get my batteries from (proprietary threading but I like them) has a mothers day sale starting tomorrow..was gonna stock up anyway.


I've always heard that it was better to get PG to freeze and then if you want, use VG to cut it later.

VG girl here too.. can't handle the PG juice.

I have tried mixing my own.. the results are never the same. This really blows.
There are several places that sell max VG juice - up to I think .36 mg nic in larger bottles 250 ml I think is the size.
It does loose flavor after a while - even in the freezer.

If we get a president that gets rid of the FDA.. all their regs go too I hope

[Anti Federalist]

If we get a president that gets rid of the FDA.. all their regs go too I hope

You have a better chance of seeing god.

[opal]

ok.. I found the document.. have it downloaded as a pdf. It's 1.7 MB so I think it's probably too big to attach and I'm going to try and paste it in.. wish me luck

ok. .it's 495 pages long.. some how I think even if it did work.. the reading is too dry

if anyone has thoughts where to upload so anyone that wants to read it can.. feel free - I'll try

[LibertyEagle]

CASAA is asking us to contact our Congressmen and ask them to support HR 2058.

[specsaregood]

//

[Lucille]

One down, many many more businesses and jobs to go.

https://www.totallywicked-eliquid.com/blog/2016/11/11/press-statement-fda-to-shut-down-totally-wicked/


FDA to Shut Down Totally Wicked

Totally Wicked, the Bradenton, Florida based Electronic Cigarette and E-Liquid Company has decided it is time that the Vaping Industry and its Customers understand the reality facing them all.

Totally Wicked arrived in the USA in 2008 and established the very first American bricks and mortar vape shop. Since then, we have built up a credible business with a proud history of standing up for vapers’ rights. We challenged the FDA in 2010 when it was illegally impounding our goods, and in Europe in 2015 we challenged the EU Tobacco Products Directive. As a business we operate in both the EU and the USA, have a loyal customer base, offer a wide and dynamic range of hardware and e-liquids and try always to deliver the best possible service in an open and ethical way.

However, this is clearly not enough for the FDA as they actively shut down this vibrant industry. With the stroke of a pen, the FDA is demanding fantastically unrealistic pre-market tobacco authorizations for a product that contains no tobacco, at a cost that is prohibitive to all but the tobacco giants, and bears no relations to the products’ risk or indeed, its remarkable potential when compared to the raging tobacco epidemic. It is designed quite simply to destroy the Industry. By the end of 2018, there will be no independent vaping industry left within the USA - unless Congress decides to look deeper into this, or indeed the legal system is willing and able to hold the FDA to account for its fallacious representation of the risk impact that it has used to justify this regulatory abomination...

[DGambler]

Trying to shut down something that legit helps people kick tobacco... Evil fucks.

[tod evans]

Lawmakers push to roll back Obama-era e-cigarette regulations

http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2017/04/27/lawmakers-push-to-roll-back-obama-era-e-cigarette-regulations.html

Rep. Duncan Hunter, a long-time vaping proponent, introduced a bill Thursday aimed at loosening regulations for e-cigarette products that were tightened under the Obama administration.

The bill would reverse an Obama-era rule that categorized e-cigarettes as a tobacco product under the purview of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Hunter’s bill would exempt vaping devices from many of the rules placed on traditional tobacco products, including a two-year review process requiring FDA sign-off before new products hit the shelves.

E-cigarette makers argue the process is too expensive and would deter smokers from trying and using e-cigarettes.

E-cigarettes heat nicotine-laced liquid into vapor but do not contain actual tobacco. Proponents claim they are a safer alternative to traditional cigarettes.

“This bill is the way forward for smokers who want to quit smoking and vapers who enjoy vaping,” Hunter, R-Calif., said in a written statement. “No less important, this bill will set the vaping industry on a solid path for decades to come and require consideration of the harm reduction benefits associated with vaping.”

The e-cigarette industry has seen an explosion of growth in recent years. There are now more than 250 different e-cigarette brands on the market and the industry itself has morphed into a multi-billion dollar one.

This isn’t the first time Hunter has stepped into the e-cigarette debate.

Earlier this month, the California Republican sent a letter to the U.S. Navy asking them to reconsider a suspension of vaping and e-cigarettes. On April 14, the Navy announced its ban which goes into effect on May 14.

Hunter has allies in the push for looser regulations on vaping devices.

Reps. Tom Cole, R-Okla., and Stanford Bishop, D-Ga., introduced a proposal that exempts thousands of vaping devices currently on the market from FDA approval. According to Reuters, the plan is to attach the proposal as a rider to a spending package to keep the government open.

All of this comes as Congress gets ready to confirm President Trump's nominee Dr. Scott Gottlieb to head the FDA. But there’s controversy there as well.

From March 2015 to May 2016, Gottlieb was a director at Kure Corp, a North Carolina-based firm that distributes vaping pens and e-juices in vaporiums – a coffee house-type setting for vaping. As of March 2017, he still had a financial interest in the company though he promised to sell his stake if confirmed.