
Electronic Cigarettes: The Science and Current Policy Trends
- June 20, 2016
- 0 comments
- health
- Posted in HealthIndoor Air Quality (IAQ)Smoking
By Cynthia Hallett, MPH – Berkeley, California &
Donald C. Herrmann, CIAQP, CIEC, LEED AP – Tampa, Florida
Electronic or e-cigarettes are Electronic Smoking Devices (ESDs) designed to mimic combustible tobacco cigarettes and, in most cases, contain varying levels of nicotine as well as flavorants. Some products are marketed as nicotine-free devices; however, a 2009 study by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) found trace levels of nicotine in products labeled as ―nicotine free.(1)Currently, e-cigarettes are not regulated by the FDA or any another agency, so the constituents of the product are not consistent across brands or within a single brand. The Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act (Tobacco Control Act) of 2009 gives the FDA the authority to regulate the manufacture, distribution, and marketing of tobacco products to protect public health. E-cigarettes are included in the definition of tobacco products or product derived from tobacco.(2) The Tobacco Control Act preserves the authority of state, local, and tribal governments to regulate tobacco products in certain specific respects such as the inclusion of e-cigarettes as products that cannot be used in smoke-free environments.(3)
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