The Food and Drug Administration is now considering issuing a notice requiring e-cigarettes and nicotine-containing liquid products to be placed in child-resistant packaging and carry warnings about the risks of nicotine exposure.
The agency noted on Tuesday's announcement that electronic nicotine devices (ENDS) have been gaining popularity, thereby resulting in increased trips to hospital emergency rooms and calls to the poison control for treatment.
Because of these trends, the FDA is requesting for more information on whether nicotine products warrant warnings that state the risks associated with nicotine exposure, and requiring manufacturers to sell their products in child-resistant packaging.
The agency also announced that a comment period would be made available to all interested parties that wanted to submit any helpful information. This comment period has been open since July 1.
The notice that the agency calls as "advance notice of proposed rulemaking" (ANPR) is the first step towards the plan. A proposed rule should follow soon after. Another comment period will also be opened before the final rule will be issued.
The FDA has regulated the use of cigarettes and other tobacco products under the 2009 law, which restricts cigarette advertising to young kids and requires tobacco products to carry health warnings on their labesl.
However, e-cigarettes are not categorized as tobacco-containing products and are thus exempted from the original law.
In 2014, the agency proposed regulations for e-cigarette use. The rule was scheduled to be finalized this month, but an FDA spokesman announced Tuesday that the ruling would hopefully be in place by summer, as reported in The New York Times.
Many anti-tobacco advocates commended the agency's proposal. "We're pleased that the FDA is taking this step, but this is not a replacement for quickly issuing a final, strong deeming rule that regulates all tobacco products and addresses flavors and marketing," Susan Liss, executive director for Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids, said in a statement.
