by Leah Peloff ‘18

For the first time in history, the federal government is taking action against the booming e-cigarette business. According to a survey conducted by the Washington Post, e-cig use among high school students has jumped from 1.5 percent in 2011 to 13.4 percent in 2014. This legislation will ban all electronic cigarette sales to minors and require all tobacco products to undergo government review.

The ban on sale of these products to minors, as well as the prohibition of distributing free samples, will take effect on August 8. After this, warning-labels will be required starting May 2018. Products that are already on the market can remain so for up to three more years because the government is giving manufacturers two years to submit product applications to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for review. The FDA likely will next target flavored cigarettes for regulation.