Officials say the products are aimed at adult smokers, though health groups warn flavored vapes could attract underage users.
WASHINGTON — The Food and Drug Administration authorized the sale of fruit-flavored electronic cigarettes for the first time, marking a major move in federal vaping policy after years of restrictions aimed at curbing youth vaping.
On Tuesday, the FDA cleared four flavored e-cigarette products from Los Angeles-based company Glas Inc., including mango, blueberry and two menthol varieties. The products will be sold under the names Gold, Sapphire, Classic Menthol and Fresh Menthol.
Federal regulators said the products are intended for adults trying to quit or reduce cigarette smoking and emphasized the authorization is not an endorsement of vaping.
The FDA previously only authorized tobacco- and menthol-flavored vaping products. Under former President Joe Biden’s administration, the agency denied more than a million applications for fruit- and candy-flavored products over concerns they appealed to teenagers.
Health groups and anti-tobacco advocates are expected to oppose the FDA’s latest decision, arguing flavored products have played a major role in youth vaping in the United States.
The FDA’s OK of the new fruity products will be “a key test case,” Kathy Crosby of the Truth Initiative, an anti-tobacco nonprofit said. She added that regulators must closely monitor whether the products attract underage users.
The FDA said Glas uses a digital age-verification system designed to limit youth access. Users must verify their age using a government-issued ID on a cellphone, and the vaping device only works when connected via Bluetooth to the verified phone.
Vaping companies have long argued that electronic cigarettes can help adult smokers transition away from traditional cigarettes, which federal health officials say contribute to about 480,000 U.S. deaths each year from cancer, heart disease and lung disease.
The decision also comes as teen vaping rates have dropped to their lowest level in a decade.
During his presidential campaign, President Donald Trump pledged support for the vaping industry and received backing from vape shop owners and e-cigarette companies. But, during his first term, Trump imposed some of the first federal flavor restrictions on vaping products and raised the federal age to buy tobacco products from 18 to 21.
Despite years of federal enforcement efforts, unauthorized fruit- and candy-flavored disposable vapes remain widely available in stores across the country.
The Associated press contributed to this report.