The Food and Drug Administration on Tuesday announced that it was authorizing fruit-flavored electronic cigarettes intended for adult smokers. This is a major policy shift that comes after months of appeals to President Donald Trump from the vaping industry.
Vaping companies have made the case that their products can reduce the impact of smoking among adults. Smoking is blamed for 480,000 U.S. deaths annually due to cancer, lung disease and heart disease. While e-cigarettes have been sold in the U.S. since 2009, their benefits have been overshadowed by their use by middle and high school students.
The decision is expected to be opposed by health groups and parent organizations which have long sounded the alarm over teen vaping. However, it has been noted that teen vaping rates are currently at a 10-year low.
The newly authorized e-cigarettes come in mango, blueberry and two varieties of menthol.
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Previously, only tobacco and menthol flavors were permitted. Most e-cigarettes approved by regulators come from large manufacturers, including Juul and Altria.
The announcement is not an endorsement. The FDA reiterated that the Glas vapes are only intended for adults interested in quitting or cutting back on cigarettes.
The FDA mentioned that the company’s digital age-verification system makes it unlikely the products will be picked up by underage users. Users must first verify their age with a government ID on their cellphone. The e-cigarettes can then only be used when connected via Bluetooth to the phone of the verified user.
Kathy Crosby of the Truth Initiative, an anti-tobacco nonprofit said that the FDA’s approval of the new products would be “a key test case”. “Ultimately, it’s critical that we remain vigilant in protecting young people, including closely monitoring the use of authorized products,” Crosby said in an emailed statement.
In his presidential run, Trump had promised to “save” vaping and won backing from e-cigarette companies, shop owners and vaping enthusiasts. The FDA had, under the Biden administration, denied more than a million marketing applications for candy- or fruit-flavored products, part of a wider crackdown that is credited with helping decrease teen vaping.
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Trump had, during his first term, put in place the first flavor restrictions on e-cigarettes and raised the age for purchasing all tobacco products from 18 to 21. However, action on vaping and tobacco had taken a backseat under FDA Commissioner Marty Makary, whose priorities included restricting COVID-19 vaccines, phasing out artificial food dyes and speeding up approval of some innovative drugs.
The FDA released its first-ever guidance to industry on flavors in March. It stated that menthol, coffee, mint and spice flavors could appeal to adults, while warning about how “sweeter” flavors could end up appealing to teens.
According to government data, the majority of U.S. teens who vape continue to use unauthorized fruit- and candy-flavored products. While these products are technically illegal, they are widely available in cheap, disposable brands typically imported from China.