New Trade Association Pushes Self Regulation of E-Cigarettes

MIAMI -- Six months after forming, the Smoke-Free Alternatives Trade Association (SFATA) will make its national debut at the 2012 NACS Show. The association in the smoke-free alternatives industry came together in March and represents distributors, manufacturers, retailers, and end users with the goal to address a variety of consumer matters including tobacco regulation and its possible extension to vaporizing devices, according to SFATA.

For its part, SFATA argues that e-cigarettes are vaporizing devices that do not possess the same chemical and physical characteristics as tobacco products and therefore should not be deemed as tobacco products and regulated as such, it added.

Association goals aim to streamline processes, impact free and fair trade through self-regulation, and alleviate misinformation by providing cohesive industry support for consumer affairs. SFATA's self-regulatory goals are set to:

• provide the tools necessary for regulators, industry specialists and consumers to make informed decisions
• increase interest, education and advocacy for proposed and new legislation, and future Food and Drug Administration's (FDA) regulation
• improve testing, promote uniform manufacturing procedures and established guidelines for the future of the industry.