Just the Facts
- On Monday, the FDA announced that the implementation of the e-cigarette regulations would be delayed by three months.
- The so-called “deeming rules” were proposed in April 2014 and finalized one year ago.
- Numerous companies in the vaping and cigar industries have been battling the government in court in an attempt to overturn the regulations.
- The delay only covers the regulations that were scheduled to be implemented in August. Regulations that have already been implemented are not covered by the delay.
- New FDA head Scott Gottlieb has ties to the vaping industry, having served on the board of Kure until May 2016.
The Details
The FDA announced in a court filing on Monday that they would be delaying the implementation of the e-cigarette (and cigar) regulations for three months.
Both the vaping and the cigar industries sought the three month delay in order to allow “new leadership personnel at the Department of Health and Human Services to more fully consider the issues raised in this case and determine how best to proceed.” After a long battle with both of these industries, the assholes at the FDA begrudgingly agreed to the three month delay in Monday’s court filing. This delay represents a major victory for the vaping industry and shows that Trump‘s FDA is willing to reconsider the disastrous regulations that were implemented under the previous administration. Scott Gottlieb, the new FDA head, has extensive ties to the vaping biz having served on the board of Kure up until May 2016.
This three month life extension not only gives the FDA time to reconsider the regs, but also allows the pro-vaping members of Congress time to push through new laws that will save the e-cig industry. Rep. Duncan Hunter introduced a bill last week that would reverse the rules that deem e-cigarettes as tobacco products for regulation purposes.
