The Electronic Cigarette Association (ECA) called on Congress to enact legislation that would make it illegal to sell electronic cigarettes to those below the legal age of smoking.

In a letter sent to Congressional members on 14 August ECA President Matt Salmon states that “our products are not intended for those under the legal smoking age. We are extremely careful to market only to committed, adult smokers looking to avoid the toxins found in combustible cigarettes. We would like to see legislation that will back up our efforts in restricting sales to those underage.”
The ECA, an association of private sector companies engaged in electronic cigarette technologies, also criticized the recent Food and Drug Administration (FDA) study on electronic cigarettes for failing to follow standard scientific protocols. In its letter, the ECA called on Congress to urge the FDA to conduct further studies on electronic cigarettes and to take a more scientific approach, follow standard protocols for proper study design, to include a significant sample of products on the market, and to study the potential for giving smokers an alternative that reduces the known risks found in traditional cigarettes until they can make the commitment to quit. (pi)