The FDA has taken its first legal action against companies that sell e-cigarettes illegally. The Department of Justice was asked to file for injunctions against six manufacturers, which would prevent them from selling the products.
The director of the FDA's Center for Tobacco Products said in a statement that they will not stand by as manufacturers break the law.
Vaping and e-cigarettes need FDA approval before they can be sold. The agency has received hundreds of applications from companies that make cigarettes over the past year.
Many companies did not have to go through the FDA's process to sell new products. The agency has only sent warning letters to companies it says are breaking the law before. The letters haven't been effective. More than half of the products named in warnings were still on the market.
Six companies that were facing injunctions were still selling unauthorized e-cigarettes. There are companies in Minnesota, West Virginia, Washington, Georgia, and Kansas.
The injunctions signal a shift in the FDA's approach to regulating e-cigarettes and could be a warning to other companies. Monetary penalties are one of the enforcement tools the agency has.
Six companies that are facing injunctions can agree to a consent degree in order to prevent them from manufacturing, selling or distributing new tobacco products. The federal agencies can ask the courts to stop the companies from making and selling products if they don't agree.
All Rights Reserved © 2024
