Judge: FDA cannot regulate e-cigarettes

WASHINGTON (AP) - A federal judge says the Food and Drug Administration overstepped its authority in recent efforts to regulate electronic cigarettes.

U.S. District Court Judge Richard Leon sided with two electronic suppliers, Smoking Everywhere and NJOY, in their lawsuit against the FDA.

The companies sued the government after regulators began halting shipments of electronic cigarettes last summer. The FDA said it found cancer-causing ingredients in the products, despite manufacturers' claims the products are safer than tobacco cigarettes.

Electronic cigarettes use a battery-operated vaporizer to produce a nicotine mist that simulates inhalable smoke. Manufacturers have touted the products as a healthier alternative to smoking because there is no burning involved.