Buying e-cigarettes online could be a lot harder in the near future.
Food and Drug Administrator Scott Gottlieb, at a breakfast Tuesday, said the agency is considering banning the online sale of the products, as easy access to vapes has resulted in an “epidemic” of underage use.
“That’s going to be one thing that’s on the table. It’s very clearly something we are now looking at,” Gottlieb said at an Axios panel discussion, CNBC reports. Next steps, he says, will be announced in November, when the agency will invite public and corporate feedback.
Also at risk are flavored e-cigarettes, which could be banned altogether as the FDA fears they’re driving teen use of vapes.
This is the latest salvo from the FDA about e-cigarettes. Five days ago, Gottlieb announced the agency was considering fast-tracking the review process on the products that could include adding features to make them less likely to be used by children and teens. Earlier this month, the FDA said it would would take “historic action” against e-cigarette companies, giving the e-cig makers 60 days to come up with a plan to curb vaping among teens and kids.
“Unfortunately, I now have good reason to believe that it’s reached nothing short of an epidemic proportion of growth,” Gottleib said in a briefing at the time.