US FDA to Soon Gain Authority to Regulate Synthetic Nicotine
According to Bloomberg, legislation that would give the US Food and Drug Administration authority to regulate synthetic nicotine is expected to pass within the next few days. Public health groups have long warned that disposable e-cigarettes and synthetic
According to Bloomberg, a bill that would give the U.S. Food and Drug Administration authority to regulate synthetic nicotine is expected to pass within the next few days.
Public health groups have long warned that disposable vapes and synthetic nicotine e-cigarettes are becoming increasingly popular among teenagers while avoiding FDA oversight.
Synthetic nicotine is not currently subject to clear FDA regulation, and many companies began using it to bypass oversight after the agency denied market access for their natural nicotine products.
Last year, Mitch Zeller, director of the Center for Tobacco Products, suggested that synthetic nicotine could be treated as a component of e-cigarettes, which would bring such products under the agency’s regulation. Many states have already begun banning synthetic products.
At his Senate confirmation hearing, FDA Commissioner Robert Califf vowed to close the synthetic nicotine loophole.
According to a survey by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, more than a quarter of middle and high school e-cigarette users reported using synthetic nicotine e-cigarettes.
The same survey found that brands using traditional tobacco-derived nicotine, such as Vuse, SMOK, and brands sold by Juul Labs, also remained popular among teenagers, even though people under 21 cannot legally purchase them.
