Advocates for e-cigarettes are fighting against the government’s effort to put tighter restrictions on vaping.
Ray Story, Tobacco Vapor Electronic Cigarette Association CEO, said the FDA was creating too many hurdles for vaping products.
According to Story, the issue was created by one particular vaping company that marketed its products to children.
While the FDA fights against companies targeting the youth, Story said the restrictions are making it difficult for e-cigs to exist at all.
“Vaping should be regulated. We all agree 100 percent,” Story said. “But to sit there and allow tobacco companies to put new tobacco products and make e-cigarettes and vaping products jump through these hoops and hurdles, that makes it virtually impossible for these products to come to the market.”
Food and Drug Administration Scott Gottlieb made a statement about e-cigs in a tweet earlier this year, saying e-cig companies face an “existential threat” if they don’t stop marketing to young people.
One of the major restrictions for e-cigs, according to Story, is the restricted flow requirement.
According to vaping360.com, The Consumer Product Safety Commission recently introduced the restricted flow requirement, which states that “an opened bottle, when inverted and squeezed continuously for five seconds by a five-year-old child, must dispense no more than two milliliters of e-liquid.”
Story said the flow restrictions will make more bottles non compliant and more difficult to sell in vape shops.
“You do not allow a less harmful product to come to the market immediately, but you allow conventional tobacco cigarettes to come out with new products and sell it literally on every street corner,” Story said.
Story added that he is working with other organizations to educate the public and clear up misconceptions about e-cigs.
“We're working behind the scenes with larger entities to try to change the mindset of those who believe that the only thing that needs to happen is abstinence,” Story said.
Instead of completely taking away e-cigs, Story said he wants people to have the freedom to choose the nicotine product of their choice.
“We're trying to change that mindset so that people understand it’s much better to transition to a vastly less harmful alternative, because there are still going to be people that love nicotine as there are plenty of people that love caffeine,” Story said.
