Federal regulators warn nicotine gummies could kill little kids

Nicotine gummies could be toxic and even deadly if consumed by children younger than 6, federal regulators warn, calling the fruit-flavored candy a “pending public health crisis” among young people Americans as a new school year begins.

The Food and Drug Administration issued a one-time warning to a maker of nicotine gummies on Thursday, calling the products particularly problematic because they resemble child-friendly foods or candy and could “cause severe nicotine toxicity or even death among the children.” little children.”

An FDA-funded study recently found that nicotine lozenges are the second most popular tobacco product among high school students in Southern California, with e-cigarettes in first place.

“Nicotine gummies are a public health crisis just waiting to happen among our nation’s youth, especially as we head into a new school year,” said FDA Commissioner Robert Califf, MD. “We want parents to be aware of these products and the potential health consequences for children of all ages, including the toxicity to young children and the appeal of these addictive products to our youth.”

The agency will not stand by while “illegal products infiltrate the market,” the commissioner added.

The FDA’s warning letter was aimed at Fort Lauderdale, Fla.-based VPR Brands, which had marketed its square gummies as made with “tobacco-free nicotine.” The vaping company and others in recent years have made the claim in reference to synthetic nicotine.

The company had not received FDA clearance to market a tobacco product as required by law, the FDA said.

Reached by phone, a company employee declined to comment. However, the website dedicated to its Krave brand of nicotine gummies on Friday marked the product as discontinued.

The company advertised its gummies as each containing 1 milligram of nicotine, or 12 milligrams per tin. Ingesting 1 to 4 milligrams of nicotine is enough to be toxic to a child younger than 6, depending on weight, the FDA said. In addition, nicotine is highly addictive and exposure to it during adolescence can damage the developing brain, the agency noted.

The FDA in July unveiled plans to ban Juul e-cigarettesbut his order was postponed after the popular vaping company took the agency to court.