WASHINGTON (dpa-AFX) - As part of its broader strategy to combat the crisis of youth vaping, the FDA is launching an initiative to increase voluntary compliance from retailers - including vape shops, convenience stores and gas stations - regarding the distribution of both legal and illegal products into American communities.
FDA said it is mailing this fall materials to more than 300,000 retailers nationwide about which tobacco products are legal to sell.
It contains a list of the 39 vapes and 20 nicotine pouch products that can be legally marketed in the United States, which features QR codes linked to the FDA real-time digital versions of these lists.
FDA is sending information on accessing FDA's new Searchable Tobacco Product Database, a database of more than 17,000 tobacco products - covering all categories, such as cigarettes, cigars, hookah, and e-cigarettes - that may be legally marketed in the United States.
FDA said it will also mail new tobacco retailer education materials, including a wall calendar of reminders focused on retailer requirements such as only selling tobacco products to those 21 and older and requiring a photo ID check of anyone under 30.
FDA made it clear that the purpose of this initiative is to help retailers better understand relevant laws and regulations, removing any excuses for noncompliance. 'We are particularly interested in increasing compliance around the distribution and sale of illegal vaping products, which are often marketed to, and widely consumed by, American teens,' the agency said in a press release.
Too often, retailers in communities are selling illegal vaping products marketed to young people with fruit or candy flavors and even marketing gimmicks such as built-in video games and Bluetooth speakers. The FDA has not authorized any such products, which are mainly illegally imported from China. As much as 54 percent of vaping products sold nationally are illegal, according to FDA. These products frequently contain chemicals such as formaldehyde, lead, and acrolein-materials more commonly found in industrial textiles and pesticides.
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