FDA Bans Two Vuse Brand Mint Flavored Vaping Products

On January 24, 2023, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued a Marketing Denial Order (MDO) for two Vuse brand mint flavored e-cigarette products sold by RJ Reynolds Vapor, a subsidiary of British American Tobacco.

The two products banned from sale include Vuse Vibe Tank Menthol 3.0% and Vuse Ciro Cartridge Menthol 1.5%. The company is not permitted to sell or distribute the products in the U.S., or they would be at risk of FDA enforcement action. Companies may, however, resubmit the application or submit a new application to address defects in products subject to a marketing refusal order.

This is the second case of banning e-cigarette products of this flavor after the FDA issued a marketing refusal order for a mint-flavored product of Logic Technology Development, a subsidiary of Japan Tobacco International, in October last year.

VUSE

The FDA said the applications for these products did not present sufficiently strong scientific evidence to show that the potential benefits for adult smokers outweighed the risks of youth use.

The FDA noted that available evidence indicates that non-tobacco flavored e-cigarettes, including menthol flavored e-cigarettes, “present known and significant risks to youth attraction, uptake, and use.” In contrast, data suggest that tobacco-flavored e-cigarettes do not have the same appeal to young people and therefore do not pose the same level of risk.

In response, British American Tobacco expressed disappointment with the FDA’s decision and said Reynolds would immediately seek a moratorium on enforcement and would seek other appropriate avenues to allow Vuse to continue to supply its products without interruption.

“We believe that menthol-flavored vaping products are critical to helping adult smokers stay away from combustible cigarettes. The FDA’s decision, if allowed to go into effect, will harm rather than benefit public health,” a BAT spokesman said. Reynolds has appealed the FDA’s marketing refusal order, and a U.S. court has granted a stay of the ban.

FDA


Post time: Feb-02-2023