Vermont's attorney general has joined 39 other attorneys general urging the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to regulate electronic cigarettes the same way it regulates tobacco products.
The letter says e-cigarettes are being marketed to children through cartoon-like advertising characters and by offering fruit and candy flavors. At the same time they’re becoming more affordable and available.
The letter, co-sponsored by the attorneys general of Massachusetts and Ohio, says e-cigarettes are also being advertised during prime-time television hours and are portrayed as safe alternatives to traditional cigarettes. But it says they are addictive and capable of delivering high doses of nicotine.
An industry group, the Tobacco Vapor Electronic Cigarette Association, says it agrees that e-cigarettes should be regulated as a tobacco product.
