On Thursday, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) released its long awaited proposal for regulations on the e-cigarette industry. The 241-page document outlines bans on sales to minors for not only e-cigarettes, but other tobacco products such as hookahs, pipe tobacco and cigars, all of which are currently unregulated in this manner. It does not limit commercials, flavors or internet sales to people over 18 years of age.

While the ban for sales to minors has been met with praise, many worry that the lack of limitation on other aspects will allow the industry to target children using televised commercials and flavors like bubble gum. Because e-cigarettes contain nicotine, a highly addictive substance also found in cigarettes, many are concerned that the lack of marketing restrictions on the e-cigarette industry will lead to an increase of children addicted to nicotine who turn to smoking cigarettes to satisfy their cravings.

Some praise the use of e-cigarettes, claiming they help smokers to quit their habits and that the e-cigarette provides a healthier way of calming cravings because they contain fewer harmful chemicals than traditional cigarettes. However, many critics have countered that with no requirements on e-cigarette companies to list their ingredients, people aren’t actually aware of what it is they are inhaling. The new regulations laid out by the FDA will help to fix this, as they will require full disclosure and approval of ingredients.

These regulations are the first handed down by the FDA and could take years to fully implement. While critics argue that they are incomplete, supporters say that they are merely the first in what would be a series of regulatory actions taken by the FDA. Despite their noted absence now, limits on marketing and flavors are not out of the realm of possibility for the future. Many are encouraged by the steps taken thus far and praise the FDA for using a scientific approach that does not rely too heavily on regulations already established for traditional cigarettes but instead recognizes the two as separate products that warrant individualized scrutiny in their production and distribution.