FDA Continues To Go After Electronic Cigarettes

Ok FDA, we get it, you don’t like electronic cigarettes. We told you a while back about the federal judge who told the FDA that they really had no authority over the electronic cigarette industry. Well, the FDA apparently got that memo and took it with a grain of salt. In what has quickly become one of the biggest jokes in the legal community today, the FDA has decided to change it’s mandate ever so slightly (you know, the same mandate that was told had no authority, but hey, don’t let that stop you FDA).

The FDA is now saying that they only want “flavored” e cig cartridges banned from use. They borrowed the reasoning behind this from the state of New York (obviously). They are saying that that flavors such as “cherry” or “chocolate”, or “vanilla” (ha, quick side note, I misspelled vanilla and spell check gave me the word “vanillin”, bonus points for anyone who can tell me what on earth that means) have too much appeal to children and encourage them to engage in a nicotine lifestyle. Um, ok, if you say so FDA.

Look, any kid that wants to try cigarettes or an electronic cigarette is going to try it, period. What magical flavors got kids to try traditional cigarettes back in the day? I have smoked and associated with smokers for over 15 years and I have never heard or even read about someone going “man I love stuff that taste like cherries, I think i’d like to start smoking”. It is absolutely ridiculous. With the information available about smoking in this day and age, the odds of their being an epidemic of young e cig users due to the “awesome flavors” is probably equal to the odds of Bill Belichick calling me this week and asking me for my defensive game plan for the Superbowl. Think about it, if the FDA gets their way, no one will be able to enjoy all of the awesome e cig flavors that various brands offer because a child “might” deem it attractive. Hey!! I heard some 13 year olds talking about how driving fast is cool, ban all cars for everyone immediately!!! (see how stupid that sounds?)

The saddest part about this is that the FDA is becoming such an obvious chill for big tobacco that the next time that make an announcement whomever is doing it should have a marlborough just hanging from their lips. At least them we couldn’t accuse them of treating us like we are stupid.