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The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has announced that it will make changes to its tobacco compliance policy that will put restrictions on the sale of electronic nicotine delivery systems (ENDS) in order to prevent youth from accessing these products.
In a statement released today, FDA Commissioner Scott Gottlieb, MD, said the changes would “protect kids by having all flavored ENDS products (other than tobacco, mint and menthol flavors or non-flavored product) sold in age-restricted, in-person locations and, if sold online, under heightened practices for age verification.” The decision to not include mint and menthol flavored products reflects what Gottlieb called a “careful balance of public health considerations.” He cited how a significantly larger number of adults favor these flavors compared to juveniles.
The announcement comes in the wake of results from the 2018 National Youth Tobacco Survey which showed a 78% increase in current e-cigarette use among high school students from 2017 to 2018.
The American Academy of Pediatrics reacted positively to the Agency’s announcement, stating that they “commend” the action to protect children from tobacco products. However, they believe the Agency must do more to protect children and teens. Teens will “still find ways to access them [flavored e-cigarettes],” they said in their statement. “Pediatricians will not rest until these dangerous products are off the market and out of the hands of children and adolescents.”
For more information visit FDA.gov.
This article originally appeared on MPR
