Troutman Pepper Locke Tobacco Practice

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On February 12, 2014, congressmen from California, Iowa and Vermont sent a joint letter to the Attorneys General in those states, urging them to classify electronic cigarettes as cigarettes under the Master Settlement Agreement (“MSA”).  The MSA was adopted in 1998 and applies to cigarette and roll-your-own tobacco manufacturers.  In the letter, the lawmakers stated that classifying electronic cigarettes as cigarettes would be a “bold step” in the battle against tobacco use. 

In late December, the European Union’s Parliament approved anti-tobacco legislation, and the legislation included regulations governing electronic cigarettes.  Although the European Union has been considering regulating electronic cigarettes for quite some time, the recently-approved legislation is the first rule covering electronic cigarettes at the EU-level.  Prior to the approval of this legislation, electronic cigarettes, if at all, were regulated by each individual government within the European Union.

An article by the Troutman Sanders tobacco practice appears in the December issue of Smokeshop Magazine. The article, titled “Disputed 2003 MSA Payments Resolved,” discusses the recent rulings of the arbitration panel regarding the “diligent enforcement” dispute that erupted between Participating Manufacturers and governments of MSA settling states. The full text of the article can be found here.

The Electronic Cigarette Industry Group (ECIG) announced Wednesday that they would be opening a new office in D.C.  Bryan Haynes, a partner in Troutman Sanders’ tobacco practice, supports the group’s government affairs department.  ECIG has been expanding rapidly in the face of the looming deeming regulations expected from the FDA, and the muddy waters of state government regulation.

Come and meet us at TPC 2014! Members of the Troutman Sanders Tobacco practice will attend the 2014 Tobacco Plus Convenience Expo from January 29-30th in Las Vegas, Nevada. Bryan Haynes and Nancyellen Keane will be the keynote speakers of the General Session on Thursday morning, January 30th. They will be speaking on the “Past, Present and Future of FDA Regulation of Tobacco Products”, which focuses on the regulatory actions of the FDA from the enactment of the Tobacco Control Act in 2009 to the present. We value the unique opportunity to attend the TPC 2014 show, and look forward to seeing old friends as well as making new ones.