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FDA to "severely" limit e-cigarette sales

Man smoking juul.
Juul e-cigarette. Photo: Eva Hambach/AFP/Getty Images.

Food and Drug Administration commissioner Scott Gottlieb will announce "severe restrictions" on the sale of flavored e-cigarettes some time next week, The Washington Post reports.

Why it matters: The FDA in September called the use of e-cigarettes among minors an epidemic — preliminary government data shows 77% of high schoolers have used e-cigarettes. Many e-cigarette users are likely to get addicted to nicotine or use regular cigarettes, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports.

The details: Tens of thousands of convenience stores and gas stations across the country will not be able to sell e-cigarettes that use prepackaged flavor cartridges or pods. The FDA is also expected to impose new rules to curb sales, such as imposing age-verification requirements online.

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