Washington, Apr 26 : The U. S. Food & Drug Administration''s Center for Tobacco Products (CTP) has announced its plans to regulate electronic cigarettes as tobacco products.

The announcement came after the U. S. Court of Appeals for the D. C. Circuit issued a decision, which said that electronic cigarettes are not drugs or devices unless they are marketed for therapeutic purposes, reports the Telegraph.

In 2009, the FDA was given the authority to regulate tobacco products that are not drugs or devices.

In December 2010, three judges from the appellate court ruled that the FDA could regulate the products as tobacco products and not as drugs. They also said that the FDA could not block the import of such products, giving Sottera Inc the ability to start importing its NJOY goods.

The FDA said in a notice posted on its website that it is working on a strategy to regulate products such as electronic cigarettes, which are not subject to premarket review requirements, as tobacco products.

The Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids said on Monday that it was disappointed the U. S. government would not appeal the federal appeals court ruling.

The group said the ruling opened a loophole that lets manufacturers add nicotine to products, bypassing the regulations that traditionally apply to smoking cessation medications and other non-tobacco products that include nicotine. (ANI)