F.D.A. Plans To Ban Most E-Cigarette Flavors But Menthol

Source from:  Tobacco Reporter 01/02/2020

The tobacco and vaping industries and conservative allies intensively lobbied against a ban on popular flavored e-cigarettes.

The Trump administration is expected to announce this week that it will ban mint-, fruit- and dessert-flavored e-cigarette cartridges popular with teenagers, but allow menthol and tobacco flavors to remain on the market.

Flavored liquid nicotine used in open tank systems can continue to be sold, according to two administration officials who have been briefed on the plan. It is an important concession to vape shops that have thrived alongside the booming e-cigarette business in recent years.

President Trump acknowledged late Tuesday that the ban would be announced “very shortly.” But he indicated that it might be short-lived and he didn’t say which flavors were involved.

“We think we are going to get back in the market very, very quickly,” Mr. Trump said at a New Year’s Eve news conference during a party at his Mar-a-Lago resort. “We have a very big industry. We’re going to take care of the industry.”

The administration’s decision is a partial retreat from a commitment it made in September to quickly devise a ban of all flavors except those that tasted like tobacco. Its plan to exempt menthol appeared to be an effort to dodge a bruising legal battle with the tobacco industry, and also reflected intense lobbying by the vaping industry.

Administration officials also pointed to data that showed that teenagers aren’t choosing menthol-flavored pods or cartridges.  Enditem