FDA prepares ban on e-cigarette cartridges

The FDA is preparing a ban on most flavored e-cigarette cartridges, leaving only menthol- and tobacco-flavored pods.

CNN’s Jamie Gumbrecht and Kevin Liptak had the news:

The Trump administration will soon announce a ban on most flavored e-cigarette cartridges, according to two officials familiar with the plans. The ban does not include menthol or tobacco-flavored products, but applies to fruit or dessert flavors.

“We’re going to protect our families, we’re going to protect our children and we’re going to protect the industry,” President Donald Trump told reporters at Mar-a-Lago on Tuesday, adding that some products could “very quickly” return to the market.

The ban is meant to allow for more research on the products, Trump said. It will apply to flavored cartridges but not tank systems that are sold in vape shops.

Cartridge-based e-cigarettes have been popular among underage users. Juul, the leading e-cigarette maker, has previously stopped selling flavors including mint, mango, creme and cucumber.

Catie Keck reported for Gizmodo:

“As you know, we’ll be taking it off—the flavors—for a period of time, certain flavors,” Trump told reporters. “We’re going to protect our families, we’re going to protect our children, and we’re going to protect the industry. Hopefully, if everything’s safe, they’re going to be going very quickly back onto the market.”

Trump added that he thinks the barred flavors that are expected to be pulled from the market will be permitted to return following an “exhaustive examination.”

The ban on fruity flavors would arrive as health regulators grapple with addressing a worrisome spike in youth use of vape products. The FDA announced last week that an amendment to the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act to raise the minimum age to purchase tobacco products from 18 to 21 was official.

In anticipation of such a flavor ban, Juul—the most popular product used among kids and teens due to its discreet USB-style design as well as its previously available fruity flavors—yanked all of its non-menthol and non-tobacco flavors from sale earlier this year.

Jacob Kastrenakis from The Verge noted:

The ban is meant to curb the rise in teenage vaping. Because open systems are seen as less popular among teens, the administration is focusing on pods — like those used by Juul — which are believed to be driving teen usage. The exemption is also a response to some odd political pushback: after the initial call for a broad flavor ban, vaping groups claimed that such a ban would hurt President Trump electorally in 2020. The messaging apparently worked.

Initial reports about the FDA’s ban don’t mention safety checks or a potential to return to the market. Trump seems to be conflating multiple issues going on with vaping right now, so it’s not entirely clear what the agency will announce. Trump appears to be referencing the vaping lung injuries that have now killed more than 50 people, but this ban isn’t meant to address that issue. The lung injuries do not appear to be caused by flavored pods, but seem to stem from various liquids, sometimes from black market brands, designed for open systems.