The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is expected to restrict the sale of most flavored e-cigarettes in convenience stores and gas stations throughout the U.S., according to news reports. The ban could be announced this week in response to the agency’s efforts to reduce popularity of vaping among teens. The FDA also plans to require age-verification measures for online sales.
In September, FDA Commissioner Scott Gottlieb likened the rapid growth in teenage vaping to an “epidemic,” citing a 75 percent increase in e-cigarette use among high school students this year, compared to 2017. A separate enforcement action against 1,200 retailers allegedly selling e-cigarettes to minors, imposed penalties ranging from $279 to $11,182 for one-time and repeated offenses.
