Flavored gummies are the latest nicotine product that the Food and Drug Administration is targeting as part of its ongoing campaign to stop children and young people from using nicotine.
The organization said today that Krave Nic, which sells candies with one mg of nicotine apiece in the flavors Blueraz, Cherry Bomb, and Pineapple, had received a warning notice from the government. The FDA stated in its statement that the corporation needs FDA approval to produce or market this kind of product.
FDA Commissioner Robert Califf stated in a statement that “nicotine gummies are a public health problem just waiting to happen among our nation’s youngsters, particularly as we go into a new school year.”
This particular brand of nicotine product is a recent addition to the market. Gummies, flavored pouches, and other recreational goods that aren’t intended to help people quit smoking are a more recent addition. Nicotine gums created to help people stop smoking have been around for decades. According to a study of children in southern California published this month, which the FDA mentioned in its statement, they are already the second most popular type of nicotine product used by high schools.
They taste delicious and are simple to conceal from parents or teachers, which is a similar characteristic to the early vapes produced by firms like Juul. Alyssa Harlow, a postdoctoral fellow at the University of Southern California Keck School of Medicine who conducted the research study, told NBC News that “and then the businesses are adopting extremely current packaging designs and they are engaging in digital and social media marketing efforts.”
Over the past few years, teen vaping has decreased. Juul’s popularity among children has declined since it ceased selling flavored products in response to federal government criticism, and the FDA is attempting to remove it off the market. The government has only permitted tobacco tastes in the past year and has denied thousands of applications to sell vaping items.
But disposable flavored vapes are still popular among teenagers and young adults. Additionally, the introduction of gummies opens up new markets for flavored nicotine products. The FDA’s warning letter and release indicate that the organization intends to seize the opportunity to target alternative nicotine delivery devices that might appeal to children and teenagers in a similar way.