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 The figures released by the Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention on Thursday raised concern among health officials who
fear e-cigarettes will create a new generation of nicotine addicts
who may eventually smoke conventional cigarettes.
Cigarette smoking fell more than 25 percent over the same period.
E-cigarette proponents said the data could indicate e-cigarettes are
diverting young people away from conventional cigarettes, a view
rejected by tobacco control advocates. [ID: nL2N0XD1UH]
The Food and Drug Administration regulates cigarettes, roll-your-own
tobacco and smokeless tobacco. It proposed extending its authority
to e-cigarettes and hookah, among other products, nearly a year ago.
FDA spokesman Michael Felberbaum said on Friday the agency is
"moving forward expeditiously to finalize the rule." Its goal is to
release it in June.
But the potential for delay is considerable. The agency received
more than 135,000 public comments on the proposal and by law must
review them all.
The rule must also be reviewed by the Department of Health and Human
Services and then by the White House's Office of Management and
Budget, which analyzes the potential economic consequences of
proposed regulations.
"This puts real pressure on every level of the administration to get
this done," said Matthew Myers, president of the Campaign for
Tobacco-Free Kids, referring to the CDC data. "It means business as
usual won't solve this rapidly growing public health problem."
OMB has not yet received the rule, according to its website. Once it
does, it has 90 days to review it, though that can be extended.
"There is always an opportunity for delay, but I think it will be
much harder for the administration to exercise that opportunity
now," said David Dobbins, chief operating officer at the
anti-tobacco group Legacy. "It's up to the White House and HHS to
make sure this regulation gets out as quickly as possible."
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The proposed rule would ban the sale of e-cigarettes to people under
the age of 18 and require FDA approval of new products. Public
health advocates have also been pushing for a ban on flavored
products, television advertising and internet sales, which they say
attract children.
The agency has said the rule would be the foundational first step in
a range of potential future regulations.
In the meantime, some states are moving to impose restrictions of
their own. In February, Democratic Senator Barbara Boxer
re-introduced proposed legislation that would allow the Federal
Trade Commission to determine what constitutes marketing to children
and would allow the FTC to work with states' attorneys general to
enforce bans.
At least 43 states already have laws that restrict sales of
e-cigarettes to minors and some are working to incorporate
e-cigarettes into existing clean air acts that prohibit smoking in
public places.
"As long as the federal government doesn't take uniform action, I
think we will see action on a local level," Dobbins said. "People
can differ about the appropriateness of e-cigarettes for adults but
I don't think anyone disagrees on the appropriateness of giving them
to children."
(Additional reporting by Jilian Mincer in New York; Editing by
Christian Plumb)
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