On June 22nd, Caixin reported (edited by Niu Zhanlin) that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved the first batch of mint-flavored electronic cigarettes and allowed their sale in the United States. This is also the first time that the agency has approved flavored electronic cigarettes other than tobacco.

FDA approved four mint-flavored electronic cigarettes from NJOY, one of the largest electronic cigarette manufacturers in the United States, which was acquired by tobacco giant Altria last year for about $2.75 billion to produce Marlboro brand cigarettes.

However, this action only applies to these four products, and the authorization does not apply to any other mint-flavored electronic cigarette products. To legally sell a new tobacco product in the United States, a company must obtain a written sales permit from the FDA.

The decision supports a long-standing argument by e-cigarette companies that e-cigarette products can help reduce the harm caused by smoking. In the United States, smoking kills 480,000 people each year from cancer, lung disease and heart disease.

However, parents groups and anti-tobacco advocates are likely to be disappointed with this decision, as they have been fighting against flavored electronic cigarettes such as mint for years. They believe that these flavored electronic cigarettes are more popular among young people and may lead more young people to smoke.

The FDA has expressed concerns about this in the past and rejected related applications from British American Tobacco, but now it has clearly changed its attitude.

It is understood that all e-cigarettes that the FDA previously approved were tobacco-flavored, but these e-cigarettes are not popular among young people who smoke e-cigarettes.

The FDA claims that Altria's data shows that NJOY e-cigarettes help smokers reduce exposure to harmful chemicals in traditional cigarettes. In other words, as long as the evidence submitted by the applicant shows that their e-cigarettes provide benefits to adult smokers, the FDA is likely to approve them.

The controversy will not stop.

Friday's action is also part of the FDA's comprehensive scientific review and regulation of the multibillion-dollar e-cigarette market. Currently, there are tens of thousands of e-cigarettes on the US market with fruit and candy flavors, which are technically illegal but not regulated.

Matthew Farrelly, director of the Science Office of the FDA Tobacco Products Center, said: "Based on our rigorous scientific review, under current conditions, evidence of health benefits for adult smokers fully switching from traditional cigarettes to less harmful products, and potential benefits that outweigh the risks that may be posed to young people."

Recently, the US Senate Judiciary Committee also accused the FDA and the Department of Justice of inaction, which led to the popularity of a large number of flavored electronic cigarettes on the market. The FDA has only approved 23 e-cigarette products, and thousands of applications are still pending.

In addition, although the FDA approved flavored electronic cigarettes other than tobacco, controversy about them will not stop. The World Health Organization (WHO) released a report last month accusing tobacco companies of enticing young people to smoke e-cigarettes through social media, sponsoring sports and music festivals, and launching candy-flavored products.

The WHO accused tobacco companies of trying to make the new generation addicted to nicotine and there is not enough evidence that e-cigarettes can help people quit smoking.