US: FDA authorises e-cigarette in a first, citing benefit for smokers

The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has authorised e-cigarette products for the first time ever, allowing legal marketing of the device, saying the product from RJ Reynolds could help addicted adult smokers.

The FDA said RJ Reynolds’ refillable Vuse Solo closed device and tobacco-flavored e-liquid pods could benefit addicted adult smokers who switch by reducing their exposure to harmful chemicals.

E-cigarettes vaporize a nicotine-laced liquid, and their use among teenagers has been soaring, with health regulators bearing down on manufacturers for marketing to youth. The agency said data from the company showed the e-cigarette helped smokers significantly reduce their exposure to the harmful chemicals in traditional cigarettes.

However, while the products can now be legally sold in the US, the FDA has stressed that they are neither safe nor “FDA approved,” and that people who don’t smoke shouldn’t use them.