Instant Alert: The FDA warns vaping companies to stop making packages that look like candy after thousands of kids are poisoned

MANAGE SUBSCRIPTIONS   |   UNSUBSCRIBE   |   VIEW ONLINE   The FDA warns vaping companies to stop making packages that look like candy after thousands of kids are poisoned by Mary Hanbury on May 1, 2018, 2:32 PM Advertisement The US Food and Drug Administration has sent warning letters to manufacturers, distributors, and retailers who are creating candy-like packaging for e-liquids. A series of photos released by the FDA show how similar the packaging of these products is to well-known candy snacks and fruit drinks.  The availability of these products has coincided with an increase in nicotine poisoning among children. Over 8,000 e-cigarette and liquid nicotine exposures were reported among children between January 2012 and April 2017, according to the National Poison Data System. The US Food and Drug Administration is clamping down on manufacturers, distributors, and retailers who are selling vaping products in packages that look like candy or snacks.  In a press release issued on Tuesday, the FDA confirmed it had sent warning letters to 13 companies, requesting a response within two weeks and threatening "seizure or injunction" if they did not take action. Some of these companies were also cited as illegally selling products to minors.  "No tobacco products should be marketed in a way that endangers kids — especially by using imagery that misleads them into thinking the products are things they'd eat or drink," FDA commissioner Scott Gottlieb said in a statement to the press. The FDA released a series of images that show just how similar these products appear to various candy bars and fruit drinks, which are aimed at kids: The rise in these products has coincided with an increase in nicotine poisoning among children, according to the FDA. There were over 8,000 e-cigarette and liquid nicotine exposures reported among children younger than six between January 2012 and April 2017, according to data from National Poison Data System.  Vaping has become increasingly controversial as it has taken off with teens. A new study released in March by the Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth University showed that teens who vaped were at far higher risk of becoming smokers than teens who didn't. SEE ALSO: The US government is cracking down on a wildly popular vape pen with 'scary' nicotine levels, which experts say targets teens   Share the latest business news with your network:    Email sent to: nguyenvu1187.love5@blogger.com   |   Manage your email preferences   |   Unsubscribe Terms of Service   |   Privacy Policy Business Insider. 150 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10011