The FDA faces a dilemma as electronic cigarettes, or e-cigarettes, grow in popularity, according to researchers.
The agency initially tried to block the sale of e-cigarettes, claiming that they were unapproved “drug/device combinations.” Manufacturers successfully challenged the FDA's position, but in a 2010 ruling, a federal appeals court held that e-cigarettes could be regulated by the agency as tobacco products.
In 2010, 11.4% of U.S. smokers report ever using an e-cigarette, and 4.1% report using one within the last 30 days, the most recent data from two surveys that involved more than 6,000 people indicate. In the city of Boston, 28 permits to sell e-cigarettes were given out in June 2013, compared with only three in June 2012.
Yet many of the alleged benefits of e-cigarettes are unproven and tighter regulations to ensure the quality of the product are needed to protect public safety.
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