New Flavor Regulations and Disposable Vapes

On February 6, 2020, the sale of any vape pods containing flavors that were deemed “appealing to children'' were removed from the market. Because the FDA did not consider menthol or tobacco flavors as appealing to children, those vape cartridges were allowed to remain.

However, vapers like their flavors. We have heard many vapers say they were happy they no longer smelled like cigarettes and ashtrays. When flavors were removed, it was not surprising that people began to look for similar alternatives that didn’t taste like the cigarettes they quit. 

Disposable vapes are slowly moving into the spotlight. They are vaping devices that are pre-filled with liquid and discarded once the battery or vape liquid runs out. Not only do they require minimal knowledge to use, disposable vapes were not affected in the flavored cartridge ban. Many news sources claim they are now the preferred vaping devices of teens. Some sites argue that they are even worse than the banned flavor cartridges, stating their USB-like appearance, low costs, higher nicotine levels, and the increased amount of waste produced. 

Despite the media buzz, the FDA stated it did not have data showing high rates of youth use of disposables. However, they are aware of their growing popularity. Mitch Zeller of the FDA stated “Let us be clear, under this policy if we see a product that is targeted to kids, we will take action.” 

Whoever is driving the rising popularity of disposable vapes, one thing is clear - when flavors are removed, people will look for alternatives. 

References:

https://www.fda.gov/news-events/press-announcements/fda-finalizes-enforcement-policy-unauthorized-flavored-cartridge-based-e-cigarettes-appeal-children

https://www.pharmacytimes.com/news/vaping-policy-loophole-leads-to-teens-switching-to-disposable-e-cigarettes

https://www.nytimes.com/2020/01/31/health/vaping-flavors-disposable.html

https://www.advisory.com/daily-briefing/2020/02/06/vaping-ban