Flavored Disposable Vaping Devices Account for One-third of U.S. E-cigarette Sales.
Since 2016, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has sought to crack down on fruity, sweet-flavored e-cigarettes that hook teenagers on nicotine.
But at least 20 brands continue to sell China-made disposable devices with kid-friendly flavors such as “peach blueberry candy” and “pineapple strawnana” at liquor stores, smoke shops and convenience stores in the United States, Reuters has found.
Flavored disposable vaping devices account for one-third of U.S. e-cigarette sales, up from less than 2% three years ago, according to a Reuters review of retail sales data. Their surge raises questions about the public health agency’s failure to rein in the booming flavored e-cigarette market and its ability to enforce its own rules, some critics say. Read more here.
Vaping Becomes ‘Public Health Catastrophe’ in UK Children
Despite it being illegal to sell the devices to under-18s, research indicates a steep rise in underage vaping over the last five years, with the proportion of 16- to 18-year-olds who say they use e-cigarettes doubling in the past 12 months alone, according to Action on Smoking and Health .
Last weekend the Observer revealed how Elf Bar, one of the leading brands of disposable vapes, was apparently flouting rules to promote its products to young people on the social media app TikTok.
Now child respiratory doctors have criticised the government for failing to heed warnings about the risks of allowing e-cigarettes to be sold in child-friendly packaging containing the names of popular sweet treats – including banana milkshake and jelly babies, both of which products contain 2% nicotine, the highest concentration allowed in the UK. Read more here.
Vitamin Vapes Grow in Popularity
So-called wellness vapes are growing in popularity. Unlike regular vapes (e-cigarettes) that contain nicotine, these products contain vitamins, hormones or essential oils. But they have caught the attention of the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) because of the unproven health claims made by many of the companies that sell them.
Wellness vapes – also known as “nutritional supplement diffusers” – cover a range of products that find a common origin in e-cigarettes. E-cigarettes deliver nicotine to the lungs without the need for combustion or tobacco. This removes some harmful components, such as tobacco tar. Instead of combustion, e-cigarettes use energy from a battery to heat e-liquid, which forms a vapour that can be inhaled.
A new wave of products aims to use this same inhaled delivery system for a wide range of non-nicotine products, including vitamins (B12 and C are particularly popular), milk thistle, melatonin (a hormone), green tea and a variety of essential oils. Wellness vape companies make claims that different combinations of these additives can help you focus better, promote sleep and even help you lose weight. Read more here.
