E-cigarettes have already been banned in Australia, Brazil, Canada, Israel, Mexico, and virtually in Oregon, restricted in Finland, Malaysia, and Singapore, threatened with legal action in Connecticut, and the subject of a major class action law suit. Now, reports public interest law professor John Banzhaf, they seem about to be banned in California, a move which could be followed in Kentucky and then in other states.
In related developments, e-cigarettes have been declared illegal by the FDA, the imports are being seized, and sellers might face criminal penalties; PayPal has stopped facilitating their sale; Facebook has reportedly dropped their ads; and at least one county has banned their use wherever conventional smoking is prohibited.
Also, more e-cigarette wholesalers are finding it necessary to provide product liability insurance
to their retail customers, and at least one insurance company is offering its own policies. The company explains the need for such insurance this way: "This device has not been approved by the FDA as a 'stop smoking aid' product. In fact, the FDA has issued a warning about the product (e-cigarettes) because marketers are presenting the e-cigarette as a healthier alternative to regular cigarettes. In addition, the cartridge contains several chemicals including nicotine that are hazardous to your health."