In response to a joint request from the Department of Justice (DOJ) and tobacco-industry groups, the FDA agreed to postpone any deeming-rule deadlines scheduled for May 10, 2017, or later. The delay in enforcement affected deadlines for cigar manufacturers to submit plans for adding addictiveness warnings, deadlines for e-cigarette and cigar manufacturers to submit ingredient information, and a ban on interstate commerce of products with “light,” “low” or “mild” labels.
According to court documents, the DOJ requested a three-month delay to allow new U.S. Department of Health and Human Services leadership “additional time to more fully consider the rule” and address issues raised in two ongoing lawsuits involving the FDA.
Both the DOJ’s request and the FDA’s willingness to delay enforcement demonstrated a changing attitude from the Trump administration.
“I certainly think that they are going to curb regulation just to curb regulation, because it’s bad for business,” said Ray Story, president of the Tobacco Vapor Electronic Cigarette Association, Alpharetta, Ga.