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Commentary By Jared Meyer

FDA Makes It Harder to Quit Smoking

Economics, Health Regulatory Policy, FDA Reform, Pharmaceuticals

Good luck smokers who are trying to quit cigarettes—you are going to need it.

Parts of the Food and Drug Administration’s so-called “deeming regulations,” which placed vaping products under its tobacco control authority, have just gone into effect. As Mitch Zeller, director of the FDA’s Center for Tobacco Products, wrote on the new rules, “This month, for the first time, FDA will be able to help protect the public, and especially kids, from the dangers of all tobacco products.”

“To fully appreciate the harm the FDA has forced on vape shops and their customers, one needs to first understand the nature of the business.”

Most commentators in the media followed the FDA’s lead and focused on how minors can no longer purchase vaping products. But this is an inconsequential change because many states previously banned sales to minors and most stores already refused to serve customers who are under 18 years old. This small change obscures the true damage brought about by the FDA.

To fully appreciate the harm the FDA has forced on vape shops and their customers, one needs to first understand the nature of the business.

Vape shops primarily sell e-liquid, vaping devices, and associated parts. Since these goods are often available online at a lower price or tax-free, vape shops provide value to customers by offering education and assistance. Many types of e-liquid sold by vape shops do not contain any nicotine, and others that do are not derived from tobacco. Yet the FDA still claims it can regulate businesses that sell tobacco-free products under its tobacco control authority.

While using basic closed-system e-cigarettes bought at convenience stores is straightforward (just inhale the plastic stick that resembles a cigarette), vaping with e-liquid and an open-system device is a more involved process. The reason for this complexity is the amount of customization that vaping permits. Everything from temperature and wattage to flavor and nicotine level is completely personalized when using open-system vaping devices (see picture below).

While basic e-cigarettes are a welcome way to introduce cigarette smokers to a safer alternative to smoking, high-quality vaping devices provide a more desirable experience. Evidence to support this claim comes from vapers’ lower propensity to engage in dual use...

Read the entire piece here on Forbes

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 Jared Meyer is a fellow at the Manhattan Institute's Economics21. Follow him on Twitter here.

This piece originally appeared in Forbes