The first week of May, 2016 has been a monumental week in the tobacco industry
on the Federal level as there has been an increase in anti-tobacco regulation.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has had the authority to regulate
cigarettes and roll your own tobacco products since 2009. However, the
FDA did not have the authority to regulate e-cigarettes until now. On
May 5, 2016, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration made the announcement
about their final rule on the treatment of
e-cigarettes. Under the ruling, e-cigarettes will be regulated in the same way cigarettes
and tobacco products are. Until now, e-cigarettes were not regulated by
the FDA and there was no federal law to prohibit the sale of e-cigarettes,
hookah tobacco, or cigars to people under 18. This ruling will now help
the FDA to protect the public health by having the authority to prevent
misleading claims by tobacco product manufacturers, evaluate the ingredients
of tobacco products, as well as communicate their risks to consumers.
The Federal government has a focus on eliminating the use of e-cigarettes
by teenagers as this has been an increasing issue. With the new Federal
regulation, people under the age of 18 won’t be able to buy these
products. Currently, not all states forbid minors from purchasing e-cigarettes.
Additionally, until now there was no law requiring manufacturers to list
the ingredients of the oil, which has allowed manufacturers to put many
toxic and harmful chemicals in the e-cigarette oil. The new rule requires
companies to show what is in their products. Additionally, companies will
be required to register with the Food and Drug Administration and put
health warnings on their packages and in their ads. Overall, this type
of regulation has been much needed since the first e-cigarettes and is
a successful step towards protecting the public health.
Of course there are those opposed to this ruling which include the President
of the American Vaping Association, Gregory Conley. He stated that this
ruling will put thousands of small businesses out of business in the next
few years. He hopes that the rule can be changed by Congress or the courts.
He predicts companies will file lawsuits that could delay implementation
of parts of the law for decades.
About the Author: In his law practice Mr. Donnini's primary practice
is multi-state sales and use tax as well as state corporate income tax
controversy. Mr. Donnini also practices in the areas of federal tax controversy,
federal estate planning, Florida probate, and all other state taxes including
communication service tax, cigarette & tobacco tax, motor fuel tax,
and Native American taxation. Mr. Donnini obtained his LL.M. in Taxation
at NYU. Mr. Donnini is licensed to practice law in Florida. If you have
any questions please do not hesitate to contact him via email JerryDonnini@TobaccoTaxRefund.com
or phone at 954-639-4496.