Mint Versus Menthol Debate Opens Door for Eluding Vape Ban

Jan. 13, 2020, 10:46 AM UTC

Sidestepping the FDA’s new flavored vaping ban could be as simple as calling mint flavors menthol.

Last week the Food and Drug Administration announced plans to pull cartridge-based e-cigarette products in fruity and mint flavors from the market because they are alluring to teenagers. Menthol was allowed to stay because it’s one of the least popular among kids, a study funded by the National Institutes of Health found.

“Menthol” appears 68 times in the FDA’s Jan. 2 flavor policy outline, but the term is never defined. That opens the door for vaping companies to rebrand their products.

“It’s a distinction ...

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