Vaping products that look like juice boxes or candy are subject of crackdown

[pnwmom]

Source: NY Times

Federal authorities said on Tuesday they were issuing 13 warning letters to companies that sell vaping products like liquid nicotine in packaging that may appeal to children, including products that resemble juice boxes and candy.

The joint action by the Food and Drug Administration and the Federal Trade Commission is the latest step by the federal government to crack down on the vaping industry, particularly on devices that are popular with teenagers.

Last week, F.D.A. officials said they had started an undercover sting operation targeting retailers that sell the popular Juul products to minors and had asked the maker, Juul Labs, to turn over documents related to marketing practices and health research.

The action on Tuesday, against a group of manufacturers, distributors and retailers, focused on products that the agencies said were aimed at underage users or could be accidentally ingested by children. The products, sold through multiple online retailers, have names like One Mad Hit Juice Box, sold by NEwhere Inc., and Vape Heads Sour Smurf Sauce, sold by Lifted Liquids, which look like Warheads candy.

Read more: https://www.nytimes.com/2018/05/01/health/fda-crackdown-vaping-children.html?module=WatchingPortal&region=c-column-middle-span-region&pgType=Homepage&action=click&mediaId=thumb_square&state=standard&contentPlacement=5&version=internal&contentCollecti

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One of the products is even sold with an accompanying piece of candy!

Here's a picture, for those who can't see it on the NYT site. (You don't have to be on Instagram to see it)

https://www.instagram.com/p/BIvjikZgHGr/

[bettyellen]

1. They put candy flavors in vodka too. Just saying.

[pnwmom]

2. The issue is the packaging, not the flavor. They don't sell vodka

in boxes that look like Tree Top juice boxes, or sell it along with pieces of candy.

[bettyellen]

6. Kids know it's not candy. And when you smoke as a kid, it's to feel and look grown up- not becasue

You think they are toys. Like it or not, cereal, sweet milk / custard and fruits are super popular flavors. I think adults think those packages are cuter versus kids. It’s not like they’re tricking anyone into buying it.

[pnwmom]

8. Small children can't read, and there have been cases of nicotine poisoning because

children got hold of a product. How much greater is the risk if the product looks like this juice box (the first link below) and has a sweet flavor?

https://www.democraticunderground.com/?com=view_post&forum=1014&pid=2049955

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5300914/

Abstract
Electronic cigarettes are novel tobacco products that are frequently used these days. The cartridge contains liquid nicotine and accidental poisoning, even with a small oral dose, endangers children. We present here a mortality case of a 15-month-old child who ingested liquid nicotine mistaking it for cold medicine. When the emergency medical technicians arrived, she was found to have pulseless electrical activity. Spontaneous circulation was restored after approximately 40 minutes of cardiopulmonary resuscitation. The cotinine level in her urine was 1,716 ng/mL. Despite intensive supportive care, severe anoxic brain injury was found on computed tomography and the child ultimately died. This fatality highlights the need for public health efforts to minimize such accidents.

[bettyellen]

13. Careless grownups are careless.

[pnwmom]

14. And that's why we have child safety laws. n/t

[jayfish]

3. Gotta Get People back To Cigarettes...

and get those Tobacco Settlement funds flush again.

[flotsam]

4. Horseshit

you have to be 18 to buy and that product costs over $10 easily before you buy a device to vape it in.

[canetoad]

5. Not horseshit

Blatant manipulation.

[Oneironaut]

7. My Libertarian side is bleeding through...

Darn - I know I should probably be against this, but I also don’t think it’s worthy of concern.

[pnwmom]

9. You're not concerned about accidental poisonings, either?

Due to "juice boxes" that look just like real juice boxes and have sweet flavorings?

More info here, but I can't copy it because I didn't register:
https://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/863046


In the case below, the child mistook the product for something else, but the fact remains: children can't read. If it looks sweet, they might try it.

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5300914/

Abstract
Electronic cigarettes are novel tobacco products that are frequently used these days. The cartridge contains liquid nicotine and accidental poisoning, even with a small oral dose, endangers children. We present here a mortality case of a 15-month-old child who ingested liquid nicotine mistaking it for cold medicine. When the emergency medical technicians arrived, she was found to have pulseless electrical activity. Spontaneous circulation was restored after approximately 40 minutes of cardiopulmonary resuscitation. The cotinine level in her urine was 1,716 ng/mL. Despite intensive supportive care, severe anoxic brain injury was found on computed tomography and the child ultimately died. This fatality highlights the need for public health efforts to minimize such accidents.

[Oneironaut]

10. To be honest, yes, but I think educating kids on the dangers of these products is more important.

Banning them just makes them seem more desirable to kids. Plus, why deny adults the ability to buy these products if they want them? I’m sure the companies would argue that these labels are intended to be “ironically childish,” or something like that, though we all know that’s bullshit.

[pnwmom]

11. I'm not suggesting banning them. I don't think they should use PACKAGING

that could confuse any potential user who can't read.

Canetoad, post 4, shows the fake Treetop packaging.

[Oneironaut]

12. I definitely think there should at least be a huge warning label, and child-proof caps.

I’m not familiar with the containers, so they might have those already. If not, they probably should.

[jmowreader]

17. Which is why I want "blue raspberry" juice drinks to be in a different color

When I was working in a dairy department, the vendor that handled the...okay, it's premixed kool-aid, what the hell are you supposed to call it...and I were talking. I told the guy his company should think about changing the color of the raspberry product, which is blue.

"Why?" he asked.
"I'll show you."

I got a jug of windshield washer fluid and a jug of raspberry drink, plunked them side by side with the label facing away, and told him: "You're three years old. Tell me which one's which."

[Sunlei]

15. They look like a juice drink to me too? you supposed to dose those 'drinks' or drink all at once?

That's not safe to have around kids, nicotine is toxic

Although I have to agree with others who post some alcoholic beverages are easy for children to misuse.

Some canned and frozen drinks aren't childproof & have very attractive packaging.

[bettyellen]

16. That's what I was thinking of. I'm not sure how you prevent packaging from being attractive....

A lot of these brands have package design that looks pirate-ish or cowboy too. They’re mostly dropper bottles w child proof caps but some brand had a box that looked like milk. I don’t know if it’s actually endangered any kids or this is just becasue people dislike vapes entirely, as the OP does.

[Trenzalore]

18. This seems to be kind of nonsense

As far as marketing flavors to kids, is the assumption adults want to vape something that tastes like crap?

I get the concerns over JUULs because you can pick it up in a gas station and they are easy to hide. It is illegal to sell to minors just as cigarettes are and that is probably where the enforcement should be.

Also the assumption a kid is going to spend probably $20 on a bottle of e-juice so they can get a 10 cent piece of candy is laughable and is really not showing kids any respect.