The FDA authorised, on 5 May, the marketing of fruit flavoured e-cigarettes – the first vapes allowed to be sold in the US that are not tobacco or menthol flavoured.
Authorised pods come from Glas Inc and include Classic Menthol, Fresh Menthol, Gold (mango) and Sapphire (blueberry) flavours.
Glas Inc, a small vape manufacturer, integrates age-gating technology into its devices.
Appeal to children
The FDA has previously said it would continue to require a heavy burden of evidence of benefit to smokers for vape flavours that also have a strong appeal to young people, such as fruit flavours.
In this case, it reported that the applicant sufficiently demonstrated that Glas e-cigarette access restriction technology is expected to effectively prevent minors from using the product.
The technology requires the user to verify their age and identity with a government-issued ID and pair the device with a smartphone via Bluetooth.
Following verification, the device will not operate if separated from the phone, the FDA said.
It reported that most adults found the Glas e-cigarettes’ age-verification technology easy to understand and validate while, reportedly, youth and young adults did not.
Bret Koplow, Acting Director, FDA Center for Tobacco Products, said: “This technology is an indication of the role innovation may serve in the effort to protect young people from threats posed by nicotine use and addiction while helping to enable availability of flavoured options for adults who smoke who may use these products to switch away from regular cigarettes.”
Will age-gating be effective?
Whether or not the age-verification technology will be effective in steering the product away from youth has been brought into question.
Yolonda Richardson, President and CEO, Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids, said: “Today’s decision puts at risk the progress our nation has made in reducing youth e-cigarette use.
“It conflicts with overwhelming scientific evidence and the FDA’s own repeated conclusions that flavours pose a substantial risk to young people.”
According to survey data, Richardson reported, almost 90% of young e-cigarette users buy flavoured products and fruit flavours are the most popular, hitting 63% use across the demographic.
Richardson continued: “By authorizing fruit flavours and allowing e-cigarette makers to disguise them with names like Gold and Sapphire, the FDA is risking a resurgence of youth e-cigarette use.
“History can’t be allowed to repeat itself; mango was one of the most popular Juul flavours that contributed to a past surge in youth e-cigarette use before it was pulled off the market.”
The approval comes amid media reports that the FDA has been facing mounting political pressure to authorise more flavoured e-cigarettes.
The regulator has now authorised 45 e-cigarette products for sale in the US.
Featured image: ArieStudio on Adobe Stock
