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The Government Is Finally Cracking Down on the E-Cig Industry

Vape 'em if you got 'em.
Photo via Flickr user r0sss

Read: We Tried the Most Disgusting E-Cig Flavors So You Don't Have To

It turns out popcorn lung isn't the only things e-cigarette manufacturers have to worry about—now they'll have to contend with their electronic nicotine delivery devices being regulated a bit like other potentially harmful products, as the New York Times reports.

On Thursday, the Food and Drug Administration issued rules that will, for the first time ever, welcome e-cigs under the umbrella of federal regulatory authority. Until now, the multibillion-dollar e-cig industry has been allowed to flourish with virtually no oversights or protections for a growing number of American consumers.

The 499 pages worth of regulatory provisions would—among other things—ban the sale of e-cigs to persons under 18 and require photo identification at point of sale. It would also require e-cig manufacturers to register with the FDA and provide the feds with a thorough list of ingredients, making their manufacturing processes more transparent.

The new rules may impact America's booming vape culture, too, as shops that concoct their own e-cig formulas are affected. (The feds are being relatively cool about that, though, by giving the companies with products already on the street two years to apply for FDA approval.)

The new regulations are poised to take effect in 90 days.