The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) plans on restricting teen use of flavored e-cigarette products with the hopes of curbing vaping for people under the age of 18.
Agency commissioner Dr. Scott Gottlieb is nearing the end of his tenure, and he plans on finishing it with this plan, which has the opportunity of reducing how much vaping occurs among teenagers. The FDA has unveiled a proposal that would require stores to place flavored e-cigarettes in areas that are off limits to anyone who is under the age of 18.
The move applies to everyone from retailers to gas stations and convenience stores, as they will also be required to verify the age of the customer. “Evidence shows that youth are especially attracted to flavored e-cigarette products,” Dr. Gottlieb said in a statement, “and that minors are able to access these products from both brick-and-mortar retailers as well as online, despite federal restrictions on sales to anyone under 18.”
There are now more than 3.6 million middle and high school students saying they vaped last year, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which launched a study on the matter. While teenage smoking is lower than its been in decades, vaping has increased, which may lead to young people eventually taking over traditional tobacco products.
It remains to be seen if the FDA’s move will curb teen vaping in the future.
