You’ve probably heard it by now, but in case you’ve been living in a cave, the Food and Drug Administration in November launched a multi-pronged attack on the rising underage use of tobacco products, imposing sales restrictions on flavored e-cigarettes and announcing plans to ban menthol cigarettes and flavored cigars.
The FDA action limits sales of many flavored e-cigarettes to bricks-and-mortar outlets that have either age-restricted entry or areas inside stores that are not accessible to people under 18. The agency also will require stepped-up age verification for online sales.
“Our aim is to make sure no kid can access a fruity flavor product in a convenience store,” FDA Commissioner Scott Gottlieb said. He added that stores that want to sell fruit-flavored e-cigarette products “need to age-restrict completely or have a separate room that is age-verified. A curtain or a partition won’t cut it.” Agency officials said they believe that vape and tobacco shops will not have trouble complying.
