MIAMI – The United States Thursday issued a sweeping ban on sales of e-cigarettes, cigars, pipe tobacco and hookahs to those under 18, marking the first time these products have been federally regulated.
The ban will go into effect in 90 days, according to the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA), which described the final rule – issued after several years of study and debate – as “historic”.
“As cigarette smoking among those under 18 has fallen, the use of other nicotine products, including e-cigarettes, has taken a drastic leap,” said Health and Human Services Secretary Sylvia Burwell.
“Today’s announcement is an important step in the fight for a tobacco-free generation – it will help us catch up with changes in the marketplace, put into place rules that protect our kids and give adults information they need to make informed decisions.”
Key aspects of the rule include barring the sale of e-cigarettes to minors online or in person, prohibiting the distribution of free samples and not allowing vending machines, unless they are located in an adult-only facility.
The rule also requires manufacturers to get the FDA’s marketing approval for any products that were issued after February 15, 2007, to show that their “products meet the applicable public health standard set forth in the law”.
The FDA gained the power to regulate a wider range of tobacco products in 2009, with the passage of the Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act.
A preliminary rule was issued in 2014, resulting in more than 135,000 public comments, an FDA spokesman said.
About one in five Americans smokes, and the habit kills 480,000 people in the United States each year, according to health authorities.