FDA announces sweeping regulations of e-cigarettes

The Food and Drug Administration announced this week sweeping new regulations on the e-cigarette market (Source: “The federal government is about to begin regulating the booming e-cigarette market,” Washington Post, May 5, 2016).

The federal government on Thursday banned the sale of e-cigarettes to anyone under the age of 18 and required manufacturers to disclose their ingredients and submit their products to the government for approval.

The new requirements, which go into effect in 90 days, mark the first time the FDA has regulated any of the items. The rules compel retailers to verify the age of purchasers by photo identification and bar sales of the products in vending machines that are accessible to minors. They also ban the distribution of free samples. In addition, the FDA is generally requiring manufacturers whose products went on sale after Feb. 15, 2007, to get approval from the agency to continue selling their products.