US plans crackdown on e-cigarette companies citing "epidemic" use among teens

The US Food and Drug Administration plans to ban the sale of flavored electronic cigarettes, citing an "epidemic" of use among teens.

The proposal, announced Wednesday, fits into a broader effort to curb the use by teens of nicotine devices.

FDA chief Scott Gottlieb said, "The worrying and accelerated trajectory of use we see in young people and the path to addiction must stop."

The reinforced approach comes after companies have ignored previous concerns, he added.

"I warn the e-cigarette industry for more than a year that they need to do a lot more to stop the trends of youth," he said.

"In my opinion, they have treated these issues as a public relations challenge rather than seriously considering their legal obligations, the public health mandate and the existential threat to these products.

"Well, I'm here to tell them that this prerequisite is over."