The U.S. Food and Drug Administration authorized four of Altria's menthol e-cigarettes for sale on Friday, marking the first flavored vapes the agency has permitted on the market.
The FDA has expressed concerns about the risk of young people using e-cigarettes, particularly flavored products. Previously, the agency rejected applications for flavored vapes from other manufacturers, including British American Tobacco.
Marlboro maker Altria acquired NJOY in March 2023 for approximately $2.75 billion in cash, renewing its investment in e-cigarettes as consumers adopt alternatives to traditional combustible cigarettes.
The FDA began regulating e-cigarettes in August 2016 and has since made determinations on over 26 million applications for e-cigarette products. Including the flavored additions, it has authorized 27 e-cigarette products for sale in the U.S. to date.
Matthew Farrelly, director of the Office of Science at the FDA's Center for Tobacco Products, stated, "In this instance, the strength of evidence of benefits to adult smokers from completely switching to a less harmful product was sufficient to outweigh the risks to youth."¹
Altria did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
The FDA's authorization comes as the US government reviews a potential ban on menthol cigarettes. Anti-smoking groups argue that flavored cigarettes attract young people to smoking and contribute to disproportionate health burdens on Black communities.
Earlier this month, the FDA rescinded market denial orders issued in 2022 for four varieties of JUUL Labs' tobacco and menthol-flavored pods and its e-cigarette device.