COLUMBUS, Ohio – Ohio Attorney General Mike DeWine and his counterparts from 39 other states are asking the federal government to regulate electronic cigarettes.
In a letter to the Food and Drug Administration, issued jointly with Massachusetts Attorney General Martha Coakley and co-signed by attorneys general from 38 additional states and territories, DeWine asks the agency to issue proposed regulations on e-cigarettes.
“Unlike traditional tobacco products, there are no federal age restrictions that would prevent children from obtaining e-cigarettes, nor are there any advertising restrictions,” DeWine wrote in his letter.
The letter urges the FDA to regulate e-cigarettes as “tobacco products” under the Tobacco Control Act.
E-cigarettes are battery operated products that heat liquid nicotine, derived from tobacco plants, into a vapor that is inhaled by the user. They have been growing in popularity among both youth and adults, DeWine said.
In the letter, he expresses concern that e-cigarette manufacturers are using marketing tactics similar to those tobacco companies used in the past to attract new smokers. Celebrity endorsements, television advertising, cartoons, fruit flavors, attractive packaging and cheap prices all make the products attractive to young consumers, DeWine says.
The ads also imply that e-cigarettes are a safe alternative to smoking while DeWine says their health effects have not been adequately studied. The ingredients are not regulated and may still contain carcinogens, he said.