The Washington Post reports the Food and Drug Administration issued a policy “designed to restrict how and where flavored e-cigarettes are sold” with the aim of reducing the “epidemic” of underage vaping, which has been “a top priority of departing FDA commissioner Scott Gottlieb.” The new policy “would limit sales of fruity and kid-friendly vaping products to stores that bar minors or have separate adult-only sections,” and it would also require online sellers to “tighten age verification and curb bulk sales.” The article mentions that National Cancer Institute Director Norman “Ned” Sharpless will become the acting commissioner of the FDA after Gottlieb leaves, and Sharpless “is enthusiastic about anti-tobacco initiatives.”

The New York Times reports the FDA’s proposal would require “that stores sequester flavored e-cigarettes to areas off limits to anyone under age 18.” The proposal would also require retailers “to verify the age of their customers.” Gottlieb said in a statement, “Evidence shows that youth are especially attracted to flavored e-cigarette products.” Gottlieb added, “Minors are able to access these products from both brick-and-mortar retailers as well as online, despite federal restrictions on sales to anyone under 18.”

The AP reports the proposal will not “apply to three flavors that the FDA says appeal more to adults than teenagers: tobacco, menthol and mint.”

From the news release of the American Association for Justice.