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As More Teens Pick Up Vapes, FDA Looks For Effective Regulation Plan

The FDA has long looked to regulate the burgeoning e-cigarette industry, and they're starting to implement some policies to do so.

By: Tyler Adkisson

Posted at 1:53 PM, Dec 18, 2018

and last updated 2018-12-18 13:53:51-05

In 2018, the FDA and U.S. Surgeon General both labeled teen vaping an “epidemic.” To control it going forward, experts say regulators will need more specific rules than what we've seen so far.

Health groups sued the FDA in March 2018 for delaying stronger regulations of new e-cigarette products. The planned federal crackdown on vape sales in retail stores and gas stations isn't as strict as the outright ban regulators had originally considered. Meanwhile, researchers found youth vaping almost doubled in 2018. They said the FDA's responses so far "clearly haven't worked."

For what it's worth, the FDA is ready to try new solutions. It has a hearing scheduled for January 2019 to investigate whether new drug therapies could help youth smokers quit e-cigarettes.

And while the FDA wrestles with the problem, some local governments could step in with their own regulation. In June of 2018, San Francisco residents overwhelmingly approved a ban on sales of flavored tobacco products. The New York state legislature has plans to push for a statewide ban in 2019.