The U.S. Food and Drug Administration is investigating the possibility that some tobacco products could contain a potentially deadly ingredient.
The FDA has been working with manufacturers and other regulatory agencies in an effort to determine whether cigarettes containing nicotine or the ingredient found in the popular electronic cigarette, known as e-cigarettes, pose a public health threat.
The agency has been testing thousands of electronic cigarettes to determine if they pose a risk of death and serious illness.
If they do, it could lead to new regulations that would regulate products like electronic cigarettes.
The e-cigarette has become a lucrative industry, generating more than $100 million in revenue for manufacturers, retailers and distributors this year.
E-cigarette companies are also growing in popularity with younger consumers.
The U.K.-based Tobacco Products Council, which represents more than 2,000 tobacco companies, said the agency’s investigation is part of a larger effort to examine the public health risks posed by e-cigs.
Tobacco industry groups have called for the FDA to conduct a complete investigation of e-cig sales.
They also have urged the agency to focus on the health risks and to take action if they are found to pose a danger to consumers.
In an advisory, the Council of American Tobacco, the nation’s largest tobacco industry trade group, said in a statement that the FDA’s actions in this case could have a serious and lasting impact on public health.