Urge the FDA to re-work the deeming regs so that life-saving vapor products can remain on the market!

On November 19, a petition you signed -- asking the Administration to urge the FDA to re-work its tobacco deeming regulations -- reached 100,000 signatures, the threshold for receiving a White House response.

We realize that this is an issue that many people feel passionately about, for a variety of health, safety, and financial reasons. While we cannot comment on the regulations while they are under interagency review with the White House Office of Management and Budget (OMB), here are some facts about the process so far:

On October 19, the U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA) Center for Tobacco Products submitted to the OMB a draft of the final “deeming” regulations on tobacco products subject to the Federal Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act, as amended by the Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act. The proposed regulation was previously available for public comment.

We look forward to updating you when there is more to report following the release of the final regulations.

Thank you for your participation in the We the People platform -- we’ll talk again soon.

-- The We the People Team

Update: May 9, 2016

Following up on your petition on the tobacco regulations:

A few months back, we sent an initial response to a petition you signed
on the tobacco deeming regulations. At the time, the rule in question was still under interagency review. But now, there's more to say.

Last week, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration finalized a rule extending its authority to all tobacco products, including e-cigarettes, cigars, hookah tobacco, and pipe tobacco, among others.

This rule will allow the FDA to improve public health and protect future generations from the dangers of tobacco use through a variety of steps, including restricting the sale of these tobacco products to minors nationwide.

Tobacco use poses a significant threat to public health and is the leading cause of preventable deaths in the U.S. today. While there has been a major decline in the use of traditional cigarettes among youth over the past decade, their use of other tobacco products, including e-cigarettes, continues to climb.

In 2015, 3 million middle and high school students were using e-cigarettes.

Prior to FDA’s actions this week, there was a big difference between the rules for the makers of traditional tobacco cigarettes and the rules for these new products.

If you were to purchase a traditional cigarette today, you would be warned about the health risks. You'd also be over the age of 18, because it is illegal to sell cigarettes to minors. These safeguards have greatly contributed to the decline in smoking. But the newer tobacco products haven't had these same safeguards in place.

The new regulations are aimed at making sure all tobacco manufacturers and retailers follow the same rules -- rules to protect children and make sure everyone can make informed decisions about their own health and the
products they purchase.

So what do the new provisions say? For starters:

• Stores will not be allowed to sell e-cigarettes, cigars, and hookah tobacco to people under 18 years of age.
• All sales to those 26 and under will require a photo ID - just like needing an ID for cigarettes.
• Manufacturers will be required to place health warnings on product packages and ads.

You can read more about the new regulations and what this means for manufacturers, retailers, and our nation's health here.

These regulations mark a new chapter in the FDA's efforts to end preventable tobacco-related disease and death, ensure consumers can make informed decisions, and protect the health of America's youth from the dangers of tobacco.

Thanks again for raising your voice on this issue.

-- The We the People Team