WASHINGTON -- The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is looking to expand upon the e-vapor rules included in its initial set of proposed deeming regulations announced in April 2014: this Tuesday, agency announced an advance notice of proposed rulemaking (ANPR) regarding liquid nicotine products. According to an Associated Press report, the regulations could include nicotine exposure warnings and child-resistant packaging requirements.
An online posting said the FDA is considering whether "it would be appropriate for the protection of the public health to warn the public about the dangers or nicotine exposure" and "require that some tobacco products be sold in child-resistant packaging," a response to an uptick in liquid nicotine poisonings reported by emergency rooms and poison centers.
Though e-liquids used in electronic cigarettes and vaporizers would be included in these potential regulations, the FDA also expressed concerns over lesser-known tobacco products like dissolvable nicotine strips, lotions, gels and beverages.
The FDA will take comments from the public for 60 days on more than two dozen questions surrounding the potential nicotine regulations. Those questions include what kind of language should be used on nicotine exposure warnings, whether graphic warning labels should be used and whether child-resistant packaging should be required for products besides liquid nicotine.
The FDA originally hoped to finalize the broader proposed deeming regulations on electronic cigarettes and other previously undeemed tobacco products by this June. According to an FDA spokesman, the agency now "hopes to finalize the rule this summer."
Once that rule is complete, the agency will move on to more specific regulations, such as these e-liquid regulations.
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