The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved the first-ever fruit-flavored electronic cigarettes for adult smokers, marking a major shift in US vaping policy that is already drawing strong reactions from both health experts and industry groups.
The decision, announced on Tuesday, allows a Los Angeles-based company, Glas Inc., to market e-cigarettes in mango, blueberry, and two menthol varieties under the names Gold, Sapphire, Classic Menthol, and Fresh Menthol.
The FDA said the products are intended only for adults who are trying to quit or reduce traditional cigarette use.
Officials stressed that the authorization is not an approval or endorsement of vaping as safe. Instead, the agency said it is a controlled decision under strict limits, including a digital age-verification system.
Users must confirm their identity with a government ID and can only use the device when it is connected through Bluetooth to their verified phone, AP News reported.
The move is expected to face strong opposition from public health and parent groups, who argue that flavored vaping products have long attracted teenagers.
However, the FDA noted that teen vaping rates have recently fallen to a 10-year low, even as unauthorized flavored products remain widely available.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration on Tuesday allowed the marketing of fruit-flavored e-cigarettes in a first authorization of non-tobacco-flavored vaping products, amid mounting political pressure on the agency. https://t.co/2KFbVUkaLl
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FDA Eases Vape Rules
Health advocates remain cautious. Kathy Crosby of the Truth Initiative said the approval will be "a key test case," adding that protecting young people must remain a top priority. She also warned that close monitoring of these products will be necessary.
Vaping companies have pushed for more flexibility, arguing that their products help adult smokers reduce harm from cigarettes, which are linked to about 480,000 deaths in the U.S. each year.
According to NBC News, the industry has also gained political support, especially after President Donald Trump promised to "save" vaping during his campaign.
Previous federal rules largely restricted flavored e-cigarettes to tobacco and menthol.
Under earlier policy, many fruit and candy-flavored products were denied authorization, especially during stricter enforcement periods.
The FDA's approach has shifted over time. While the Biden administration rejected more than a million flavored vaping applications, recent actions suggest a more limited openness to adult-focused flavor products.
Still, most flavored vape products used by teenagers in the US remain technically illegal, though they continue to circulate in inexpensive disposable forms.
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