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On May 4, 2022, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) initiated a notice and comment rulemaking process to ban menthol-flavored cigarettes and all characterizing flavors in cigars and cigarillos.[1] Recently, Health and Human Secretary Xavier Becerra announced the ban on menthol-flavored cigarettes will be delayed indefinitely. This article explores the long history of

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On December 18, 2023, Dr. Brian King, the Director of FDA’s Center for Tobacco Products announced the Center’s new five-year strategic plan which outlines the Center’s programmatic and workforce initiatives and includes five goals, ten outcomes, and several corresponding objectives.

The new strategic plan incorporates recommendations from the Reagan-Udall Foundation report published in December 2022.

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In a long-anticipated decision, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit ruled against FDA on January 3, 2024, criticizing the Agency for its handling of Wages and White Lion Investments, LLC, d/b/a Triton Distribution and Vapetasia LLC (“Vapetasia”) (collectively, “Triton”) premarket tobacco product applications (“PMTAs”) for its non-tobacco flavored, open-system e-liquid products.

Keller and Heckman Partner Azim Chowdhury was interviewed for the Law360 article, “Product Liability Regulation And Legislation To Watch In 2024.” The article outlines a few different regulatory and legislative developments happening in 2024, including more enforcement in the e-cigarette industry. Azim noted that the industry will most likely see enforcement against unauthorized flavored disposable

Keller and Heckman is pleased to announce the addition of a distinguished keynote speaker for the 2024 E-Vapor and Tobacco Law Symposium. Dr. Brian King, Director of FDA’s Center for Tobacco Products (CTP), will provide expert insight into current issues facing the industry. More information regarding this valuable keynote presentation will be available soon.

We are excited to announce the agenda for Keller and Heckman’s 2024 E-Vapor and Tobacco Law Symposium. Click here to view the program agenda, and don’t forget to register by this Friday for your last chance to save $200!

Register now to join us Monday, January 29 – Tuesday, January 30, 2024, in Las Vegas

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On August 29, 2023, a three-judge panel on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit unanimously ruled against FDA on the Agency’s review of Fontem LLC’s “unflavored” (i.e., tobacco-flavored) myblu electronic nicotine delivery system (ENDS) products, vacating FDA’s marketing denial orders (MDOs) for these products. For Fontem’s non-tobacco flavored myblu ENDS

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On November 2, 2023, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) released data from the 2023 National Youth Tobacco Survey (“NYTS”), a cross-sectional, school-based, self-administered, web-based survey of U.S. middle school (grades 6-8) and high school (grades 9-12) students. The NYTS has been conducted periodically during

We’re back! Keller and Heckman’s E-Vapor and Tobacco Law Symposium is returning in 2024 for our 8th annual conference. The symposium will be held Monday, January 29 – Tuesday, January 30, 2024, in Las Vegas, NV (right before TPE). Register today to join us for a two-day comprehensive seminar focused on legal and regulatory issues

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A new study published this month in The Lancet’s eClinical Medicine – the largest electronic cigarette (e-cigarette) clinical trial in the U.S. to date – confirms the role of e-cigarettes in smoking cessation. Specifically, the new research supports that e-cigarettes can be a viable means of quitting or reducing more harmful combustible cigarette use for