Use Of Electronic Cigarettes

Alternative smoke-free nicotine products, namely electronic cigarettes, have been a crucial step in smoking cessation. While, further research still needs to be done on the use of electronic cigarettes to determine the safety, the research that has been done shows that it is much less harmful than conventional cigarettes. (Farsalinos, 2015) The Food and Drug Administration’s current deeming regulation will remove the vast majority of electronic cigarette products on the market. (Regulating Additional Tobacco Products , 2015) The current Food and Drug Administration’s policy requires that any tobacco products made after 2007 would require a premarket review before it could be sold in stores. The current concern with this date is that very few
(Study Raises Concerns Youth E-Cigarette, 2015) Part of the blame can be put on the individual states. In some states electronic cigarettes are not age restricted, so anyone of any age can walk into a store and purchase one. Another point of contention is that limited studies have shown that electronic cigarettes can produce formaldehyde, a known carcinogen (Carbonyl Compounds Generated from Electronic Cigarettes, 2014). Another issues lies in that fact that, like real cigarettes, electronic cigarettes in most cases contain nicotine, which in high concentration is a toxic poison. Since the release of electronic cigarettes there has been a rise in the number of calls to local poison control centers regarding accidental ingesting of electronic cigarettes liquid. (Poisoning Cases Related to E-Cigarettes Skyrocket, 2014) While the diluted nicotine contained in the finished liquid for electronic cigarettes does not contain a very concentrated nicotine, the worry lies in the fact that small children ¬¬are more susceptible to lower doses of nicotine, and the sweet and fruity flavors in the liquid may be appealing to them. (Poisoning Cases Related to E-Cigarettes Skyrocket, 2014) In December 2014. a child in New York died after ingesting liquid nicotine. (Child Death Liquid Nicotine,
This means that any tobacco product made before 2015 would still be legal to sell in stores, without the approval of the FDA. (Cole, 2015) In June 2009 President Obama signed Family Smoking Prevention and Control Act. Previous to this Act the FDA had very limited power to regulate tobacco products. The passing of the Family Smoking Prevention and Control Act gave the FDA much more power and control over products deemed as tobacco products. As a result of this new acquire power and control the FDA established the Center for Tobacco Products (CTP). The CTP is responsible for the implementation of the Family Smoking Prevention and Control Act. The CTP is the main proponent in the FDAs current deeming policy for additional tobacco products. In 2010 the FDA attempted to ban electronic cigarettes, stating that they could be used for drug purpose and should be regulated as drug product. On January 14, 2010 Judge Leon of District Court for the District of Columbia ruled, in SMOKING EVERYWHERE, INC. v. U.S. FOOD AND DRUG ADMINISTRATION, stating that the ban on electronic cigarettes was unlawful and could only be regulated drugs if it made a therapeutic claim. (UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT, 2010) The Campaign for Tobacco Free-Kids (CTFK) has been one of the largest supporters for the