Attorneys General Of 40 States Urge FDA To Regulate E-cigarettes

(RTTNews) - Attorneys General of 40 U.S. states have urged in a letter addressed to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration on Tuesday to regulate e-cigarettes like tobacco as there has been a drastic increase in use of the product by children and youth who want to experience the effects of nicotine.

The letter signed by the 40 Attorneys General reportedly states that advertisements, as well as the use of fruit and candy flavors have lured children and youths to e-cigarettes. They have urged the FDA to bring in more regulatory controls on the sale and marketing of these products, including advertising restrictions.

The makers of traditional tobacco cigarettes are banned by the FDA in 2009 from selling flavored cigarettes, excepting menthol, and from using cartoons in advertising for the products.

The letter also included data from a recent government survey that showed 10 percent of high-school students having tried e-cigarettes in 2012, up from 4.7 percent in 2011, which is quite alarming.

The attorneys general noted that nicotine, though in low quantity, is highly addictive and have an immediate bio-chemical effect on the brain and body, citing a U.S. Surgeon General report.

Electronic cigarettes, also known as e-cigarettes, are battery-operated products designed to deliver nicotine, flavor and other chemicals. They turn nicotine, which is highly addictive, and other chemicals into a vapor, instead of smoke, that is inhaled by the user. The devices are designed to look like and to be used in the same manner as conventional cigarettes.

The e-cigarettes devices that use nicotine-vaporizing technology are increasingly popular and are freely sold online and in many shopping malls without any federal age restrictions. There has been talk on whether the minimum legal age for buying e-cigarettes should be 18 or 19 years.

There has also been no complete studies or scientific evidence on the safety and efficacy of e-cigarettes for their intended use, and consumers currently have no way of knowing the health impact of using e-cigarette products.

Additionally, it is not known if e-cigarettes may lead young people to try other tobacco products, including conventional cigarettes, which are known to cause disease and lead to premature death.

A number of prime-time TV ads for these products have led consumers to believe that e-cigarettes are a safe alternative to tobacco cigarettes. Some of the manufacturers are also using cartoon characters to aid their marketing which are luring minors to the product.

The popularity of e-cigarettes have soared in recent times as tobacco products are highly regulated and heavily taxed. Further, cigarette smoking has been forbidden in public places. The popularity has seen three of the largest tobacco companies in the U.S., Altria Group, Inc. (MO), Reynolds American, Inc. (RAI), and Lorillard, Inc. (LO), introducing their brand of e-cigarettes.

Analysts estimate e-cigarette sales in the U.S. will reach $1 billion in 2013, and is predicted by some to hit $10 billion in sales over the next five years.

Invented in 2003 by Chinese pharmacist Hon Lik, electronic cigarettes, also known as e-cigarettes, have been sold in Europe since 2006 and in the U.S. since 2007. E-cigarette has been subject to much controversy since its market introduction.

The FDA Center for Tobacco Products (CTP) currently regulates cigarettes, cigarette tobacco, roll-your-own tobacco, and smokeless tobacco. However, e-cigarette's that are marketed for therapeutic purposes are currently regulated by the Federal Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act.

The FDA frequently meets with members of the tobacco industry, as well as with public health groups and other stakeholders, to better understand any concerns or questions they may have and to hear their views on its proposed regulations for the industry. The FDA is reportedly expected to formally publish its regulatory proposals before October 31. In September 2010, FDA issued a number of warning letters to e- 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."