What Does Scott Gottlieb’s Resignation Mean for the Vaping Industry?
If it’s been feeling like the FDA has been extra hard on vaping over the last couple years, you can thank Scott Gottlieb. As the head of the FDA under Trump’s administration, Gottlieb has made it his personal priority to see that the vaping industry becomes highly regulated. Just last year, he was at the head of the particularly heated debate regarding teens’ interest in JUUL, the portable pod-based vaping system that took the vaping community by storm. Now that he’s gone, the vaping industry is hoping that someone with a more vape-friendly stance will come in to take his place.
Scott Gottlieb’s Battle Against the Vaping Industry
It seems that Gottlieb’s departure came at a time when vape-related regulations were about to become far stricter, leaving many vapers breathing a big sigh of relief. Those who have been following vaping news over the last couple of years know that the FDA’s extremely harsh stance on vaping has managed to stifle the industry in a variety of ways while promoting anti-vaping views among the general public.
Most famously, Gottlieb sought to ban stores from selling flavored JUUL pods that he believed were “kid-friendly” in terms of flavor. In response to growing numbers of teens taking up JUUL as a hobby, Gottlieb felt that flavors like mango were making the product more appealing toward youth.
Gottlieb’s contempt for JUUL led him to crack down on the company more than any other vaping manufacturer. He even scheduled a surprise inspection at JUUL’s manufacturing plant in an effort to find potential ways in which the company was utilizing faulty production practices.
Gottlieb also sought to reduce the amount of nicotine in tobacco cigarettes in an effort to shake up the tobacco industry. Interestingly, experts felt that his attempts would lead to an increase in vaping as former smokers would look for a product that delivered more nicotine for a similar price point.
However, not all of Gottlieb’s time in office harmed the vaping industry. Not too long ago, he extended the deadline that determined how long a vape company had for their product to be approved by the FDA. Of course, this move was the first stage of an effort to enforce stricter regulations on vape product manufacturers, but it did allow companies to continue selling their unregulated products while they waited for approval.
How Gottlieb’s Departure Might Impact the Vaping Industry
Exactly how this change will affect the future of the vaping industry isn’t known, primarily because we have no idea who will be taking Gottlieb’s place. One fairly major concern relates to the regulation process of vaping products. Gottlieb set the wheels in motion regarding the process of allowing vape manufacturers to become regulated by the FDA. Some vape experts now believe that the next person to come in will be less lenient regarding deadlines, meaning that many vape companies will end up going out of business during the process.
Still, there are many industry experts who believe that the future of vaping is looking quite sunny after all. Experts anticipate that the next person to fill Gottlieb’s shoes will be more willing to adopt a vape-friendly attitude inspired by the new pro-vaping legislation that’s sweeping across Europe.
The Vaping Community Remains Hopeful
While it’s uncertain how Gottlieb’s departure will impact the vaping world, vapers are hopeful that the future of the industry will be bright.
Tags: Scott Gottlieb, resignation, FDA, vaping