The coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic has changed the vaping industry as we know it. While some individuals are still trying to conflate COVID-19 with vaping, there is some positive news. The federal government has agreed to delay the implementation of PMTA until September 9. The FDA has appealed to the federal court for a 120-day extension of PMTA, which was originally going to take place on May 12, on March 30. On April 22, the U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit granted the extension, moving PMTA from May 12 to September 9 amidst the COVID-19 pandemic.
Flavor bans are still in effect in various states and localities. However, this is a victory for the vaping industry. Tobacco and vaping manufacturers will have to submit PMTAs for eJuices and hardware by September 9 to allow their products to remain on the market while the FDA reviews them. Some major tobacco companies and vaping manufacturers have been prepared to submit PMTAs, although this reprieve may change how others may approach PMTA in the coming months.
There are a lot of questions surrounding the vaping industry. What exactly does this mean for the industry? Will changes be made before the new PMTA deadline of September 9? Like many other things, we’re left asking more and more questions. Thankfully, the eLiquid.com team is here to help keep you abreast of current industry news.
What This Means For Vapers and the Vaping Industry
This is obviously good news for the vaping industry and vapers in general. However, we strongly suggest you continue to take action and advocate for your access to flavors and alternative nicotine products. This is also an election year so make sure your voice is heard!
The American Vaping Association (AVA) states that while the ideal results were not achieved. However, AVA president Gregory Conley was optimistic about the potential for dialogue with the Department of Health and Human Services. “While we would have preferred there be no new flavor restrictions, in the end, we not only managed to protect open systems, but opened a vital dialogue with Health & Human Services officials about streamlining the FDA’s pre-market review process,” he said. Conley also implied that the delay may indicate changes for PMTA, although that is not known at the time of this writing.
Chris Howard, who serves as vice president, general counsel, and chief compliance officer for E-Alternative Solutions in Jacksonville, Florida, was optimistic about the PMTA delay. He also added, “C-store retailers would have more time to assess which manufacturers are planning to submit PMTAs for their products. They should be seeking for manufacturers to provide evidence of submission prior to Sept. 9.”
Conley admitted that there may be more flavor ban proposals at the state level. “At the state level, we are likely to see flavor ban bills introduced in at least 25 states with Democrats attempting to paint the Trump Administration’s final policy as a gift to the e-cigarette industry,” he said.
What do you think about the delay to PMTA? Are you going to be taking action to ensure your access to flavors? Let us know in the comments below!
3 comments
I can’t say much more than what Chris stated above. A flavor ban does nothing, and I don’t mean to get political but, it’s almost like gun control. If this whole thing started because KIDS were buying black market e-juice from the street, then how is banning shops that do sell legit items, that do verify age, and that do have oversight from selling [flavored] juices to adults…you know, the people who are allowed to use these products how exactly is that going to help? And again, as already stated, walk in to any liquor or grocery store and you can find flavored cigars, those single tubed flavored cigarettes (PrimeTime I think they’re called?). Look at dip…20yrs ago there was regular and mint (wintergreen or, some sort of mint flavor), and fast forward to today and you got apple, peach, 4 different mint types, and probably a few more I’m just not familiar with. This is simply screwing over people like myself and so many others who got hooked on big tobacco products early on (yes, believe it or not, I wasn’t 18 when I started smoking/dipping…more like 15) who have been able to cut back or, flat out quit by use of vape products and being able to control the nicotine levels. I can’t say I’ve fully quit cigarettes but, I can say I’m still working and without my favorite FLAVORED e-juices, if I’m being honest I can absolutely see myself falling right back to where I was. Actually before I found a FLAVORED juice I like, I had my vaporizer for close to 6mo and rarely used it. Didn’t really cut back on regular cigarette use until I found a good FLAVOR.
Kids will always be kids and kids are always going to experiment…it’s called being a kid and growing up! We’ve all been there. Another knee-jerk reaction to ban something that the demographic in question is not supposed to be using in the first place. How does that help? I’ll call this one right here and now. The moment a flavor ban is put in place across the country is the same day that hospitals will start seeing more and more people coming in from vaping illness because if society can’t get it legally, they’ll get it somehow no matter what. No regulation or oversight because it will be all black market. We have so much extremely important issues going on in this world or, simply in the US and with all that that is going on people are still hung up on flavored e-juice??? Come on folks!?!?
Screw this. This is totally unfair. I quit smoking cigarettes and n ou w they want to take away my vape flavors. All because of big tobacco? Hell no.
I dont think a ban on flavor would make much of a difference on my opinion. You can still buy different types of cigarettes, you can get flavored dip/chew, and if minors were getting vape then that was a salesman mistake. Places like this website insure minors have to submit the proper identification in order to purchase something. If they have it after that then it was meant to be. If I wanted somebody to tell me I had to smoke bland tobacco I’d smoke a cigarette. What should be in place is making sure that what people get isn’t going to kill them with random chemicals outside of nicotine.