The Federal Drug Administration (FDA) is preparing to host a two-day workshop on electronic cigarettes. The smokeless nicotine deliver devices have become a hot topic as of late, with sales surpassing the $1 billion mark last year. Due to its rapid popularity growth, government officials are trying to determine the best way to regulate these devices.

Of course, this isn't the first time the FDA has hosted a public commenting workshop on electronic cigarettes. Earlier this year, officials held a workshop for this same reason, and it was actually extended another 30 days to yield more feedback. So, why does the FDA feel the need to host yet another e-cig workshop?

Regulating the electronic cigarette industry may sound simple enough, but there are numerous complications that arise. Some of the FDA's proposed standards include prohibiting sales to minors, prohibiting vape shops and retailers from handing out free samples, requiring electronic cigarette companies to receive FDA approval before releasing their products on the market, and requiring companies to list all of the ingredients used in their products. Redesigning the labels to include ingredients, for instance, could cost some of the larger companies millions of dollars.

The FDA hopes to use these public commenting workshops to gain valuable insight on the topic of e-cigs. The administration is asking for opinions from doctors, health experts, medical experts, public health organizations, government workers, and even the tobacco industry. Using this information, they will be able to make better decisions regarding the regulation of electronic cigarettes.

"The purpose of this workshop is to gather scientific information and stimulate discussion among scientists about electronic cigarettes (e-cigarettes). This is the first of a planned series of workshops intended to obtain information on e-cigarettes and the public health."

There's a find line the FDA must avoid crossing when regulating electronic cigarettes, however. If they come down too hard, it could discourage smokers from making the switch to e-cigs. Unlike cigarettes, e-cigs do not create smoke. Instead, they use precise heating elements to warm liquid nicotine (known as e-liquid) to the point of vaporization. When this occurs, it creates a light plum of breathable mist-like vapor, which contains nicotine, flavoring additives and just a few other inert ingredients. This, of course, is in stark contrast to tobacco cigarettes, which contain thousands of different chemicals, many of which are known to cause cancer.

To learn more about the FDA's upcoming workshop and how to register, click here.

Electronic cigarette photo courtesy of Joseph Morris.