With sales of e-cigarettes gaining traction, federal regulators are considering the imposition of new restrictions on the smokeless, battery-powered devices.
Executives from a number of e-cigarette makers recently met with U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) officials at the FDA’s Maryland headquarters. The agency is preparing a set of proposals to govern the sales of e-cigarettes, including age restrictions and a ban on Internet sales, the Wall Street Journal notes.
Prohibiting online sales is seen as a way to prevent minors from purchasing e-cigarettes. Other measures under consideration include rules governing print and broadcast advertising for e-cigarettes. The FDA has expressed concerns over the health impact of e-cigarettes since 2009.
Sales of e-cigarettes are expected to hit $1 billion in 2013 and could jumped to more than $10 billion by 2018.
A number of cigarette-makers have added e-cigarettes to their offerings, including Lorillard (LO), which acquired an e-cigarette maker for $135 million last year, and Altria Group (MO), which began testing an e-cigarette earlier this year.
