E-cigarettes and vapes have long been touted as a safer alternative to traditional cigarettes by their makers, but the US government has still been trying its best to limit the sale of such products.
This is primarily because regulators feel that the supposed safety and convenience of vapes and e-cigs make them more appealing to younger individuals than ordinary cigarettes would be, thus exposing far more people to some of the harmful side effects of tobacco.
Now, the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is proposing another step in its campaign to protect young people from nicotine addiction. This time around, the organization hopes to limit the sale of any electronic nicotine delivery systems (ENDS) that are flavored.
The FDA claims "evidence shows" that more exotically-flavored e-cigs or vape liquids attract far more minors than their tobacco, mint, or menthol counterparts. As as result, the latter three flavors will be largely immune to the organization's upcoming rules.
For better or worse, the FDA acknowledges that their new proposal could damage the market. "We expect that some flavored e-cigarette products will no longer be sold at all," the regulatory agency said in a statement.
Regardless, the FDA clearly hopes that cracking down on the sale of flavored ENDS will reduce nicotine addiction in the long run; even if the short-term market damage is tough for companies and the public to swallow.
Image courtesy Vaping360, Kaiser Health News