FDA Tells E-Cigarette Makers to Stop Selling Flavored Products

Public health advocates say that instead of helping adults quit smoking, e-cigarettes — particularly products with fruity flavors — have triggered a new epidemic of younger adults hooked on nicotine. The CDC reports that 57.6% of Blacks rechargeable/refillable types of e-cigarettes. This has caused the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to request that three small e-cigarette makers stop selling their flavored products.

The orders issued Thursday to JD Nova Group LLC, Great American Vapes and VaporSalon require them to remove 55,000 existing or planned flavored products from the market or risk enforcement, the Washington Post reports.

In the FDA's first marketing denials for e-cigarettes, the agency says the three companies' applications didn't provide "sufficient evidence" that any possible public health benefits of their products for adult smokers outweigh the "threat posed by the well-documented, alarming levels of youth use" of flavored vaping products.

The FDA specifically notes flavors such as Apple Crumble, Dr. Cola and Cinnamon Toast Cereal sold by the companies, the Post reports.

READ: Your Favorite Cigars Could Be Hurting You More Than You Think

"We know that flavored tobacco products are very appealing to young people, therefore assessing the impact of potential or actual youth use is a critical factor in our decision-making about which products may be marketed," FDA acting commissioner Janet Woodcock says in a statement.

"We stand firmly with the science that *no* flavored tobacco products are appropriate for the protection of public health, and all should be removed," the American Lung Association wrote on Twitter.

The FDA is expected to make decisions on about 2 million vaping and other non-cigarette tobacco products by Sept. 9.

Protecting Teens from e-cigarettes

If you are a parent to a teenager, it is best to create a dialogue before your child even considers trying e-cigarettes. The following are helpful solutions:

Maintain a dialogue. You should begin the conversation as early as possible. You can talk about smoking and vaping as early kindergarten. An important part of the dialogue is being open to seeing things from your child’s point of view especially as they get older.
Think more than cigarettes. Despite, reports smokeless tobacco, hookah and e-cigarettes are still dangerous. Many people that try them experience nicotine addiction.
Prepare your kids for peer pressure. As your child gets older, peer pressure comes into play. Prep them on what they might say if a friend offers a cigarette or e-cigarette.
Set a good example. If you smoke or vape, the best thing you can do is quit. If you can't quit, try to not smoke around your children.
Establish a smoke-free home. Don’t allow family members or friends to smoke in your home or car. You should also be aware of who your child is around and what their habits are.

READ: Can Hypnotherapy Help You Stop Smoking?

Tips to quit smoking

If you are a teen and are looking to quit smoking, try these helpful tips:

Set a quit day: Try setting a day when you are going to stop smoking. In preparation for that day, you can gradually decrease your smoking.
Choose your method of quitting: There are three ways you can quit smoking- "cold turkey", cutting down the number of times you smoke each day and gradually reducing the number of puffs you take. You can try one or a combination. The key is to find the best solution for you.
Discuss medicine or other methods of quitting with your doctor.
Make a plan for after you quit: You should have a plan of other enjoyable things you can do when you feel tempted to smoke. This can be in the form of a new hobby, going out to the movies, working out, etc.