US: FDA Details Plans For E-cigs

U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Acting Commissioner Ned Sharpless has released a statement on how he plans to regulate e-cigarettes, saying that the FDA oversight of these products is a top priority for the agency.

Some of the FDA’s plans include:

Restricting youth access to electronic nicotine-delivery systems (ENDS)

Conducting retailer and manufacturer checks

Increasing requirements for ENDS manufacturers

Utilizing premarket review requirements

Providing data to inform premarket applications

Preventing youth tobacco use through enforcement actions, policy and education

Continuing to invest in more science and research

“While ENDS products appear to hold some promise in helping addicted adult smokers transition away from combustible tobacco to a potentially less harmful form of nicotine delivery, these products are not safe, and we cannot allow the next generation of young people to become addicted to nicotine,” Sharpless said.