Statement from Smoke Free Alternatives Trade Association (SFATA) President Phil Daman

NEW YORK, Oct. 9, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- In response to the European Parliament's decision on October 8, 2013 to reject a proposal to regulate electronic cigarettes as medicinal products, Smoke Free Alternatives Trade Association (SFATA) President Phil Daman has stated the following:

We applaud the European Parliament's landmark decision that nicotine vaporizing devices, like electronic cigarettes, should not be regulated as medicinal products. Such regulation would misclassify the products, subjecting them to regulations intended for a very different category.

In addition, SFATA agrees with the European Parliament's decision to restrict the sale of electronic cigarette products to minors, and we support any effort—domestic or otherwise—made by legislative agencies and organizations to keep vaporizers out of the hands of underage consumers. Vaporizers are intended for and should only be available to adults.

SFATA remains optimistic that legislative bodies in the United States and around the world will continue to engage and communicate with the vaping community to better understand and maintain appropriate age–restricted access to these unique and popular products as adult consumers switch to this innovative alternative.

For more information about SFATA, go to www.SFATA.org or contact SFATA's Executive Director, Cynthia Cabrera at ccabrera@sfata.org.

SOURCE SFATA