The FDA will soon prevent certain stores from selling candy and fruit-flavored e-cigarettes

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When it comes to e-cigs, the FDA is not messing around.

The US Food and Drug Administration is set to announce next week that they’re dropping the ban hammer on the sale of candy and fruit-flavored e-cigarettes in places like convenience stores and gas stations. This is all an effort to prevent young people from getting hooked on the sweet embrace of nicotine addiction.

Additionally, the FDA is adding an extra measure to curb teen addiction by implementing a new age-verification system for online purchases from various online retailers, including Juul, the Washington Post reports.

However, all these new measures will not be aimed at vape shops and menthol, and tobacco flavors will not be included in the ban.

Yeah, it’s a problem

FDA Commissioner Scott Gottlieb told Reuters back in September his thoughts on this whole e-cig craze amongst teens:

The disturbing and accelerating trajectory of use we’re seeing in youth, and the resulting path to addiction, must end. It’s simply not tolerable.

I get it. A lot of teens are vaping these days, and sure, it’s becoming a huge problem. But truthfully, I guess it’s better than them smoking actual cigarettes. But again, if I were a parent, I wouldn’t want my kid sucking on a nicotine vape pen.

If they really want it, teens are still going to get their hands on it

This debate on whether to ban or limit the use of e-cigarettes is a difficult one, without a doubt. Most adults don’t want to see their teenagers pick up a nicotine habit. However, there’s no denying that e-cigarettes have helped many long-time tobacco smokers make the switch.

Either way, making it harder for kids to buy nicotine products is the way to go, but at the end of the day, if they really want, they’re going to get it. Now excuse me while I buy a six-pack of Mike’s Hard Lemonade for these kids patiently waiting for me at 7-Eleven.

Have any thoughts on this? Let us know down below in the comments or carry the conversation over to Twitter. 

Editors’ Recommendations:

• The US could soon ban the online sale of e-cigarettes
• FlySense wants to tackle teen vaping and bullying in school bathrooms with a new sensor
• E-cig makers might have their products pulled if they don’t fix the teen use “epidemic”

Kevin Raposo

Kevin is KnowTechie's founder and executive editor. With over 15 years of blogging experience in the tech industry, Kevin has transformed what was once a passion project into a full-blown tech news publication. Shoot him an email at kevin@knowtechie.com or find him on Mastodon or Post.