It’s official: FDA tobacco regulations on all tobacco products, including e-cigarettes, went into effect Monday, and the new regulations encompass a wide range of hoops tobacco manufacturers and retailers will have to jump through in order to keep these products on the market.
In a document published on the FDA website this week, the government agency specifically spelled out the new regs for manufacturers and retailers, and also provided information for consumers of these products to help them understand why they are now being regulated and how they could impact their health.
The AARC applauds the new tobacco regulations and believes they will go a long way toward reducing the harm these products cause the general public and, most especially, the children and young people who are most vulnerable to tobacco company marketing strategies.
“As respiratory therapists, we have all seen the devastating health effects of tobacco use,” says AARC President Frank Salvatore. “By regulating all tobacco products the FDA is helping to protect the next generation from the tobacco-related diseases that are all too common in the current one.”
According to the FDA, more than 2,600 kids try their first cigarette every day and nearly 600 become daily smokers. Between 2011-2015, e-cigarette use rose from 1.5% to 16.0% among high school students. “Many of these children will become addicted before they are old enough to understand the risks,” notes the federal agency. “These laws are designed to make regulated tobacco products less accessible and less attractive to youth.”
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