The historical facts
In June 2009, the US FDA got the authority to regulate the manufacture, distribution and marketing of tobacco products but the law did not cover e-cigarettes and liquid nicotine products because they were just being introduced into the market.
But the law did allow the FDA to, at any time in the future, deem any product containing nicotine to be considered a tobacco product.
In 2014, the FDA extended tobacco authority to include vaping products.
The new rules that may apply to vaping products are:
- For each product, a pre-market tobacco application must be introduced and approved by the FDA:
- for each different device and model,
- for each different e-liquid flavor and strength,
- must include extensive scientific study,
- Manufacturers have to demonstrate that their products are safe,
- And have a net benefit on public health.
The entire process could cost millions of dollars and requires the vaping industry to go beyond and make the demonstration of public health benefits and safety.
It is, according to the advocacy group Not Blowing Smoke, an incredible regulatory hurdle, insurmountable by design.
The FDA, however, provides an exemption but only for products on the market before February 2007, since virtually no vaping product on the market, today, would qualify.
The results could be that 99% of vaping products would be pulled off the market, the crippling of the vaping industry and the closing of thousands of vape shops.
Tobacco cigarettes do not have to meet these regulatory requirements
It is a bitter pill to swallow that cancer causing tobacco cigarettes have gone essentially unchanged for decades and don’t have to meet such drastic requirements.
In conclusion, e-cigarettes have to prove health benefits while tobacco cigarettes are free to continue killing
This why the pro-vaping advocacy group NOTBlowingSmoke.org has launched its new campaign “No More Casualties” of the war on smoking, featuring US Army veteran Sgt Brian K. Roberts.
Don’t make me a casualty of your war on smoking
Stefan Didak, President and founder of NOTBlowingSmoke.com comes back on the start of his fight against anti-vaping organizations with the creation of his famous website.
He recalls that vaping is not smoking and that there is no reason for vapers to be involved into the war the Big Tobacco and the Big Pharma industries engaged on smoking.
Stefan argues that the anti-vaping campaigns are discouraging smokers from switching to vaping and are making it easier for vapers to turn back to tobacco.
With their new campaign, Stefan and his team aim at attracting the attention to the fact that keeping people into smoking by any means may cause prematured death of parents, brothers, sisters and make anyone a casualty of this war on smoking.
