The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) says it is taking significant steps to make vaping less addictive, with its commissioner likening a synthetic byproduct found in some products to an opioid.
Vapes or e-cigarettes are the most commonly used tobacco product among American youths, and there is growing concern about addiction.
The agency has formally recommended that the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) classify certain 7-hydroxymitragynine (7-OH) products under the Controlled Substances Act.
Speaking to Newsmax, FDA Commissioner Marty Makary said there is a widespread problem with illicit vaping products.
“First of all, 85 percent of vaping products sold at your local vape shop are illegal,” he told Rob Schmitt Tonight. “These are products that are even banned in China, where they come from. They've got these cutesy, fruity flavours or even a video game [that is] part of the vape device designed to addict kids.”
Makary went on to condemn these products as “predatory” and warned of a growing “epidemic,” noting that “at some high schools, a quarter of the kids are using these vaping products regularly. So, we've got an epidemic we've got to address,” he said.
The substance 7-OH, described by Makary as an opioid, is a derivative of kratom, a South Asian tree. While kratom leaves can produce stimulant effects at low doses and sedative effects at higher doses, the DEA warns they can also lead to psychotic symptoms and both psychological and physiological dependence.
Makary issued a stark warning to parents: “You can walk down to many of these vape stores or convenience stores or gas stations and buy an opioid today.”
He added: “Parents need to know about this. And we recommended the DEA starts to schedule this as a controlled substance. And that's something that's inside of these vapes.”
Makary clarified the FDA's focus, explaining: “Kratom has a trace amount of 7-OH. We're not focused on that. We're focused on the synthetic concentrated byproduct.”
According to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the use of e-cigarettes was the most commonly used tobacco product among middle and high school students in the United States in 2024.
A total of 1.63 million (5.9 percent) students currently use them, including 410,000 (3.5 percent) middle school pupils and 1.21 million (7.8 percent) high school students.
Of these, 87.6 percent reported using flavoured e-cigarettes, with disposable e-cigarettes the most popular choice at 55.6 percent, followed by prefilled or refillable pods (15.6 percent) and tank or mod systems (7 percent).
According to Johns Hopkins Medicine, evidence shows that vaping is less harmful than smoking, as it exposes users to fewer toxins and at lower levels than smoking cigarettes.
However, vapes are just as addictive as traditional cigarettes, as many users get even more nicotine than they would from a combustible tobacco product because users can buy extra-strength cartridges or increase the e-cigarette’s voltage to get a greater hit of the substance.
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