Many tobacco researchers and policy experts think e-cigarettes have potential as a tool to help people quit smoking. But they also want to prevent teenagers from taking up the habit and getting hooked on nicotine.
The tension between these two goals is at the heart of new draft guidance to e-cigarette manufacturers from the Food and Drug Administration this week on the subject of flavored vapes. The document suggests vapes in flavors like coffee, mint, or cinnamon may now have a shot at getting authorized for sale.
Some public health experts, along with anti-tobacco advocates, worry the change could set back the progress the U.S. has made in reducing the number of underage people who use e-cigarettes. And that’s not their only worry about potential health repercussions of authorizing more flavored vapes.
