In an op-ed piece in yesterday's USA Today talking about the dangers of e-cigarettes, FCC Commissioner Jessica Rosenworcel called on the Federal Communications Commission and the Federal Trade Commission to look into how the products are being advertised.
Commissioner Rosenworcel said the FCC should begin by studying how e-cigarettes are being advertised on the airwaves (which are subject to FCC jurisdiction). She also said the FTC should look into how e-cigarettes are being marketed online and whether the advertising is deceptive.
Although traditional cigarette advertising has long been prohibited on television and radio, current law doesn't prohibit the advertising of e-cigarettes. While Commissioner Rosenworcel doesn't explicitly call for an outright ban on e-cigarette advertising in her op-ed, it certainly sounds like that would be something she would be in favor of. It will be interesting to see whether the FCC and the FTC respond to her call to look into this issue further.
"We can't sit idly by while the equivalent of the Marlboro Man surfaces in advertising, introducing the next generation to addicting tobacco products" -- FCC Commissioner Jessica Rosenworcel
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