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A32 FEATURE
Friday 16 November 2018

FDA to crack down on menthol cigarettes, flavored vapes

By MIKE STOBBE ally applauded the e-cig-
Associated Press arette plans, but some said
NEW YORK (AP) — In a they did not go far enough.
major new effort to curb Some called for a com-
smoking, a top U.S. health plete ban of flavorings, for
official pledged Thursday example, and a more ag-
to try to ban menthol ciga- gressive regulation of e-cig-
rettes and flavored cigars arettes that have come on
and tighten rules governing the market in the last two
the sale of most flavored years.
versions of electronic ciga- The proposed sales restric-
rettes. tions on e-cigarettes “are a
The proposed restrictions step forward, but by them-
were aimed mainly at re- selves are not enough to
ducing smoking in kids: stem the youth e-cigarette
About half of teens who epidemic,” said Robin
smoke cigarettes choose Koval, chief executive of
menthols, and flavored the Truth Initiative, an ad-
e-cigarettes have been vocacy group that runs
blamed for a recent in- anti-tobacco ads.
crease in teen vaping rates. Gottlieb acknowledged
“I will not allow a generation that he could have taken
of children to become ad- more aggressive steps, “but
dicted to nicotine through I don’t want to foreclose
e-cigarettes,” Scott Got- This May 17, 2018 file photo shows packs of menthol cigarettes and other tobacco products at a opportunities for currently
tlieb, commissioner of the store in San Francisco. addicted adult smokers” to
Food and Drug Administra- Associated Press access e-cigarettes as they
tion, said in a statement. schoolers said they had try to quit regular smokes.
Health advocates say a vaped recently, and 5 per- He also said he hopes e-
menthol ban would have cent of middle schoolers cigarette companies work
greater impact on the said they had. to restrict kids from buying
health of Americans, but it Some experts attribute the their products. If current ef-
would probably take years jump to newer versions of forts do not succeed, he’s
to put in place. e-cigarettes, like those by willing to take more steps
The changes for e-ciga- Juul Labs Inc. of San Fran- later, he said.
rettes could kick in within a cisco. These products re- Menthol cigarettes, which
few months. semble computer flash contain a minty compound
Battery-powered e-ciga- drives, can be recharged that reduces the harshness
rettes are more popular in USB ports and can be of smoke and suppresses
among teens than regular used discreetly. coughing, were widely
smokes and are consid- “The increase in e-cigarette marketed starting in the
ered safer. But many ver- popularity (among kids) is 1950s and 1960s.
sions contain potentially This Tuesday, April 10, 2018 file photo shows vaping devices, in- almost certainly not a func- Roughly a third of the ciga-
addictive nicotine, and cluding a Juul, center, that were confiscated from students at a tion of flavors. rettes sold today are men-
health officials believe they high school in Marshfield, Mass. On All the flavors were out thols, according to some
set kids who try them on a Associated Press there already,” said Ken- estimates.
path toward regular ciga- In 2009, the government for Disease Control and neth Warner, a University of The e-cigarette measures
rettes. banned a number of kid- Prevention. Michigan emeritus public will probably face little op-
Gottlieb called for addi- friendly flavorings in ciga- Experts credit anti-smoking health professor who is a position, but Gottlieb “has
tional steps to prevent the rettes. But after an ag- campaigns, cigarette taxes leading authority on smok- guts” to pursue a menthol
marketing of e-cigarettes gressive lobbying effort by and smoking bans for most ing and health. prohibition because it will
directly to kids and online tobacco companies, men- of the decline in the adult The FDA has taken ear- draw political and legal fire
sales to minors. He also thol was exempted. rate. But some say adult lier steps to investigate the from the tobacco industry
proposed beefing up mea- Gottlieb’s proposal for e- smokers switching to e-cig- marketing of e-cigarettes and its supporters, Warner
sures to ensure that con- cigarette flavorings also arettes have also helped in by Juul and other compa- said.
venience stores and some exempts menthol. He said recent years. nies. An official with Altria Group
other retailers do not sell menthol e-cigarettes may The cigarette smoking rate Getting out ahead of the Inc., one of the big tobac-
e-cigarettes in kid-friendly be an option for adults who is even lower among high FDA announcement, Juul co companies, said a total
flavors such as cherry and turn to vaping products to school students — about 9 on Tuesday stopped fill- ban on menthol cigarettes
vanilla. They could still be quit regular cigarettes, and percent, according to the ing store orders for mango, or flavored cigars “would
sold in vape shops or other he decided not to push for latest figures. fruit, creme and cucumber be an extreme measure
businesses that do not ad- an end to menthol flavor- But e-cigarette use jumped pods and will resume sales not supported by the sci-
mit minors. ing in vaping products. 78 percent this year among only to retailers that scan ence and evidence.”
Smoking is the nation’s Smoking has been declin- U.S. high school kids and IDs and take other steps Murray Garnick, Altria’s
leading cause of prevent- ing for more than five de- 48 percent among middle to verify a buyer is at least general counsel, said the
able illness, causing more cades. school kids, Gottlieb said. 21. The company said Juul company expects that
than 480,000 deaths each Some 42 percent of U.S. He cited a survey this past will continue to sell menthol establishing product stan-
year. The FDA currently adults smoked in the early spring of more than 20,000 and mint at stores, and sell dards on menthol ciga-
bans sales of e-cigarettes 1960s. Last year, the rate middle and high school stu- all flavors through its web- rettes and flavored cigars
and tobacco products to was down to 14 percent, dents. site. “will be a multi-year, delib-
those under 18. according to the Centers About 21 percent of high Health advocates gener- erative process.”q