Federal Plan Aims to Clear Market of Flavored E-Cigarette Products

As an increasing number of youth are using e-cigarette products, the FDA has announced a federal plan intended to clear the market of unauthorized, nontobacco-flavored e-cigarette products.

Flavored cigarette products are especially popular among youth, including fruit, menthol or mint, and candy flavors. Use of these products has increased in recent years, climbing from 1.5% of youth in 2011 to 27.5% reporting having used the products within the past 30 days, in the 2019 survey. In particular, new data shows that the majority of youth e-cigarette users cited the use of fruit and mint flavors.

Concerns around e-cigarettes have become especially urgent in recent months, with the first death linked to e-cigarette use reported in August, and a recent FDA warning letter issued to JUUL Labs Inc. for their marketing practices.

Regulators have been working on the issue, however. An FDA rule that became effective August 8, 2016, mandates that all electronic nicotine delivery systems (ENDS) must file premarket tobacco product applications with the FDA within 2 years. Currently, ENDS products on the market are not being legally marketed and are therefore subject to government action.

Details of the plan have not been finalized, but the FDA statement said specifics on the plan and its implementation should be available soon.

Reference

Trump Administration Combating Epidemic of Youth E-Cigarette Use with Plan to Clear Market of Unauthorized, Non-Tobacco-Flavored E-Cigarette Products. US Food and Drug Administration. https://www.fda.gov/news-events/press-announcements/trump-administration-combating-epidemic-youth-e-cigarette-use-plan-clear-market-unauthorized-non. Published September 11, 2019. Accessed September 12, 2019.