The US Food and Drug Administration has authorised the marketing of fruit-flavoured electronic cigarettes for the first time in American regulatory history, marking a decisive policy reversal that follows reported direct pressure from President Donald Trump and months of lobbying by the vaping industry.
The FDA announced the authorisation of fruit-flavoured electronic cigarettes intended for adult smokers, a major policy shift coming after months of appeals to President Trump from vaping manufacturers and retailers. The decision reverses a long-standing regulatory position that had seen the agency reject marketing approvals for well over a million flavoured vaping products during the Biden administration.
The newly authorised e-cigarettes come in mango, blueberry, and two varieties of menthol. Los Angeles-based vaping company Glas Inc. will market the flavours under the names Gold, Sapphire, Classic Menthol, and Fresh Menthol. The products are the first FDA-authorised fruit-flavoured vapes in the United States, bringing the total number of legally marketable e-cigarettes in the country to 45.
The decision hinged on Glas Inc.’s use of age-gating technology, which the FDA cited as the primary mechanism distinguishing these products from previous applications. Users must verify their age and identity with government-issued identification and pair the device with a smartphone via Bluetooth. An app also conducts random biometric check-ins to confirm the registered user is the one using the device.
Marketing of the products is restricted to adults aged 21 and older. The FDA stopped short of describing the products as FDA-approved, reiterating that all tobacco products carry health risks and potential for addiction.
Health advocacy groups immediately condemned the decision. The Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids stated the approval puts at risk progress the nation has made in reducing youth e-cigarette use and conflicts with overwhelming scientific evidence and the FDA’s own repeated conclusions that flavours pose a substantial risk to young people.
Under President Biden, the FDA denied more than a million marketing applications for candy, fruit, and dessert-flavoured products, a crackdown credited with helping drive down teen vaping after a surge in 2019. Teen vaping rates are currently at a ten-year low, a statistic the administration cited in supporting the new approval.
The Wall Street Journal reported that Trump personally called FDA Commissioner Marty Makary and urged him to approve flavoured vapes ahead of the decision, a claim that drew sharp criticism from former FDA officials who warned against political interference in the agency’s scientific review process.