As Part Of Crackdown On Vaping ‘Epidemic,’ FDA To Ban Sales Of Most Flavored E-Cigarettes In Stores, Gas Stations
FDA Commissioner Scott Gottlieb has been trying to cut down on what he's called an epidemic of teenagers' increased used of vaping products. The FDA stopped short of including menthol flavors in the vaping sales ban, partly out of concern that some users would switch to traditional menthol-tobacco cigarettes.
The New York Times:
F.D.A. Plans To Ban Most Flavored E-Cigarette Sales In Stores
The Food and Drug Administration plans to ban sales of most flavored e-cigarettes in retail stores and gas stations around the country, in an effort to reduce the popularity of vaping among young people. The agency also plans to require age-verification measures for online sales to try to ensure that minors are not able to buy the flavor pods. (Kaplan, 11/8)
Reuters:
U.S. To Restrict E-Cigarette Flavors To Fight Teenage Vaping 'Epidemic'
The ban means only tobacco, mint and menthol flavors can be sold at these outlets, the agency official said, potentially dealing a major blow to Juul Labs Inc, the San Francisco-based market leader in vape devices. The FDA also will introduce stricter age-verification requirements for online sales of e-cigarettes. The FDA’s planned restrictions, first reported by The Washington Post and confirmed to Reuters by the official, do not apply to vape shops or other specialty retail stores. (Reuters, 11/9)
The Washington Post:
FDA Plans Curbs On E-Cigarette Sales Over Concerns About Surge In Teen Vaping
The FDA’s initiatives on vaping are spurred by preliminary government data that show e-cigarette use rose 77 percent among high schoolers and nearly 50 percent among middle schoolers in 2018. That means 3.5 million children were vaping in early 2018, up 1 million from 2017. Gottlieb, who once served on the board of a North Carolina vaping company, was at one time viewed as an ally of the e-cigarette industry, and he delayed some critical e-cigarette rules shortly after becoming commissioner in 2017. He has also said his first priority is protecting children from tobacco-related disease. Most vaping products are flavored, and studies show teenagers are attracted to the flavors. (McGinley, 11/8)