U.S. FDA Okays Sale of 3 Vuse E-Cigarettes As Critics Grumble

The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) said Tuesday it has authorized e-cigarette products for the first time ever, giving permission to R.J. Reynolds to sell three of its Vuse vape products, Maggie Fox reported for CNN.

Photo Insert: Despite having granted approval for sale, the US FDA reiterated that it is in no way stating that the products are safe or FDA approved and likewise cautioned that all tobacco products are harmful to the health.

"While today's action permits the tobacco products to be sold in the US, it does not mean these products are safe or 'FDA approved.' All tobacco products are harmful and addictive and those who do not use tobacco products should not start," FDA said in a statement.

The FDA said it had denied the company permission to sell 10 flavored products but did not say what they were. The three authorized products are all tobacco flavored, and the FDA said they were less likely to appeal to children and teens, and more likely to be used by smokers to reduce their risk of harm.

"Today's authorizations are an important step toward ensuring all new tobacco products undergo the FDA's robust, scientific premarket evaluation," Mitch Zeller, who heads FDA's Center for Tobacco Products, said in a statement.

“The manufacturer's data demonstrates its tobacco-flavored products could benefit addicted adult smokers who switch to these products -- either completely or with a significant reduction in cigarette consumption -- by reducing their exposure to harmful chemicals," Zeller added.

The Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids, which advocates for the abolition of tobacco products, was not impressed.

"While it is a positive step that FDA denied applications for 10 flavored Vuse e-cigarettes, it is concerning that a product that has three times the nicotine concentration as legally permitted in Canada, the UK, and Europe was authorized. Vuse products with this level of nicotine leave our nation's youth at an undue risk of addiction," the group's president, Matthew L. Myers, said in a statement.

"FDA has turned its back on the public health by approving a high-nicotine e-cigarette. Many countries around the world have capped the amount of nicotine allowed in e-cigarettes, which allowed them to avoid a youth vaping epidemic," Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi (D-IL), chairman of the House Oversight Committee's Subcommittee on Economic and Consumer Policy, said in a statement.

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