Vaping And Teens: Should FDA Beef Up Regulations? [POLL]

Is that a USB stick your teenager is holding onto? Or is it a JUUL? For those unaware of such things, a JUUL is a kind of e-cigarette that looks an awful lot like something you might plug into your computer or laptop.

The e-cig device has replaceable pods that come in eight different flavors and deliver as much nicotine as a pack of cigarettes.

Even though the Food and Drug Administration has said that "electronic nicotine delivery systems" cannot be sold to anyone younger than 18 years of age, JUULs are enormously popular to teenagers.

A survey conducted in 2013-14 found that 81 percent of young e-cigarette used said the availability of appealing flavors is main reason for using them. According to JUUL's website, the flavors include Virginia Tobacco, Classic Tobacco, Creme, Mango, Cucumber, Menthol and Mint.

On Wednesday, the FDA said that the use of e-cigarettes by teenagers has now reached an epidemic proportion.

With that announcement, the administration said it sent warning letters to 1,100 retailers and issued another 131 fines, that range from almost $300 to more than $11,000 for selling e-cigarettes to minors, the New York Times said.

And it's not just mom-and-pop vape shops that were targeted. Walgreens, 7-Eleven stores, Circle K convenience shops and Shell gas stations are among those who received the warning letters.

In New York, nine establishments received warnings or a monetary penalty from the FDA since April for selling e-cigarettes to minors.

They are as follows:

• Rab Vapes, 2357 Millersport Highway, Getzville, warning
• Smoke Shop, 1364 Lexington Ave., New York, warning
• Vape Linq, 2890 Elmwood Ave., Buffalo, warning
• BP, 170 W. Railroad Ave., Garnerville, fine
• Station Express Newsstand, 28 Giffords Lane, Staten Island, warning
• Vapor Trail, 2277 South Park Ave., Buffalo, warning
• 7-Eleven 35167H, 2550 Millersport Highway, Getzville, fine
• US Petroleum/US Mart, 236 Larkfield Road, East Northport, warning
• Village Chemists of Setauket, 226 Main Street, East Setauket, warning

A statement from FDA Commissioner Scott Gottlieb, M.D., issued Wednesday, said that e-cigarettes may present "a important opportunity for adult smokers to transition off combustible tobacco products and onto nicotine delivery products that may not have the same level of risks associated with them."

Unfortunately, the agency's enthusiasm for getting rid of the burning of tobacco to release nicotine for inhalation allowed it to miss what is now believed to be an epidemic of e-cigarette use among teens.

Gottlieb said his agency is "seriously" reconsidering the Aug. 8, 2022, compliance date for submission of product applications and will focus on the flavored e-cigarettes.

"Today, we sent letters to five e-cigarette manufacturers whose products were sold to kids during the enforcement blitz and that, collectively, represent more than 97 percent of the current market for e-cigs — JUUL, Vuse, MarkTen, blu e-cigs and Logic. These brands will be the initial focus of our attention when it comes to protecting kids," he said.

"We're committed to the purpose of harm reduction," Gottlieb said. "We're committed to saving lives. And we're committed to changing the trajectory of death and disease from tobacco."

What do you think? Should the federal government do more to keep e-cigarette products out of the hands of minors? Vote in our unscientific poll and and leave a comment below.

Image via Shutterstock.