FDA bans sale of popular Vuse Alto menthol e-cigarettes

 The U.S. Food and Drug Administration on Thursday said it was banning the sale of Reynolds American Vuse Alto menthol e-cigarettes, saying the risk to kids outweighs any benefit to adult smokers. 

The FDA said its ban includes three menthol-flavored and three mixed berry-flavored products, each offered in three different nicotine strengths. The agency is continuing to weigh whether to let the company's tobacco flavors stay on the market. 

Reynolds, the maker of Camel and Newport cigarettes, has made the case that the vape pens help adults kick the smoking habit by switching to products less damaging to their health.  

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Reynolds' parent company, British American Tobacco, or BAT, said it would challenge the FDA's decision in court.

"We believe appropriately regulated flavored vaping products — including menthol — are critical in supporting adult smokers migrate from combustible cigarettes," Kingsley Wheaton, BAT's chief strategy and growth officer, said in a news release. 

On the market for multiple years, the vape pens have become increasingly popular among children and teenagers. Nearly 13% of middle- and high-school students who have vaped in the past 30 days named Vuse as their preferred brand, coming in second after Puff Bar, according to the results of a federal survey published in 2022. 

The FDA last year ordered Juul Labs to stop selling its vaping products, but the ban was put on hold while Juul appealed, with that challenge ongoing.

The sale of Vuse Alto menthol ecigarettes was outlawed by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on Thursday. The FDA determined that the popular vaping product constituted an unacceptable risk to the public's health, particularly among young people. The manufacturer of Vuse Alto, Reynolds American, allegedly failed to demonstrate that the advantages of keeping the drugs on the market exceeded the dangers after the FDA evaluated its evidence. The organization also mentioned how menthol-flavored e-cigarettes are particularly well-liked among young people and can facilitate the initiation of cigarette smoking.

Public health experts, who have long claimed that menthol-flavored e-cigarettes constitute a gateway to smoking for young people, consider the FDA's prohibition to be a huge win. The prohibition is a blow for the vaping business as well, which has been trying to bounce back after a string of regulatory crackdowns and unfavorable press.

The most popular e-cigarette in the country is the Vuse Alto, therefore the prohibition is anticipated to have a big effect on sales. Reynolds American has declared that it would take the FDA's restriction on tobacco products to court, although it is uncertain when the issue will be settled. The FDA's prohibition serves as a warning that e-cigarettes are unsafe and should not be used by children in the interim. Nicotine, which is addictive and can damage the growing brain, is an ingredient in e-cigarettes. Additionally, e-cigarettes release dangerous compounds that can hurt the lungs. The FDA's restriction is a positive move, but more must be done to safeguard children from the risks associated with e-cigarettes.

Children should not use e-cigarettes, and parents should discuss the dangers of doing so with them. Students should be informed in schools about the risks associated with e-cigarettes.