American Lung Association: FDA Puts Kids’ Health At Risk By Authorizing Fruit Flavored E-Cigarettes

Yesterday, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced that it authorized a premarket tobacco application for four flavored e-cigarette products including mango, blueberry and two menthol flavors. This marks the first time FDA has authorized a non-menthol, non-tobacco flavored e-cigarette product. American Lung Association President and CEO Harold Wimmer issued the following statement in response of FDA’s announcement:
 
“The American Lung Association condemns FDA’s decision to authorize flavored e-cigarette products, particularly fruit flavors, that clearly appeal to kids. After years of recognizing the dangers flavored e-cigarettes pose to youth, it is deeply troubling to see FDA ignore the scientific evidence and reverse course.

“Flavored e-cigarettes, including Juul’s mango flavored e-cigarette, helped fuel the youth vaping epidemic, where youth vaping rates soared to 20%. Almost 90% of youth who vape report using flavored products, with the most commonly used products being fruit and candy flavors, and mint and menthol, according to the latest National Youth Tobacco Survey data. According to FDA’s own report, youth often start vaping because of flavored products, including fruit flavors. FDA is placing far too much faith in unproven device access restriction technology, which relies on smartphone age-verification and Bluetooth locking systems, to justify authorizing kid friendly fruit-flavored e-cigarettes. 

“FDA’s decision to authorize fruit-flavored e-cigarettes follows last year’s elimination of staffing and expertise at CDC’s Office on Smoking & Health – the very office responsible for preventing youth tobacco use, helping young people quit, and tracking youth trends.

“The FDA’s news release about the authorization claims that these products will help adults quit smoking. However, e-cigarettes are not FDA-approved as a drug or device for this purpose. Proven policies like flavored tobacco restrictions and public education campaigns led to a 70% decrease in youth e-cigarette use from 2019-2024. However, it is unacceptable that 1.6 million kids still use these products, and we cannot go backwards.

“We urge FDA to reconsider its decision to authorize kid-friendly e-cigarette flavors and not authorize any flavored tobacco products moving forward, including mint or menthol. State and local governments can and should continue to prohibit the sale of all flavored tobacco products.”