R.J. Reynolds seeks FDA approval to claim e-cig is safer

FILE - In this Oct. 4, 2019, file photo, a woman using an electronic cigarette exhales in Mayfield Heights, Ohio. With one in four teenagers now using e-cigarettes, underage vaping is universally condemned, and the federal government considers it an epidemic. But some other researchers believe recent trends continue to show vaping’s promise as a tool to steer millions of adult smokers away from cigarettes, the nation’s leading cause of death. (AP Photo/Tony Dejak, File)
FILE - In this Oct. 4, 2019, file photo, a woman using an electronic cigarette exhales in Mayfield Heights, Ohio. With one in four teenagers now using e-cigarettes, underage vaping is universally condemned, and the federal government considers it an epidemic. But some other researchers believe recent trends continue to show vaping’s promise as a tool to steer millions of adult smokers away from cigarettes, the nation’s leading cause of death. (AP Photo/Tony Dejak, File)

WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. (AP) -- The Food and Drug Administration will review whether R.J. Reynolds can claim that its electronic cigarette poses less risk than tobacco.

The Winston-Salem Journal reported Sunday that the electronic cigarette is named Vuse and is made by R.J. Reynolds Vapor Co.

Reynolds submitted Vuse for premarket approval from the FDA in October. Approval requires the FDA to consider a product's risks and benefits, particularly when compared to traditional cigarettes.

Vuse is the second-best selling e-cigarette in the U.S. Reynolds wants to market it as an electronic nicotine delivery system aimed at adult consumers.

The FDA review comes as the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention investigates an outbreak of severe vaping-related illnesses. The agency has been focused primarily on vaping of liquids containing the marijuana compound THC.

Upcoming Events