43 US House Lawmakers Urge FDA to Halt Review of Flavored Vaping Products

Members of the U.S. House of Representatives have written to the head of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), urging the agency to remove all flavored vaping products from its list. 43 House Democrats sent a letter to FDA Acting Commissioner Janet Woodcock, as the agency continues to review thousands of premarket tobacco product applications (PMTAs). E-cigarettes sold in the U.S. must pass PMTA review.<\/span><\/p>

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"Flavored e-cigarettes are putting a new generation of kids at risk of nicotine addiction and serious health harms, with the risk of introducing smoking," wrote Congress members Debbie Wasserman Schultz and Diana DeGette in a letter.<\/span><\/p>

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Some U.S. House lawmakers hope the FDA will ban all flavored e-cigarettes after further review and request the removal of the FDA's exemptions for menthol and disposable products.<\/span><\/p>

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In addition to banning flavored e-cigarettes, lawmakers also want to prohibit PMTAs and marketing of e-cigarettes aimed at minors. The letter stated: "Today, youth use of e-cigarettes remains at what the FDA calls an 'epidemic level,' with e-cigarettes being the most commonly used tobacco product among youth since 2014, and flavored products are the primary reason for this."<\/span><\/p>

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The FDA has already banned the use of fruit-flavored pod-based e-cigarettes. However, brands like Puff Bar have evaded the ban by selling fruit-flavored disposable e-cigarettes that use synthetic nicotine. Lawmakers stated: "We strongly urge the FDA to conduct premarket reviews requiring manufacturers to provide compelling evidence that their products do not increase the risk of youth misuse and addiction."<\/span><\/p>

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