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The FDA has given a timeline of 180 days to write the regulation regarding the federal age increase of consumers who may buy tobacco/nicotine products from a minimum of 18 years old to a minimum of 21 years old. There will be an additional 30-90 days for the law to take hold.

Don't let that 6 to 9 month time period fool you. It is now illegal to sell tobacco/nicotine to anyone under the age of 21. We do not know if it will be enforced until the regulation is written, but If you are selling to anyone under 21, you are in violation of the law. Pixotine's age verification software is set to only verify sales to those 21 and older. I suggest that other companies do the same.

With 19 states already implementing T21 prior to the new federal law, this was a good move by the federal government. The law will help create a buffer between the legal purchase age and high school teens.

As always, please manufacture and market responsibly!

It is important to always market and manufacture responsibly and to educate kids about the dangers of life (nicotine, tobacco, alcohol, drugs, unhealthy diets, crossing the street, leaving the stove on, etc).

We are the protectors of our youth, and everyone must do their job. Teen cigarette use was declining due to education. Adults took this for granted. Education stopped. The social environment didn't require anymore time being spent on this. It's like saying that measles has been eliminated from the US, so there isn't a need to vaccinate my child. We all know how that turned out. Measles made a comeback. US revolutionaries beat the British. Slavery was abolished in the Civil War. Women can vote because of the Suffrage Movement. The Civil Rights era helped create more equality. We teach history to better our future, because we all know that history can repeat itself if we forget.

Some manufacturers/retailers do not take the extra steps to keep our youth from buying tobacco/nicotine products. Please ID and please use age verification software for your online stores.

While the vape lung illness crisis has been mostly linked to illicit THC liquids, quality nicotine vape products are still suffering and seeing declines in sales.

The oral nicotine/tobacco category, however, has seen a bump in sales and public image.

The FDA recently granted a Modified Risk Order for the first time. The FDA's scientific evaluation of General Snus (an oral pouch made with tobacco leaf), has shown that the product is less harmful than cigarettes. The FDA says it is "safer", but still "not safe". This is big news for the oral category. This shows with proper scientific data, responsible marketing and quality manufacturing, an oral product could be safer than traditional smoke products. This shows the FDA has moved towards, and accepted, a risk continuum model.

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Vape Lung Illness update....Vitamin E Acetate, Myclobutanil (a pesticide that causes severe illness)...How much of this is from bad legal manufacturers skipping steps or being unknowledgeable? How many manufacturers are not testing your products in a certified 3rd party lab? How much of this is from fully illegal street made products? How many non-compliant products are on the shelf today in your vape shop that are selling illegally with out FDA pre-market authorization? How many dispensaries are selling legal or illegal THC or CBD that has been manufactured poorly or diluted to decrease contaminants?

There are so many questions and these are just a handful. If you are knowingly selling dangerous items illegally, then you should be put in jail. Any money you think you made will all get spent on lawyers, fines and lawsuits.

This USA Today article discusses a couple of the vape lung illness cases. Prohibition is not the answer... Maybe legalizing THC and strong enforcement of the criminals are the only way to truly combat this.