FDA Commissioner Scott Gottlieb recently unveiled a major shift in federal tobacco policy, heralding a new approach with the potential to champion public health through innovation, harm reduction and consumer choice over a one-size fits all approach manifested in outdated regulation.

Wading into the heated debate surrounding e-cigarettes, Gottlieb’s announcement on July 28 put the brakes on what would have been the de facto prohibition of e-cigarettes. E-cigarette businesses breathed a sigh of relief as Gottlieb announced a four-year extension for applications to allow their products to stay on the market.