FDA’s Denial of Logic’s Menthol E-Cigarettes Is a Significant Step that Recognizes Menthol is a Flavor that Attracts Kids

WASHINGTON, D.C.  – The FDA’s announcement today that it has denied marketing applications for several of Logic’s menthol-flavored e-cigarette products is a significant step forward that recognizes menthol is a flavor that attracts and is widely used by kids. As the FDA noted, “These are the first menthol e-cigarette products to receive a marketing decision based on a full scientific review from the FDA.” The FDA had previously deferred decisions on marketing applications for menthol products from major e-cigarette manufacturers.

Critically, today’s FDA announcement includes a strong and clear statement that menthol is a flavor that is widely used by kids and plays a major role in the ongoing crisis of youth e-cigarette use. The FDA stated, “For non-tobacco-flavored e-cigarettes, including menthol-flavored e-cigarettes, existing evidence demonstrates a known and substantial risk with regard to youth appeal, uptake and use. Recent data from the 2022 National Youth Tobacco Survey found most (84.9%) youth who used e-cigarettes in the past 30 days used non-tobacco-flavored e-cigarettes, and of them, 26.6% used menthol-flavored e-cigarettes. Additionally, data indicate tobacco-flavored e-cigarettes do not have the same appeal to youth and therefore do not pose the same degree of risk of youth uptake.”

Today’s announcement indicates important progress in the FDA’s ongoing and overdue review of marketing applications for e-cigarettes. We hope today’s decision represents the beginning of accelerated action by the FDA to complete its review of e-cigarette marketing applications. To protect our nation’s kids and truly end the youth e-cigarette epidemic, the FDA must complete its review of e-cigarette marketing applications without further delay and clear the market of all flavored e-cigarettes, including all menthol-flavored products.