The e-cigarettes and the e-cigarette business are booming, so now the federal governments is looking to impose regulations.

The proposed regulations including requiring approval for new products and health warning labels. The federal government also wants to ban the sale of electronic cigarettes to minors nationwide. Currently cities and states prohibit the sale of tobacco products to minors.

According to The Blaze, the U.S. Food & Drug Administration said the proposal sets a foundation for regulating the products but the rules don’t immediately ban the wide array of flavors of e-cigarettes, curb marketing on places like TV or set product standards.

Any further rules “will have to be grounded in our growing body of knowledge and understanding about the use of e-cigarettes and their potential health risks or public health benefits,” Commissioner Dr. Margaret Hamburg said.

Once finalized, the agency could propose more restrictions on e-cigarettes.

An e-cigarette can look very similar to a traditional cigarette. It heats a liquid nicotine solution instead of burning tobacco. The device creates vapor that a user inhales and then exhales the water vapor.

Smokers like e-cigarettes because the nicotine-infused vapor looks like smoke but doesn’t contain the thousands of chemicals, tar or odor of regular cigarettes. Some smokers use e-cigarettes as a way to quit smoking tobacco or to cut down. But, there’s not much scientific evidence showing e-cigarettes help smokers quit or smoke less, and it’s unclear how safe they are.

Members of Congress and public health groups have raised concerns over e-cigarettes and questioned their marketing tactics as well at their safety.

“When finalized [the proposal] would result in significant public health benefits, including through reducing sales to youth, helping to correct consumer misconceptions, preventing misleading health claims and preventing new products from entering the market without scientific review by FDA,” said Mitch Zeller, the director of the FDA’s Center for Tobacco Products.

Your thoughts: Is this another example of how government stifles creative innovation? Is this another attempt by Big Tobacco to use the government to eliminate competition? Is the government doing the right thing by regulating this new product?

Please comment below.