Lawmakers are following through on promises to assess marketing of e-cigarettes and review whether the electronic smoking devices need greater regulations due to increasing interest and use among teenagers.
Industry vendors came under fire during a Senate hearing this week for increased advertising practices using social media, TV ads and print publications and some lawmakers believe the marketing is directly aimed at luring youths.
"While major e-cigarette companies reiterate that they only target adults, a large youth audience still appears to be getting their message pretty loudly and pretty clearly," said Democratic Senator John Rockefeller. That's true "particularly when they aim the message at TV and magazines and social media and events which just really come down hard toward kids," he added.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention more youths are using the devices and are being exposed to device marketing with the number of middle and high school student users more than doubling between 2011 and 2012. The CDC claims there was a 256 percent spike in e-cigarette ads between 2011 and 2013.
Pediatricians "are seriously concerned that e-cigarettes may lead adolescents to a lifetime of nicotine addiction and could serve as a gateway to traditional cigarettes," said Susanne Tanski, chairperson of American Academy of Pediatrics' Tobacco Consortium.
The news comes on the heels of the fifth anniversary of the 2009 federal tobacco law, the Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act that gave the Food and Drug Administration control over tobacco products.
Some are pushing to extend the law and the FDA's authority to include e-cigarettes, specifically the marketing of the devices. The FDA is scheduled to finish an effective final rule on the request by next April.
Many believe the e-cig industry's expanding practice of flavoring the vapor is a major reason more children are using the device. Earlier this week R.J. Reynolds announced it's expanding its e-cigarette business by launching a national campaign for its Vuse brand.
There are currently 460-plus e-cigarette brands and 7,800 flavors on the shelves.
Traditional tobacco companies have been slow to move into the e-cigarette segment but that scenario will likely change radically in the next year.
A recent study notes 10 new brands have entered the market between 2012 and 2013, and over 240 new flavors are within customer reach.
