This illustration taken on July 18, 2022 shows a flavored disposable e-cigarette.
Shannon Stapleton Reuter
The Food and Drug Administration announced Tuesday the first approval of a fruit-flavored e-cigarette for adult smokers. This is a major policy shift that comes after months of appeals from the e-cigarette industry to President Donald Trump.
The decision is sure to be opposed by health and parent groups, which have long linked flavors to underage vaping in the United States, but the federal action comes as teen e-cigarette use rates have fallen to a 10-year low and manufacturers are pushing Republican administrations to loosen regulations on their products.
E-cigarette companies have long claimed their products help reduce the harms of adult smoking, which is blamed for 480,000 annual U.S. deaths from cancer, lung disease and heart disease. The battery-powered device has been on sale in the United States since 2007, but its potential benefits have been overshadowed over the years by its popularity among middle school and high school students.
Newly approved e-cigarettes include mango, blueberry, and two types of menthol. Los Angeles-based e-cigarette company Glas Inc. will sell the flavors under the names Gold, Sapphire, Classic Menthol and Fresh Menthol, according to an FDA release.
Previously, the FDA had only cleared tobacco- or menthol-flavored e-cigarette products. Most e-cigarettes approved by regulators come from major manufacturers such as Juul and Juul. Artoria.
Tuesday’s announcement is not an approval or recommendation, and the FDA reiterated that Glas e-cigarettes are intended only for adults who are interested in quitting smoking or cutting down on tobacco use.
The FDA indicated that the company’s digital age verification system makes it unlikely that underage users would pick up the product. Users must first verify their age with a government ID on their mobile phone. E-cigarettes can only be used when connected to an authorized user’s phone via Bluetooth.
Kathy Crosby of the anti-tobacco nonprofit Truth Initiative said FDA approval of the new fruity product would be an “important test case.”
“Ultimately, it is important that we remain vigilant in protecting young people, including closely monitoring the use of licensed products,” Crosby said in an emailed statement.
As a presidential candidate, Trump pledged to “save” e-cigarettes, winning support from e-cigarette companies, store owners and e-cigarette enthusiasts.
Under President Joe Biden, the FDA has rejected more than 1 million marketing applications for candy and fruit-flavored products, part of a broader crackdown credited with curbing a surge in teen vaping in 2019.
During his first administration, President Trump introduced the first flavor regulations for e-cigarettes and raised the purchasing age for all tobacco products from 18 to 21.
But e-cigarettes and other tobacco policy initiatives have largely taken a backseat under FDA Commissioner Marty McCulley, who has focused on other priorities, including restricting COVID-19 vaccines, phasing out artificial dyes and accelerating approvals of some innovative medicines.
Groups like the Vapor Technology Association have been meeting with government officials in recent weeks to press for further action on flavors.
In March, the FDA issued industry-first guidance on flavors, saying menthol, coffee, mint, and spice flavors may play a role in appealing to adult smokers. The document also reiterates the risks of sweet flavors, which tend to be preferred by teenagers, such as fruit, candy and dessert flavors.
The majority of U.S. teens who vape continue to use unapproved fruit- and candy-flavored products, according to the latest government data. Although these products are technically illegal, they are widely available in cheap, disposable brands, usually imported from China.
