politics
FDA Commissioner Marty Makary Reverses Block on Flavored Vape Approvals After Trump Criticism
President Trump criticized FDA Commissioner Dr. Marty Makary over delays in implementing approvals for flavored e-cigarettes that use age-verification technology. Makary then approved the products on Wednesday. The episode has drawn criticism from multiple groups within and outside the administration on issues ranging from vaping policy to other agency decisions.
May 7, 1:10 PM·2m read1 source
New York PostAudio version
Tap play to generate a narrated version.
Developing·Limited corroboration so far. This page will refresh as more sources emerge.
President Trump criticized FDA Commissioner Dr. Marty Makary over the weekend for blocking implementation of approvals for flavored e-cigarettes that use new age-verification technology. The approvals cover fruit-flavored vapes including mango and blueberry from California manufacturer Glas.
The products use Bluetooth technology that requires users to scan a government ID to confirm they are at least 21 years old, consistent with legislation signed by Trump in 2019. The FDA website first announced approval of the products in December. Implementation was delayed for months before Trump directly addressed the matter with Makary last weekend.
Makary then dropped his opposition.
The sequence has prompted criticism from anti-abortion campaigners, advocates for novel nicotine delivery systems and some administration officials. Critics have cited Makary's approval of a $240,000 grant to the Academy for Global Citizenship, a Chicago charter school that emphasizes social justice and lists Greta Thunberg and Kamala Harris as role models.
Kennedy Jr. and the Make America Healthy Again agenda. Administration officials have also expressed frustration that Makary has not used FDA authority to restrict puberty blockers and hormones for transgender treatments in minors. They pointed to his hiring of Vinay Prasad, who previously supported Sen.
Bernie Sanders, to lead the Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research. Prasad was fired in July, rehired weeks later, and returned to UC San Francisco on April 30. The White House sought the resignation of another Makary aide, Sanjula Jain-Nagpal, in November after she announced herself as deputy chief of staff without prior approval.
