Flavored e-cigarette sales surge despite U.S. flavor ban

The Federal Trade Commission released its second report on e-cigarette sales and advertising on Wednesday. The report "shows significant growth in sales of flavored disposable e-cigarettes and menthol e-cigarette cartridges in 2020," despite a federal ban on flavored e-cigarette cartridges.

The FTC said the report "suggests that youth e-cigarette use has shifted to alternative products, rather than declined."

“This report shows that teens are still at risk of buying flavored or discounted e-cigarettes,” said Samuel Levine, director of the FTC’s Bureau of Consumer Protection. “It turns out that e-cigarette sellers are circumventing FDA oversight. and products that make young people addicted.”

The release of the report comes as the U.S. Food and Drug Administration is taking action against e-cigarettes, which recently had prominent e-cigarette company JUUL take its products off the shelves, although the decision has been challenged in court.