In the US, all medical products are regulated by the FDA, including e-cigarettes. Now, the agency has approved an e-cigarette for the first time in its history.
Three products under the Vuse brand, which is produced by RJ Reynolds, have now been approved as the FDA decided that the benefits of helping adults to quit smoking outweigh the risks, which include teenagers and young people becoming addicted to nicotine.
As with previous decisions, the agency did, however, decide to remain opposed to sweet flavors as they are so popular with teens. The only permitted flavor is tobacco, as this is typically targeted towards existing adult smokers trying to quit.
The risks and benefits of vaping
In the last decade, e-cigarettes have been widely available around the world, including in the US. However, some people have raised concerns about their use in teenagers.
Despite this, they have proven to be an effective tool in helping to reduce the harm caused by traditional tobacco products and have enabled millions of people to stop smoking.
Evidence suggests that, although there are still some risks associated with vaping, it is still considerably less harmful than smoking tobacco and is effective for smoking cessation.
US manufacturers have been waiting over a year for official FDA authorization, as the agency has been examining the pros and cons of vaping to public health.
This decision applies to the Vuse Solo ENDS e-cigarette and tobacco pods. A decision on other brands, including the market leader, Juul, is yet to be announced.
The FDA added that this authorization could be withdrawn if there are signs that non-smokers and young people start using the products.
But, it added that young people were 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.
The data also suggest that most youth and young adults who use ENDS begin with flavors such as fruit, candy or mint, and not tobacco flavors.”
