The FDA’s new ruling on all tobacco products at a glance

The Food and Drug Administration stretched its reach deeper into the tobacco industry on Thursday. Here are the details.

— WHAT DID THE FDA DO?

It finalized a rule extending its authority to all tobacco products, including electronic nicotine delivery systems like e-cigarettes and vape pens, as well as hookah tobacco and other items.

Hundreds of e-cigarette brands will have to undergo a lengthy review to stay on the market. The government also will limit e-cigarette sales to minors and require new health warnings.

— WHAT ARE ELECTRONIC CIGARETTES AND WHO USES THEM?

E-cigarettes are battery-powered devices that turn liquid nicotine into an inhalable vapour.

More than 15 per cent of high school students report using e-cigarettes, up more than 900 per cent over the last five years, according to federal figures.

More than 12 per cent of adults have tried them.

— HOW BIG IS THIS MARKET?

Wells Fargo Securities analyst Bonnie Herzog estimates that the total vapour market will reach $4.1 billion this year, with e-cigarettes accounting for $1.6 billion of that total.

— WHAT’S THE HARM WITH ELECTRONIC NICOTINE DELIVERY SYSTEMS?

Nicotine is addictive and can impair the brain and lung development of fetuses, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has noted. It also can disrupt the formation of brain circuits in adolescents that control attention, learning and addiction susceptibility.