FDA Set To Ban Flavored E-Cigarette Pods

The Food and Drug Administration is planning to ban fruit-flavored e-cigarettes this week, according to the The Wall Street Journal.

The update in policy, which the Journal said could come as soon as Friday, is intended to curb a surge in underage vaping and will be applied to pod-based vaporizers, including those made by Juul, NJOY Holdings Inc. and Reynolds American Inc.

The ban will include mint, but allows menthol- and tobacco-flavored e-cigarette pods to remain on store shelves, the Journal reported. 

The FDA will reportedly continue to allow "open-tank" vaping devices with which users mix their own nicotine flavors, the newspaper said. 

Tobacco company Altria Group Inc (NYSE: MO) invested $12.8 billion in Juul in 2018, taking a 35% stake in the e-cigarette maker. The tobacco company later announced a $4.5-billion impairment charge on the investment. 

Price Action

Altria shares were trading up 0.42% at $50.12 just before the open Thursday.

The stock has a 52-week high of $57.88 and a 52-week low of $39.30.

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