The long wait is over, and while the answer may not be what the e-cigarette industry wanted to hear, at least it is out here and steps can be taken to
deal with it.
In early May, the Food and Drug
Administration issued new rules that
extend federal regulatory authority to the burgeoning e-cigarette market for the first time. Correctly, the federal agency banned
the sale of e-cigarette
products to anyone
under the age of 18 and
required people under
the age of 26 to show
photo identification to
purchase e-cigarettes,
according to an article
in The New York Times.
These steps, which
may be unpopular within the vaping
industry, are absolutely
necessary given the simple fact that no
one knows the long-term effects of using
these products. The government needs
to take steps to protect certain segments
of the public—particularly easily-influ-enced children—until they are certain
of any long-term health ramifications of
e-cigarette use.
However, there is some question that
the government is going too far when
these regulations take effect in mid-sum-
mer. Some industry gurus, supported
by a bevy of scientists and even some
healthcare officials, say that e-cigarettes
are a legitimate option for those who are
trying to quit smoking cigarettes, and
they do not entice an e-cigarette user to
eventually start using traditional tobacco
products. In fact, reports suggest that
traditional smoking rates have declined
among younger consumers since the
introduction of e-cigarettes nearly a
decade ago.
Some go so far as to say that there are
little or no side effects from using e-cigarettes and the government should simply
stay out of their business.
Perhaps more concerning for the vaping industry is the fact that the FDA’s
involvement will result in an seemingly
endless and costly amount of bureaucratic red tape that may be okay for the
larger companies in the industry, but it
will kill many of the smaller, more nimble
companies that simply do not have the
manpower to satisfy the hefty demands
of the government. The new rules will
require manufacturers to register with
the FDA, provide a detailed account of
their products’ ingredients and their
manufacturing processes, according
to the Times article. Producers will also
have to apply to the FDA for permission to sell their products. The American
Vaping Institute estimates this will take
1,700 hours and cost $1 million, the article states.
The FDA needs to make sure that this
does not happen and all players in the
field have the same opportunity to suc-
ceed on a level playing field.
With that aside, the bottom line is that
no one involved in the e-cigarette industry thought that they would escape the
eye of the FDA forever. Now that the regulations are down on paper, the vaping
industry needs to develop the right production and marketing plans to keep this
high-flying segment headed in the right
direction.
THE RETAIL PET INDUSTRY IS GETTING
ANOTHER SHOW. Urban Expositions
is launching P3/Progressive Pet
Products. The event will take place at
Chicago’s Navy Pier, near downtown,
Aug. 24-25. Show officials say the new
event will deliver a “forward-looking,
fun trade show experience to one of
America’s top destination cities—pairing
the market’s newest pet products with
exceptional educational programs.”
P3 is taking the place of the Backer
Show, a retail pet event that at one time
was one of the most important gatherings for the industry. With the growing success of the Global Pet Show
in Orlando, Fla. in the late winter and
SuperZoo in Las Vegas in August, Backer
took a fatal blow several years ago.
Whether the people who run P3 can
add another national show to the calendar remains to be seen, but there is little
doubt that some pet industry officials,
particularly in the Midwest, are excited to
get another choice.
NONFOODS TALK
|GHQ| VIEWPOINTS
VAPING BY THE RULES
New FDA guidelines mean the vaping industry needs to develop the right mix of production and marketing plans.
By Seth Mendelson
Seth Mendelson is publisher
and editorial director of Grocery
Headquarters magazine.