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FDA using new rules to keep kids away from e-cigarettes

INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) – The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is laying down new rules to keep e-cigarettes out of the hands of minors.

They believe now more than ever our kids are at risk to be exposed to nicotine and they believe it’s because of flavored e-cigs.

The agency has chosen to take action and move forward with the official announcement, banning the sale of all electronic nicotine products, both in person and online to kids under 18.

Starting in 2021, it will be strictly enforced that if you do want to buy the products you’ll need proof of ID.

The rule is also banning free samples and the sale of tobacco products in vending machines unless it’s in an adult-only facility.

FDA Commissioner Dr. Scott Gottlieb says the rise of e-cigarettes in the youth is at an epidemic level.

These are the numbers he used to back up those words:

  •  3.6 million middle and high school students across the country were e-cigarette users in 2018.
  • That’s 1.5 million more than there were in 2017.

Their research shows that kids are drawn to the flavored e-cigarettes the most and that teens that start vaping usually end up smoking normal cigarettes.

The FDA is hoping, with these new rules in place, they can slow this problem down.

They expect all tobacco businesses that sell electronic nicotine products to be enforcing these new rules by August of 2021.

To read the full statement from the FDA on this new policy, click here.