FDA Gives Nod to E-Cigarettes to Aid Transition from Traditional Smoking

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved the first menthol-flavored electronic cigarettes for adult smokers, aiming to mitigate the harms associated with traditional tobacco smoking. The authorization covers four menthol e-cigarettes from Njoy, a vaping brand recently acquired by tobacco giant Altria, which also produces Marlboro cigarettes.The FDA’s decision is seen as a significant endorsement of vaping companies’ claims that their products can help reduce the toll of smoking, responsible for 480,000 deaths annually in the U.S. due to cancer, lung disease, and heart disease. While e-cigarettes have been available since 2007, their potential benefits have been overshadowed by rising adolescent and teen usage.Parent groups and anti-tobacco advocates were quick to criticize the FDA’s move. Meredith Berkman, co-founder of Parents Against Vaping E-cigarettes, warned, “This decision could mean we’ll never be able to close the Pandora’s box of the youth vaping epidemic. FDA has once again failed American families by allowing a predatory industry to source its next generation of lifetime customers — America’s children.”

Despite a decline in youth vaping from its peak, with about 10% of high schoolers reporting e-cigarette use last year, 90% of those who vaped used flavors, including menthol. The FDA highlighted that the newly approved Njoy products could help smokers reduce exposure to harmful chemicals in traditional cigarettes, though the agency stressed they are neither safe nor “FDA approved” for non-smokers.This approval is part of a broader FDA initiative to impose scientific scrutiny on the multibillion-dollar vaping market, which includes thousands of flavored vapes widely available despite regulatory delays. The FDA faces a deadline to complete its review of major vaping brands, including Juul and Vuse, by the end of the month.

Matthew Farrelly of FDA’s Center for Tobacco Products stated, “Based upon our rigorous scientific review, in this instance, the strength of evidence of benefits to adult smokers from completely switching to a less harmful product was sufficient to outweigh the risks to youth.” Altria’s data indicated that Njoy e-cigarettes can help reduce smokers’ exposure to harmful chemicals. However, Njoy’s market share remains small, with Vuse and Juul controlling about 60% of U.S. e-cigarette sales.