Reynolds American has called on the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to help put a stop to the sale and manufacturing of disposable e-cigarettes. Reynolds American is calling out Puff Bar and Elf Bar in particular because of the increased use of their products by young teenagers.
The company has submitted a formal citizen petition to the FDA asking it to adopt an enforcement policy specifically targeted at disposable competitors
to its products. The company also makes Vuse e-cigarettes.
“A new enforcement policy, one that is specifically directed at these disposables that are on the market illegally, is needed to better protect public health,” Reynolds American stated, according to STAT.
The petition calls on the FDA to ramp up enforcement against disposables both through increased retail inspections and by seizing disposable products at the U.S. border.
The company’s petition calls out two companies in particular: Puff Bar and Elf Bar. The petition notes that both products have launched ad campaigns targeting teens.
Meanwhile, both Puff Bar and Elf Bar have said they are taking steps to stem youth use. Last month, Elf Bar announced it would donate 10 cents to the American Cancer Society for every person that clicks a button on its website.
The FDA, to date, has only taken enforcement action against a smattering of disposable e-cigarette brands. It’s never sent a formal warning to the makers of Elf Bar, even though its products are sold across the country illegally.
The FDA has also failed to follow up with more serious enforcement action when companies ignore its warnings.
The rapidly growing disposable e-cigarette market now comprises upward of one-third of all vape sales, said STAT. An independent report assessing the agency’s tobacco center noted that the agency “has not been transparent regarding the reasons it has failed to clear the market of illegal products.” Lawmakers, including Sen. Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), have also urged the federal health secretary to step in to help clear the market of illegal products.