Michigan Governor Rick Snyder is mulling vetoing an e-cigarette law that would not allow minors to buy the electronic cigarettes. It's not because he endorses the product however. It's because he doesn't believe it does enough to stop sales to minors.
The states legislature has approved three e-cigarette laws. The proposed rules would prohibit e-cig sales and use of e-cigs by those under the age of 18. The laws also note that the e-cigs are not tobacco products which do fall under the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) regulations.
"I've had issues with that bill," said Snyder last week, adding it will get "special attention" and extra review. "Is it a tobacco product or not?"
The Michigan proposed rulemaking is just the latest in a continual series of actions regarding e-cigarettes. The FDA is reviewing the products and has proposed mandating warning labels and may be enacting rules on marketing the devices.
"We would like to see e-cigarettes regulated as tobacco products because they're addictive. You don't want another whole generation of people addicted to nicotine. That's the last thing we need from a community health standpoint," said Dr. Fred Van Alstine, president of the Michigan Academy of Family Physicians.
The news comes on the heels of California Congresswoman Jackie Speier proposing that Congress regulate electronic smoking devices the same way the government regulates traditional tobacco.
"With flavors like gummy bear, cotton candy, and chocolate cake, our kids are literally vaping these things up," said U.S. Rep. Jackie Speier, who announced the proposal outside the San Francisco General Hospital emergency room. "With ads using sex and sex appeal, our teens are lusting after these objects."
The San Francisco lawmaker debuted her new legislative proposal on Friday and claims the e-cig industry is intentionally trying to lure in under-age smokers with marketing strategies.
Her proposed bill would restrict advertisements on TV, according to the lawmaker's
spokeswoman, Katrina Rill. Speier intends to formally introduce the bill Monday.
She aims to stop marketing of e-cigs to minors and also require the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to mandate childproof packaging standards and dosage limitations.
Meanwhile other advocating such effort believe the focus should ultimately be on stopping everyone from smoking, whether it's tobacco or e-cig vapor.
"Obviously, tobacco companies would be more concerned with protecting cigarette market share than smaller e-cigarette companies," said author Shu-Hong Zhu, Ph.D., a professor of family and preventive medicine and director of the Center for Research and Interventions in Tobacco Control at UC San Diego, in a press statement.
