Fact Check

FDA Banning E-Juice

A fake news site claimed that the Food and Drug Administration banned nicotine-based "e-juice", sending vapers into a panic.

Published March 13, 2016

Claim:
The FDA has banned all e-juice for electronic cigarettes, effective July 2016.

On 14 March 2016, web site Associated Media Coverage published an article reporting that the Food and Drug Administration had passed a ban on all electronic cigarette liquid, effective July 2016:

Representatives from the U.S Food and Drug Administration Center for Tobacco Products have announced a July 2016 ban on the liquid mixture used in vapor products such as electronic cigarettes.

The FDA (Food and Drug Administration) passed regulations throughout early 2015 requiring manufactures of electronic cigarettes to retroactively submit marketing applications for their products. This was perceived to be a huge blow to the electronic cigarette industry as the fees accrued by manufactures submitting these applications were projected in the millions. The FDA provided impacted companies two years to submit their applications and allowed for them to continue selling the products under review during this two-year window.

There was no truth to the claim, which originated with the Associated Media Coverage fake news site. While several web sites trafficking in "satirical" items (in other words, fake news) bear disclaimer notices, Associated Media Coverage features no such advisory. Each page displays an "About Us" link at the bottom, but those links are not operational.

Associated Media Coverage was only registered on 18 February 2016, and is not an official news site, despite its semi-legitimate appearance. The site also spread a hoax story earlier in March 2016 with a fabricated claim about a motorcycle curfew.

Kim LaCapria is a former writer for Snopes.