For being a “ threat to public health “, the Food and Drug Administration ( FDA , for its acronym in English) issued this 26 the ban on sale to more than 55 , 000 products of the companies JD Nova Group, Great American Vapes and Vapor Salon, all related to electronic nicotine delivery systems products ( electronic cigarettes ).
It is the first time that a measure of this type has been announced to products known as ENDS.
Specifically, the flavors that are now banned by the FDA are: Apple Crumble, Dr. Cola and Cinnamon Toast Cereal. All of the companies mentioned.
“We know that flavored tobacco products are very attractive to young people, Therefore, evaluating the impact of actual or potential use by young people is a critical factor in our decision-making on which products can be marketed ”, reza the statement .
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention of the United States (CDC, for its acronym in English), the use of electronic cigarettes increased by 300% from 2016 until 2019. For May of 2020, ENDS products accounted for a total of 20% in related sales tobacco, mostly menthol flavors.
At the time, Donald Trump announced a law that directly affected the sale of flavored electronic cigarettes.
The JAMA Network Open magazine published another study in which it was revealed that about 20% of the users of ENDS products are high school youth and a 5% are high school students.
The statement also states that all those products that fall under the ban cannot be distributed in the interstate market . In addition, those that are already on the shelves must be removed immediately so as not to expose themselves to sanctions. However, the FDA clarifies that the measure does not affect all ENDS products.
“Companies that want to continue marketing their flavored ENDS products must have solid evidence and reliable evidence that the potential benefit of their products for adult smokers outweighs the significant known risk for youth, ”said Mitch Zeller, director of the FDA’s Center for Tobacco Products.
For his part, Matthew Myers, president of the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Children, told CNN that the measure adopted by the FDA It is an important step “ but it is not wide enough “, since it will only affect a small portion of the more than six million products that are currently available.
“It does not include any of the electronic cigarette brands with a significant market share or that are more popular among minors, such as Juul,” said Myers.
Finally , the FDA statement advises that menthol products did not enter the sales ban measure due to “ special considerations “.