The Story
The FDA says way too many teens are smoking e-cigarettes.
Explain.
For years, the FDA has been trying to get people to quit cigarettes. It’s illegal for people under 18 to buy them. But teens have found a new option.
I’m listening…
Enter: e-cigarettes – the new, sleeker, sometimes flavored version of smoking. Sales for e-cigs have jumped in the past year, with more than two million teens reportedly using them last year. The FDA thinks it’s because of popular companies like Juul, whose products look like USB drives (aka can easily be hidden from teachers and parents). And says that e-cig use has reached “an epidemic proportion.”
That can’t be good.
Nope. Officials are worried about the potential health impacts on developing brains. See: the fact that some e-cigs could have as much addictive nicotine as a pack of cigarettes.
So what’s the FDA doing about it?
It’s giving e-cig companies 60 days to get their sh*t together and come up with a plan to stop teens from buying their products. Otherwise, the FDA says it could pull co’s flavored products. It also fined more than 100 stores for illegally selling e-cigs to minors. And sent warning letters to more than 1,100 others.
The Summary:
Nicotine addiction for teens can be even more detrimental than it is for adults. So the FDA is getting involved and calling this its largest coordinated crackdown ever.
About Author
