Impose E-Cigarette Restrictions, 29 Attorneys General Urge FDA

A group of 29 state attorneys general urged the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to impose restrictions on e-cigarettes, according to The Wall Street Journal. They are asking for a ban on television ads and on candy and fruit flavors.

In April the FDA proposed regulations that would prohibit e-cigarette sales to anyone under 18, but did not ban ads, online sales or candy or fruit flavors.

“While the proposed rule addresses some of our concerns, it fails to address matters of particular concern, such as characterizing flavors, the marketing of e-cigarettes, and the sale of tobacco products over the Internet,” the attorneys general wrote in a letter to the FDA. The group also urged the FDA to strengthen proposed health warnings for e-cigarettes.

Sales of e-cigarettes could top $2 billion in the United States this year, the article notes. Currently e-cigarettes are sold in thousands of flavors, and are advertised on television.

While some public health officials say e-cigarettes can help smokers quit regular cigarettes, the attorneys general warned the devices could become a gateway to nicotine addiction for young people.