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
Azim Chowdhury Quoted in a CSP Magazine Article on 2023 Tobacco Regulations

Keller and Heckman Partner Azim Chowdhury was interviewed for the CSP Magazine article, “Regulations 2023: One Thing After Another.” The article discusses the many regulatory updates coming for tobacco products in 2023, including a likely ban on menthol cigarettes, an effective ban on non-tobacco flavored vapor products, new retail signage requirements, and even the likelihood…
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…
Keller and Heckman Files Supreme Court Amicus Brief on Behalf of Public Health Experts in Support of Avail Vapor’s Cert Petition Challenging FDA’s Marketing Denial Order

On June 14, 2023, Keller and Heckman Partners Eric Gotting and Azim Chowdhury, on behalf of a group of public health experts, filed an amicus brief with the Supreme Court of the United States (SCOTUS) in support of Avail Vapor’s writ of certiorari petitioning SCOTUS to review the Fourth Circuit’s decision to uphold the Food…
Keller and Heckman Tobacco and E-Vapor Attorneys to Speak at Upcoming Industry Events


On June 7, Partner Kathryn (Katie) Skaggs will present at the Food and Drug Law Institute’s (FDLI) Legal and Practical Issues in Cannabis Regulation virtual event, to be held June 7 – 8, 2023. Katie will participate on the panel, “Packaging and Labeling: Product Safety and Youth Use Prevention,” which will focus on the role…
The Reagan Udall Foundation – A Critical Evaluation of FDA’s Center for Tobacco Products

I. Reagan-Udall Report
In July 2022, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Commissioner, Dr. Robert Califf, released a public statement saying the agency “has confronted a series of challenges that have tested our regulatory frameworks and stressed the agency’s operations.” As such, Commissioner Califf was “prompt[ed] . . . to take a closer look at…
News Alert: Public Consultation on the EU’s Tobacco Products Legislation: Comment Period Open Until May 16, 2023

On February 21, 2023, the European Commission opened a public consultation[1] seeking feedback on the performance of the current legislative framework for tobacco products, and ways that the legislation could be improved. All interested stakeholders can submit comments until May 16, 2023.
I. Background
In May 2008, the European Commission issued a report[2]…

FDA Publishes Proposed Rule on Tobacco Product Manufacturing Practices
On March 10, 2023, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) published a long-awaited proposed rule on Requirements for Tobacco Product Manufacturing Practice (TPMP),[1] which sets forth proposed requirements for the manufacture, design, packing, and storage of tobacco products[2]. The proposed requirements are essentially “good manufacturing practices” for tobacco products and are intended to minimize…

FDA Files Civil Money Penalty Complaints Against Four Small Vape Shops for Alleged Premarket Review Violations
On February 22, 2023, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced the filing of civil money penalty (CMP) complaints against four domestic e-liquid manufacturers, all of which appear to be small vape shops that were producing nicotine-containing e-liquids used in open-system electronic nicotine delivery systems (ENDS) devices.[1] The four named companies are:
…The EU’s Tobacco Products Directive: Revisiting the Requirements and Updates on Heated Tobacco Products

To be placed on the European Union market, tobacco and related products must comply with specific requirements and procedures, harmonized at the European level by Directive 2014/40/EU concerning the manufacture, presentation, and sale of tobacco and related products (hereinafter the “Tobacco Products Directive” or the “Directive”). This article provides a general overview of the requirements…