VTA’s conference On The Hill: Supporting Ecig in a heavily regulated world

A conference organized by the VTA is taking place in Washington, D.C., to inform manufacturers about compliance with the FDA’s final deeming regulations on vaping products.

Attorneys of several firms specialized in regulatory law, litigation, and business transactions were invited to give a speech to the audience made of e-cig manufacturers, importers and suppliers.

The FDA’s one-size-fits-all regulatory policy released last month will sweep away vapor products from the market, ultimately harming the broader public health goal of deterring tobacco and put thousands of small businesses out of business. Yesterday, Tony Abboud, VTA’s National Legislative Director kicked off the meeting, and board member Patricia Kovacevic, General Counsel & Chief Compliance Officer at Nicopure Labs, LLC, informed on pre-market authorization procedures.

 

Among other speakers, Stacy Ehrlich (Kleinfeld, Kaplan & Becker, LLP) and Seth Mailhot (Michael Best & Friedrich, LLP) also spoke on deeming/retailer compliance.

Today, June 8, is a day dedicated to the Cole & Bishop Amendment, a bipartisan amendment sponsored by  Rep. Tom Cole and Rep. Sanford Bishop, that would change the statutory grandfather date for deemed products, including nicotine-containing electronic vaping devices and the “e-liquid” used in them.

 

Several delegations of smoke-free associations like Utah or Tennessee came in support of businesses “to push for a move to the predicate date on Vapor products”.

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Update on 06/09/2016:

In a press release, VTA advocates for the Cole & Bishop Amendment at the Capitol.

The Amendment should:

• Save small and mid-size vapor businesses;
• Save lives, as vaping is a safer alternative to smoking;
• Address the issue of product safety;
• Protect youth;
  • Limiting print advertising of vapor products to adult publications,
  • Requiring face-to-face sales, banning self-service except at age-restricted venues,
  • Requiring age-restriction labelling.
• Give the federal government the ability to enforce the law, requiring retailers to register, if not already mandated by State laws.

 

#VTA Standing Up For Vapor! ##VTAonCapitolHill pic.twitter.com/0kOM3E8DHa

— Vapor Technology Association (@VaporTechAssoc) June 7, 2016