Feds Could Ban Online E-Cigarette Sales

by Christopher Freeburn | August 23, 2013 11:15 am

[1]With sales of e-cigarettes gaining traction, federal regulators are considering the imposition of new restrictions[2] 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[3] 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[4]), which acquired an e-cigarette maker for $135 million last year, and Altria Group (MO[5]), which began testing an e-cigarette earlier this year[6].

Source URL: https://investorplace.com/2013/08/fed-could-ban-online-e-cigarette-sales/

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