Draft FDA e-cigarette regulations said to be a solution in search of a problem

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s draft regulations on e-cigarettes are an example of a government imposing a “solution” and then looking for a problem, according to the president of the Consumer Advocates for Smoke-free Alternatives Association (CASAA), Julie Woessner, J.D.

In a press note issued through PRNewswire, CASAA said the regulations offered little benefit. However, it believes that should the FDA finalize the regulations in their current form, they will inflict devastating harm on consumers.

“This is a classic case of government imposing a ‘solution’ and then looking for a problem,” said Woessner. “The regulations do nothing to address real concerns, and instead are a slow-motion ban of the high-quality e-cigarettes that have helped so many smokers quit. The rules would mostly require busywork filings that impose huge costs with little apparent benefit.”

CASAA’s scientific director, Dr. Carl V. Phillips, said the proposed regulations were based on a faulty understanding of the science. “[The] FDA has cherry-picked the available evidence,” said Phillips, “blindly accepting any assertion that favors aggressive regulation and ignoring the overwhelming evidence about the harms that these regulations would cause.”

In its press note, CASAA said that though the regulations did not openly ban the refillable devices that were preferred by experienced users, they imposed a costly registration and approval process that would effectively eliminate them. “Such registrations offer minimal benefits, but ensure that only a few large companies who mass-produce small and disposable products would be able to afford the necessary filings,” the note said. “Additionally, while the regulations do not immediately ban the variety of popular flavors for e-cigarette liquid, they signal an intention to do so in the future.”