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| Tuesday's FDA ruling applies to the Vuse Solo ENDS e-cigarette and accompanying tobacco-flavored pods. .The FDA said that young people were "less likely to start using tobacco-flavored ENDS products and then switch to higher-risk products, such as combusted cigarettes. (Photo by=Getty Images) |
[Asia News = Reporter Reakkana] The Food and Drug Administration (FDA), which regulates medical products in the US, has approved an e-cigarette for sale for the first time. It authorized the marketing of three products from RJ Reynolds, under the Vuse brand.
The FDA decided that the benefit to adults trying to quit smoking outweighs the risk of teenagers becoming hooked. The permitted products are tobacco-flavored, as opposed to the sweet flavors popular with younger people. E-cigarettes have been widely sold in the US for the past decade, but their take-up by teenagers has caused concern. Manufacturers have been waiting more than a year for official authorization, as the FDA examined the potential pros and cons for public health. The FDA, which was given the power to regulate new tobacco products more than a decade ago, has been carrying out a study of e-cigarettes to decide which ones can continue to be sold.
A decision on the market leader, Juul, is still awaited. The American Lung Association, which campaigns against smoking, expressed disappointment at the FDA decision. A study released last month by the FDA and the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) estimated that more than two million school pupils had used e-cigarettes this year, with 80% using flavored products.
