The FDA said it authorized four menthol e-cigarettes from Njoy, the vaping brand recently acquired by tobacco giant
The decision lends new credibility to vaping companies’ longstanding claim that their products can help blunt the toll of smoking, which is blamed for 480,000
Parents and anti-tobacco groups immediately criticized the decision, which follows years of advocacy efforts to keep menthol and other flavors that can appeal to teens off the market.
“This decision could mean we’ll never be able to close the Pandora’s box of the youth vaping epidemic,” said
Youth vaping has declined from all-time highs in recent years, with about 10% of high schoolers reporting e-cigarette use last year. Of those who vaped, 90% used flavors, including menthol.
All the e-cigarettes previously authorized by the FDA have been tobacco, which isn't widely used by young people who vape.
Njoy is one of only three companies that previously received
Njoy’s products accounted for less than 3% of
Most teens who vape use disposable e-cigarettes, including brands like Elf Bar, which come in flavors such as watermelon and blueberry ice.
Friday’s action is part of a sweeping FDA review intended to bring scientific scrutiny to the multibillion-dollar vaping market after years of regulatory delays. Currently the U.S. market includes thousands of fruit- and candy-flavored vapes that are technically illegal but are widely available in convenience stores, gas stations and vape shops.
The FDA faced a self-imposed court deadline at the end of this month to wrap up its yearslong review of major vaping brands, including Juul and Vuse.
Those brands have been sold in the
“Based upon our rigorous scientific review, in this instance, the strength of evidence of benefits to adult smokers from completely switching to a less harmful product was sufficient to outweigh the risks to youth,” said
Richmond-based
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This story has been updated to correct that two of the four menthol e-cigarettes from Njoy are disposable products.
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