When the Food and Drug Administration unveiled proposed regulations for electronic cigarettes back in April, it was an announcement five years in the making. Now several months later little has happened, and a group of senators fear that the failure to quickly finalize the rules has led to the perpetration of misleading health warnings created by tobacco companies themselves.
In the letter sent to the FDA on Thursday senators Barbara Boxer of California, Dick Durbin of Illinois, Richard Blumenthal of Connecticut, Jack Reed of Rhode Island, Sherrod Brown of Ohio and Edward Markey of Massachusetts urged the agency to adopt stronger warning labels for e-cigarettes and to quickly finalize proposed regulations.
The group expressed their concern that the proposed warning label does not adequately communicate the health consequences of e-cigarette use based on scientific facts.
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In addition to asking for a more defined warning label, the senators pushed for the FDA to quickly finalize regulations for fear that in the absence of clear federal standards, e-cigarette manufacturers are beginning to concoct their own health warnings about their products.
The group referenced the inconsistency between warning labels from well-known cigarette manufacturers Reynolds American and Altria.
The Reynolds label states that their product is not intended for those “who have an unstable heart condition, high blood pressure, or diabetes; or persons who are at risk for heart disease or are taking medicine for depression or asthma.” On the other hand the Altria label states, “Nicotine is addictive and habit forming, and is very toxic by inhalation, in contact with the skin, or if swallowed.”
Senators Tell The FDA To Hurry Up Already With Finalizing Those Months-Old E-Cigarette Regulations – Consumerist
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