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
2023 National Youth Tobacco Survey Shows Significant Decline in High School Vaping



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…

2024 E-Vapor and Tobacco Law Symposium
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…
Largest U.S. E-Cigarette Clinical Trial Confirms Role in Smoking Cessation


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…
Federal Court Vacates FDA Deeming of Premium Cigars Subject to the Tobacco Control Act


On August 9, 2023, Judge Amit P. Mehta of the U.S. District Court of the District of Columbia issued a final Memorandum Opinion in Cigar Association of America et al. v. United States Food and Drug Administration et al., vacating the decision of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to deem premium cigars subject…
Azim Chowdhury Quoted in Law360 Article on Legislation to Watch at Midyear

Keller and Heckman Partner Azim Chowdhury was quoted in the Law360 article, “Product Liability Regulation & Legislation To Watch At Midyear.” The article discusses e-cigarette company Juul’s decision to file an application with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for a new device that has been on the market in the U.K. for several…
Keller and Heckman Files Supreme Court Amicus Brief on Behalf of ENDS Industry in Support of Request to Overturn or Limit the Chevron Doctrine


On July 24, 2023, Keller and Heckman Partners Eric Gotting and Azim Chowdhury, along with co-counsel, on behalf of members of the Electronic Nicotine Delivery Systems (ENDS) industry[i], filed an amicus brief with the Supreme Court of the United States (SCOTUS) in support of petitioners in Loper Bright Enterprises v. Raimondo[ii]…
FDA and FTC Issue Six Warning Letters for Delta-8 THC Copycat Snacks
Reposted from Keller and Heckman’s Blog, The Daily Intake

- Delta-8 Tetrahydrocannabinol (Delta-8 THC) is an isomer of Delta-9 THC, the intoxicating component of certain cannabis plants. It is naturally occurring at very low levels in hemp and can be synthetically manufactured by chemical conversion of cannabidiol (CBD) extracted from hemp. We have discussed a September
FDA Inspection Blitz Leads to Over 180 Warning Letters to Retailers for the Sale of Unauthorized E-Cigarettes

On June 22, 2023, FDA announced it had issued warning letters to 189 retailers for selling unauthorized flavored tobacco products manufactured by Elf Bar and Esco Bar brands. This enforcement action comes on the heels of earlier aggressive action by FDA in its issuance of more than 570 warning letters to firms for the manufacture…
Experts Recommend FDA Adopt an Enhanced Regulatory Strategy for Nicotine and Tobacco Products to Help Reach Cancer Moonshot Goals


As we previously reported, the Reagan-Udall Report evaluated FDA’s Center for Tobacco Products (CTP) and reported that stakeholders were concerned over, among other things, a lack of clear guidance and transparency regarding regulations, the premarket review process, and enforcement priorities. On February 24, 2023, CTP responded to the report and committed to addressing all…