Leaders with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recently announced that the new tobacco product regulation and final deeming rule has gone into effect.
The new rule applies to all tobacco products, including cigars and electronic cigarettes.
“Monday will mark the end of several deceptive practices the tobacco industry has been using to market its unregulated products, including electronic cigarettes, cigars and hookahs, to our nation’s youth,” Chris Hansen, president of the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network (ACS CAN), said. “Retailers will no longer be able to sell these products to minors directly or in vending machines in locations where minors are present. The tobacco industry will also be prohibited from misleading the public with any unproven health claims or handing out free product samples.”
To continue the progress that has been made against tobacco products, the FDA has encouraged Congress to reject all proposals that could undermine the tobacco regulatory authority of the FDA.
“While the implementation of the final deeming rule marks a crucial step forward, it comes at a time when lawmakers are considering House proposals that would weaken FDA’s tobacco authority,” Hansen said. “Specifically, the changes would exempt e-cigarettes and other new products from FDA oversight and alter the ‘grandfather date’ for such products so they can stay on the market before their public health effect can be determined.”
