The FDA has approved the sale of fruit-flavored vapes. What's behind the shift?
NPR • • business
Key Points:
- The FDA has approved the sale and marketing of fruit-flavored electronic cigarettes for the first time, a decision reportedly influenced by President Trump urging FDA Commissioner Marty Makary to approve the products.
- The approval is based on evidence that some addicted smokers might switch to these flavored e-cigarettes, combined with new age-gating technology designed to prevent underage use by requiring proximity to an adult’s smartphone.
- Mitch Zeller, former director of the FDA Center for Tobacco Products, expressed concern that political interference in the FDA’s science-based review process undermines the agency’s independence and public trust in regulatory decisions.
- Zeller emphasized the importance of maintaining faith in the scientific process, warning that loss of trust could harm public health efforts to help millions of addicted smokers transition to less harmful alternatives.
