FDA Proposes More Oversight on Tobacco Products
The agency proposes extending its authority to other products, including e-cigarettes.
FDA has proposed extending its tobacco authority to include oversight on more products, including e-cigarettes, as part of the Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act. The proposal would include products that are currently unregulated, such as e-cigarettes, cigars, pipe tobacco, nicotine gels, hookah, dissolvables, and more, FDA announced.
Currently, FDA regulates cigarettes, cigarette tobacco, roll-your-own-tobacco, and smokeless tobacco. The proposed rule would require makers of the "newly deemed" tobacco products register with the FDA, report product and ingredient listings, only market new products after the FDA reviews them, not distribute free samples and more. In addition, companies would have to include health warnings and minimum age and ID restrictions. The FDA also proposes different compliance dates for various provisions so that all regulated entities have adequate time to comply with requirements.
"This proposed rule is the latest step in our efforts to make the next generation tobacco-free," said HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius in FDA's press release. The proposed rule will be available for public comment for 75 days.