VTA Lobbies for Synthetic Nicotine Regulation with FDA

Since the United States passed a new law on synthetic nicotine in March, the Electronic Cigarette Technology Association of America (VTA) has issued an update on April 13th titled "VTA meets with FDA on new federal synthetic nicotine law". The purpose of VTA's visit is to encourage the FDA to conduct scientific research and analysis on synthetic nicotine, to shift from pressure to encouragement, and to ensure that manufacturers who sell synthetic nicotine electronic cigarettes comply with regulations and can continue to sell their products.

The VTA lobbying team consists of members of the board, as well as three PhDs in organic chemistry and physics. They met with the FDA's Center for Tobacco Products to give a presentation and provide scientific and public policy-related documents regarding the issue of synthetic nicotine. VTA believes it is crucial to educate members of Congress about synthetic nicotine, as they have received negative and limited information that these products are only trying to evade regulation. Clearly, members of Congress have little knowledge about why synthetic nicotine was invented and the benefits it could bring to the public.

In addition, the VTA is seeking votes and appealing to companies and consumers involved with synthetic nicotine e-cigarettes to provide more support. As an industry association that has lobbied in the U.S. Congress for seven years, the VTA has been committed to harm reduction in the electronic cigarette industry and has achieved significant results.

Synthetic nicotine may be more suitable for electronic cigarettes.

Electronic cigarettes are devices that heat e-liquid to produce vapor. Nicotine is a key additive in the e-liquid and exists in a free form that can be unstable under heating conditions, potentially decreasing the taste and sensation of the product. Recent research has shown that solidifying the free-form nicotine can improve the user experience, while synthetic nicotine can increase stability and enhance the taste and sensation of the vapor.

Bob, an employee in the electronic cigarette industry, told 2FIRSTS that compared to traditional tobacco products, the extraction of nicotine from cigarette residue contains harmful impurities such as new tobacco alkaloids, nornicotine, and anatabine, which are not conducive to human health. In contrast, synthetic nicotine has higher purity and fewer impurities, resulting in reduced harm.

Currently, synthetic nicotine regulation in the United States requires approval through the Pre-Market Tobacco Application (PMTA) process.

On March 15, 2022 (US time), US President Joe Biden signed a comprehensive spending bill of $1.5 trillion, which includes granting the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) regulatory authority over synthetic nicotine through the amendment of the Tobacco Control Act, closing the regulatory loophole on synthetic nicotine.

Before the regulation of the production of synthetic nicotine, some businesses used it to evade regulation, while others only included it in their research projects to explore how to reduce harm more effectively and better serve consumers.

Synthetic nicotine is expected to receive more relaxed regulatory policies in the United States.

Although the cost of artificially synthesizing nicotine is relatively high and has not yet been widely used in electronic cigarettes, with appropriate policies and market space and the expansion of production scale, the cost of synthetic nicotine is expected to gradually decrease. The recent communication between the American Electronic Cigarette Technology Association and the FDA is expected to improve the market situation for synthetic nicotine.

Successful lobbying cases by VTA in recent years:

The PMTA deadline has been extended from 2018 to 2022; multiple federal and state flavor bans have been halted; President Trump was convinced to reverse his 2019 flavor ban announcement; three PACT (e-cigarette mail ban) bills were stopped; and last year's enormous e-cigarette tax bill was blocked (which intended to impose the first federal tax on e-cigarettes, which would be nine times higher than traditional cigarette taxes).

Author: Song Chu Jiao

Cartoon: Gridlock has now divided.

Reference sources:

Research on the synthesis and structural characterization of nicotine derivatives and their sustained-release effects in e-cigarettes.

In a recent meeting with the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the Vapor Technology Association (VTA) presented an argument in support of synthetic nicotine.

Synthetic nicotine brought under FDA regulation as the US works to close policy gaps.