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FDA OKs fruit-flavored vapes for first time after Trump pressure

First fruit-flavored vapes cleared after Trump pressed FDA Commissioner·May 5, 2026

The Food and Drug Administration authorized the first fruit-flavored e-cigarettes for adults on May 5, 2026, approving four pod products from Los Angeles-based Glas Inc. through the agency's premarket tobacco product application process. The authorization came days after President Trump publicly pressured FDA Commissioner Marty Makary to approve the products, calling him over the weekend and summoning him to the White House on Monday. Makary had initially declined to authorize the blueberry, mango, and menthol flavors out of concern they would appeal to underage users, a longstanding worry that prompted the FDA to restrict most flavored vapes in 2020. The Glas products use Bluetooth-connected age verification — buyers must confirm their age with a government ID on their phone, and the devices only work when connected to the verified user's phone. Public health advocates say no age-verification technology can fully prevent youth access and that the presidential pressure on Makary set a precedent that the FDA's scientific review process is subject to political override. The authorization is the first time the FDA has approved non-tobacco, non-menthol e-cigarettes under the standard meant to weigh adult smoker benefits against youth risk.

Key facts

The FDA authorized Glas Inc.'s fruit-flavored vapes on May 5, 2026, through the premarket tobacco product application process. The four products are Classic Menthol, Fresh Menthol, Gold (mango), and Sapphire (blueberry), each with 50mg/ml of tobacco-derived nicotine. This marks the first authorization of non-tobacco, non-menthol flavored e-cigarettes.

To buy and use Glas devices, consumers verify their age with a government-issued ID via a phone app. The e-cigarette only operates when connected via Bluetooth to the verified user's phone, a system the FDA said reduces youth access risk.

Before May 5, the FDA had authorized only tobacco and menthol e-cigarettes through PMTA. The agency required PMTAs for all e-cigarettes starting in 2016, denying thousands of applications for fruit and candy flavors due to youth appeal. In 2020, the FDA restricted pod-based flavored devices — the category including Juul — because they were most used by teenagers. That restriction didn't apply to tank-style or disposable flavored devices sold in tobacco shops, creating uneven regulation.

The Glas authorization is the first time the FDA approved any non-tobacco, non-menthol flavored ENDS product despite decades of applications.

Trump called Commissioner Makary over the weekend of May 3-4, 2026, and met with him at the White House on Monday. Makary had refused to authorize the flavors due to youth concerns. The FDA issued the authorization the next day, May 5.

Trump vowed to "save vaping" during the 2024 campaign and met with vaping industry executives. The Vapor Technology Association spent $2.1 million lobbying in 2024 ahead of Trump's election.

The Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act of 2009 gives the FDA authority to regulate nicotine. Under the PMTA standard, the FDA must find that authorizing a product is appropriate for public health — weighing adult smoker benefits against youth initiation risk. Congress gave the FDA, not the president, authority over PMTA decisions.

The FDA is part of the executive branch, so the president has broader authority to direct its decisions than over independent agencies like the SEC. But public health advocates argue regulatory science decisions should be insulated from political pressure to reflect evidence rather than executive preference.

More than 85% of teen vapers use flavored products, with fruit flavors most popular. Surveys of adult smokers who switched to vaping show menthol and tobacco flavors suffice for cessation. The Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids argued the PMTA standard required Makary to find fruit-flavored authorization benefits adults more than it harms youth — a finding they say evidence doesn't support regardless of age-verification technology.

The Glas authorization creates a template for other manufacturers to seek fruit-flavored PMTA approvals. Industry analysts expect several larger vaping companies to file PMTA applications for fruit-flavored pods in coming months. If the FDA applies the Glas standard — that age verification compensates for flavor appeal — widely, hundreds of new flavored products could enter the market.

Juul Labs, once the dominant e-cigarette company, had its PMTA denied by the FDA in 2022 for insufficient evidence that its products would benefit adult smokers without causing youth harm. Industry observers say the Glas authorization may prompt Juul to refile.

Vaping industry groups, including the Vapor Technology Association, ran advertising campaigns in battleground states arguing that flavored vapes help adult smokers quit cigarettes. Federal lobbying disclosure records show the industry spent heavily on lobbying and campaign donations in 2024 ahead of Trump's election, giving it direct access to the White House.

Trump promised to "save vaping" at a September 2024 rally, directly fulfilling an industry priority.

The FDA authorization includes conditions: Glas must conduct postmarket surveillance to monitor whether products reach underage users, submit quarterly sales reports, and report Bluetooth age-verification failures. These conditions are standard in PMTA authorizations. But the FDA has limited enforcement resources to verify company compliance.

Former FDA tobacco officials note the agency's Center for Tobacco Products faced significant staff reductions in 2025 under federal workforce cuts. A smaller enforcement staff makes it harder to monitor whether authorized products stay within approval terms.