Federal Regulations About E-Cigs

FDA or Food and Drugs Administration is quite serious in implementing their job. And sometimes, this has led to misconceptions that the FDA is siding the major cigarette companies against electronic cigars a.k.a. ecigs. In fact, in March 2009, FDA adds electronic cigarettes to Import Alert 66-41 and directed the USCBP to reject the entry of electronic cigarettes into the United States.

They have a lot to say about e-cigarettes. Primarily the FDA are against the fact that e-cigarettes are marketed as a smoking cessation aid and how easy it is for children to obtain these products. The FDA branded the electronic cigarettes as one of the nicotine-containing products. They are also concerned that "e-cigarettes can increase nicotine addiction among young people and may lead kids to try other tobacco products, including conventional cigarettes, which is widely known to bring diseases and leads to premature death" - according to FDA.

For more info on the medical conditions that cigarette brings, you can visit here.

Last September 2010 alone, the FDA issued a number of warning letters to electronic cigarette distributors for various violations of the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act including "violations of good manufacturing practices, making unsubstantiated drug claims, and using the devices as delivery mechanisms for active pharmaceutical ingredients."

Understandably, federal regulations about e-cigs have been set out to regulate the distributions of electronic cigarettes for the purpose of protecting younger ones from being influenced by nicotine. 

There are still more product development and studies to be conducted before it can be accepted as another means of smoking cessation. Still, one thing is sure, that FDA should develop more regulations for electronic cigarettes.

Other Useful Links:
Electronic Cigarettes according to FDA
Ecigarettes Questions and Answers by FDA
FDA Warns of the Health Risks Posed by E-cigs