*Chloe Aiello*
The Food and Drug Administration confirmed reports Thursday it would seek to impose new restrictions on most flavors of e-cigarettes in a move to combat an "epidemic" number of teen vapers.
FDA Commissioner Scott Gottlieb [announced the news in a statement](https://www.fda.gov/NewsEvents/Newsroom/PressAnnouncements/ucm625884.htm) on Thursday, in which he references his work as a doctor and his personal history with cancer among other reasons that reducing the number of young smokers is so important to him.
Mint, menthol, and tobacco flavors are notably absent from the new restrictions, which rather than imposing a blanket ban, require that all flavored electronic nicotine delivery systems, or e-cigs, are sold in "age-restricted, in-person locations and, if sold online, under heightened practices for age verification." That means pods will no longer be sold in convenience stores, or anywhere that permits teens easy access.
In the statement, Gottlieb also proposed bans on flavored cigars and menthol in combustible tobacco products, which includes both cigars and cigarettes.
Following [reports the FDA was considering a comprehensive crackdown on flavored nicotine and methol products,](https://www.nytimes.com/2018/11/09/health/fda-menthol-cigarettes-ban.html) including mint and menthol, [Juul preemptively halted sales](https://cheddar.com/videos/juul-pulls-products-abandons-social-media-feeds-under-pressure-over-teen-vaping) of its mango, fruit, creme, and cucumber-flavored pods at more than 90,000 retail stores and tightened age restrictions on online sales. It also said it would shut down its social media accounts to avoid inadvertently advertising to teens.
Juul, which claims more than 70 percent of the U.S. e-cigarette market share, has been under intense scrutiny by the FDA and anti-smoking groups, which allege it has contributed to a spike in teen vaping.
Much like all the upheaval shaking the world, the huge swings rocking Wall Street may feel far from normal. But, for investing at least, this is normal.
Joe Cecela, Dream Exchange CEO, explains how they are aiming to form the first minority-controlled company to operate an exchange in U.S. history. Watch!
A Michigan judge is putting sponges in the hands of shoplifters and ordering them to wash cars in a Walmart parking lot when spring weather arrives. Genesee County Judge Jeffrey Clothier hopes the unusual form of community service discourages people from stealing from Walmart. The judge also wants to reward shoppers with free car washes. Clothier says he began ordering “Walmart wash” sentences this week for shoplifting at the store in Grand Blanc Township. He believes 75 to 100 people eventually will be ordered to wash cars this spring. Clothier says he will be washing cars alongside them when the time comes.
The State Department had been in talks with Elon Musk’s Tesla company to buy armored electric vehicles, but the plans have been put on hold by the Trump administration after reports emerged about a potential $400 million purchase. A State Department spokesperson said the electric car company owned by Musk was the only one that expressed interest back in May 2024. The deal with Tesla was only in its planning phases but it was forecast to be the largest contract of the year. It shows how some of his wealth has come and was still expected to come from taxpayers.