Amongst other products, HelloCig Electronic Technology Co. was caught selling two particular e-liquids, one containing the active ingredients of erectile dysfunction drug Cialis and the other the ingredients for anti-obesity drug Acomplia. “These FDA-approved prescription drugs are not approved for inclusion in e-liquid products sold over the counter and are therefore being sold illegally,” said the FDA in a statement.
This warning was part of recent efforts by the FDA at cracking down on teen vaping. This led to the FDA issuing over a 1,000 warning letters to U.S. retailers and manufacturers of e-cigarettes, in what the agency called “the largest coordinated enforcement effort in the FDA’s history.”
In the letters, the agency demanded that within 60 days, these companies, namely Juul, Vuse, MarkTen XL, blu e-cigs and Logic, present proof that they are able to keep the nicotine-containing products out of the hands of minors. Should they fail to do so, the FDA may ban candy-like flavors, such as bubble gum and crème brûlée, that may be particularly appealing to this age group.
Fifteen days to address these violations
However, the letter to HelloCig was the first of its kind. In fact the FDA also warned the manufacturer against marketing its products in a misleading way. “Use of these trade names and images of the drug products next to the e-liquid products on HelloCig’s website suggests that the products are intended to treat the same conditions as the drug itself,” said the FDA.
The agency gave the manufacturer 15 days to state how it will address these violations. If the company fails to respond on time, the FDA will rightly take further disciplinary actions.
Read Further: Washington Examiner
