On March 4, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) released a statement the vaping community long assumed to be true: mom-and-pop vape shops are not the major culprits selling kids nicotine and tobacco products. Rather, a large number of convenience stores, grocery stores, and big-name retailers repeatedly sold e-cigarettes and other tobacco products to minors over the past year, according to FDA compliance check data.
FDA sent a letter to Walgreen Co., parent company of Walgreens stores, “to request a meeting to discuss” the company’s plans to combat youth vaping. According to FDA, Walgreens stores sold e-cigarettes to minors about 1,800 times over the past year. Walgreens wasn’t alone, as FDA found 14 other large companies, including major gas station franchises BP, Citgo, Exxon, Mobil and Sunoco to have “violation rates between 34-44 percent of all inspected stores.”
On the other hand, vape shops were not among the 15 biggest violators. However, the industry was still rebuked by the FDA. More than 40 companies were sent letters from FDA “seeking information” on whether their products were compliant with “deeming regulations.”
More HERE
