FDA to ban vaping liquid flavors

The FDA will ban flavored vaping liquids in response to a string of fatalities linked to the practice.

Richard Harris had the news for NPR:

President Trump announced Wednesday that the administration will move to force e-cigarette companies to take flavored vaping products off the market, as young people’s use of them continues to rise and reports emerge of deaths and illnesses tied to vaping.

“Vaping has become a very big business, as I understand it, but we can’t allow people to get sick and allow our youth to be so affected,” Trump said.

The Food and Drug Administration announced plans to finalize a policy in the coming weeks that will enable it to remove many nontobacco flavored e-cigarettes from the market.

“We intend to clear the market of flavored e-cigarettes to reverse the deeply concerning epidemic of youth e-cigarette use that is impacting children, families, schools and communities,” Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar said in a statement. “We will not stand idly by as these products become an on-ramp to combustible cigarettes or nicotine addiction for a generation of youth.”

CNBC’s Angelica LaVito reported:

Vaping companies such as Juul have been criticized for hooking children on e-cigarettes with flavors such as mango and creme. The surge in underage vaping, which U.S. health officials have labeled as an “epidemic,” is one of the reasons why they plan to ban them — at least until the FDA can thoroughly review their safety, Azar said after meeting with President Donald Trump at the White House on the issue.

“The Trump Administration is making it clear that we intend to clear the market of flavored e-cigarettes to reverse the deeply concerning epidemic of youth e-cigarette use that is impacting children, families, schools and communities,” Azar said in a statement. “We will not stand idly by as these products become an on-ramp to combustible cigarettes or nicotine addiction for a generation of youth.”

VOA’s Ashley Thompson provided some general context for the upcoming ban:

E-cigarettes are a popular substitute for traditional smoking products. They have been available in the United States for more than 10 years.

The electronic devices heat liquid into vapor — very small particles that users inhale. Many users vape with a liquid that includes flavoring, nicotine and other chemicals. Nicotine is a natural chemical found in tobacco plants.

Trump said vaping has become such a problem that he wants parents to be informed of what is happening.

“People are going to watch what we’re saying and parents are going to be a lot tougher with respect to their children,” Trump said.

It will take several weeks to develop the proposed flavor restrictions.