*Concerns growing around seized pharmaceutical nicotine * * * Via EcigAdvanced.com
“Unfortunately, there isn’t a lot of information to go on. However, the following if likely something the electronic cigarette community would be interested in learning about. Sounds like the FDA has been seizing shipments of pharmaceutical nicotine for undetermined reasons.
Tasty Vapor owner Geoff Braithwaite has confirmed that a shipment of 12 kilograms of pharmaceutical nicotine was seized. That’s about 3 one-gallon jugs by our calculations. According to Braithwaite, the seizure may have occurred because the content was mislabeled as multi-purpose cleaner. But his company isn’t the only victim.
There are unconfirmed reports that many bigger companies have lost shipments to the FDA. Among them possibly, pharmaceutical company Glaxosmithkline (makers of Nicorette gum), tobacco company R.J. Reynolds, and electronic cigarette vaporizing liquid supplier Johnson Creek. A recent shipment to Johnson Creek that was seized is believed to have been around 240 kilograms (that about 550 pounds).
Initial rumors seemed to suggest that the FDA was targeting electronic cigarette company shipments as a way to slow down and impede growth of the industry. However, it now appears that the FDA is targeting any pharmaceutical nicotine shipment and has been doing so since about November. Some industry leaders in the e-cig world have yet to have this problem. Others did not respond by the time of this post.
We’re continuing to dig for information. Has the FDA decided all pharmaceutical nicotine is to be tested and checked out? Or is there something more concerning at play (like, say, contamination) that the FDA isn’t talking about yet? This is all conjecture right now. Hopefully we’ll have more for you soon.”
Rob, of BlueMist Vaping commented on this article further down the page and said, “Unfortunately, this isn’t new. I own BlueMist Vaping, and we had a total of 15kg of pure nicotine seized over a few shipments. Customs officials in one case sent no notice to either me or the shipping company, and in the rest the notices arrived too late to do anything (30 days to appeal, letter with case number and location postmarked a day before the deadline and sent first class). The FDA is leaning on customs to make life difficult.”
It really is speculation at this point. I will be continuing to follow this story on my own and post an update as soon as I receive one.