FDA deeming regulations raise animal testing fears

Concerns are being expressed among groups involved in the protection of non-human animals about the number of animal tests that could be required or encouraged by the US Food and Drug Administration’s proposed electronic-cigarette deeming regulations.

As things stand under the proposed regulations, all electronic cigarettes placed on the US market after February 15, 2007, would have to be the subject of what many observers see as a burdensome application system if they are to be allowed to remain on the market.

And because electronic cigarettes are the result of a relatively new and developing technology it is believed that the deadline of February 15, 2007, known as the grandfather date, will mean that just about every product on the market will have to go through the application system.

It seems likely, too, that each product will have to be the subject of multiple tests as, for instance, electronic cigarette vapors generated by various coil temperatures are tested separately.

While the FDA says that it will encourage manufacturers to meet with its Center for Tobacco Products early in the application process to discuss what, if any, animal testing is ‘appropriate’ and whether non-animal tests are acceptable, PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals) counters that animal tests will be required to address toxicology issues that the FDA claims cannot be addressed by alternative approaches.

PETA says that the FDA has a poor track record on accepting non-animal test methods; so it is expecting that the number of animals suffering and dying in tobacco- and nicotine-related testing will rise dramatically.