FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

American Vaping Association Calls on FDA

To Extend Comment Period for Proposed E-Cigarette Rule

E-cigarettes should not be regulated as tobacco products, AVA’s Conley says

WASHINGTON, D.C., July 10, 2014 – The American Vaping Association (AVA), a leading advocate for the health benefits of electronic cigarettes, today called on the Food and Drug Administration to extend the soon-to-expire period for public comment on a proposed rule that would regulate e-cigarettes.

The FDA is proposing to classify e-cigarettes as tobacco products as part of a larger rulemaking process under the Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act. The federal government has said that it will accept citizens’ comments about the proposed rule until August 8.

The American Vaping Association believes that e-cigarettes should not be classified as tobacco products because they help people kick the tobacco habit.

“FDA’s proposed rule would cripple the fast-growing, U.S.-based e-cigarette industry with complicated, expensive and unnecessary regulation,” Gregory Conley, AVA’s president, said. “E-cigarettes shouldn’t be treated as tobacco products because they are, in fact, anti-tobacco products; they advance FDA’s goal of reducing smoking-related deaths and diseases. E-cigarettes are the most effective method of helping smokers quit and should not be subject to regulations that are so expensive to adhere to that hundreds or even thousands of e-cigarette companies would be put out of business.”

The American Vaping Association is asking for a deadline extension of at least three months to ensure that the FDA has the most recent and relevant data to fully understand why e-cigarettes should not fall under tobacco regulations.

The association is also calling on e-cigarette manufacturers and vendors to contact their elected representatives in the U.S. Congress to voice their concerns about the negative impact the proposed FDA rule would have on their businesses and employees.

“The proposed rule would erect regulatory barriers that would be insurmountable for small- and medium-sized e-cigarette companies, effectively handing the e-cigarette market to Big Tobacco,” Conley said.

Read AVA’s action alert here: http://vaping.info/ava-action-alert

You can learn more about AVA and vaping by visiting the AVA website.

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For further information, please contact:

Gregory Conley, 609-947-8059, gconley@nullvaping.info

Frank Ahrens, 202-661-6313, fahrens@nullbgrpr.com