SILVER SPRING, Md. -- The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) continued to address the use of electronic cigarettes by underage teens, sending requests for information to four more e-cigarette manufacturers after initially questioning San Francisco-based Juul Labs.
Like the inquiry sent to Juul in April, the additional letters require the manufacturers to submit documents to help the FDA better understand the youth appeal of these products, the agency said. The companies and the specific products named in the letters sent on May 17 were:
- J Well, Paris, for its Bo Starter Kit
- YGT Investment LLC and 7 Daze LLC, Baldwin Park, Calif., for their Zoor Kit
- Liquid Filling Solutions LLC, King of Prussia, Pa., for its Myle Products
- SVR Inc., Las Vegas, for its SMPO Kit
After collecting responses, the agency will further examine marketing practices and the youth use and appeal of these types of tobacco products. The new letters follow a similar request that the agency sent to Juul, about which Juul officials said they would work with the agency.
The FDA’s efforts are a part of its announced Youth Tobacco Prevention Plan, which seeks to protect youth from the dangers of nicotine and tobacco products, especially e-cigarettes and other electronic nicotine-delivery systems (ENDS).
“Too many kids continue to experiment with e-cigarette and vaping products, putting them at risk for developing a lifelong nicotine addiction,” said Scott Gottlieb, commissioner of the FDA. “These products should never be marketed to, sold to or used by kids, and it’s critical that we take aggressive steps to address the youth use of these products.”
The FDA said it selected the additional companies based on product attributes that overlap with those from Juul, including:
- The use of e-liquids that contain nicotine salts with corresponding high nicotine concentration.
- A small size, which makes these products easily concealable.
- Product design features that are intuitive, even for novice users.
The information the FDA is requesting includes documents related to product marketing, research on product design (as it may relate to the appeal or addictive potential for youth) and consumer complaints associated with the products. The companies have until July 12, 2018, to respond to the agency or face enforcement action.
Members help make our journalism possible. Become a CSP member today and unlock exclusive benefits, including unlimited access to all of our content. Sign up here.