White House scrapped FDA plan to restrict flavored e-cigarettes in a recently introduced tobacco regulation that would have removed flavored e-cigarettes from the market until they had been authorized by the Food and Drug Administration.
FDA announced a final rule extending its tobacco authority to include e-cigarettes, pipe tobacco, cigars and hookah on may 5.
Under the rule, companies must seek marketing authorization for any tobacco product introduced after Feb. 15, 2007 and the rules become effective in early August.
According to the rule a grace period of up to two years will be given to manufacturers to submit marketing applications, during which they can continue to sell their products and can sell them for an additional year while the FDA completes its review.
As submitted by the FDA to the White House Office of Management and Budget, the rule gave a grace period for flavored products of only 90 days after the rule became effective.
Adherent of e-cigarettes say the products can help people quit smoking and that flavors are a crucial element of what makes them attractive to adults seeking to quit.
The FDA said in its original rule that evidence supporting such claims "is thus far largely anecdotal."