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The ongoing efforts of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) into tracking teenagers’ vaping use has shifted into overdrive.

The federal agency announced it’s eager to further investigate fledgling vaping technology, which would help block usage by minors, according to fortune.com.

JUUL Labs is marching at the point of the developing industry trend. (Cue the collective “ahhhh, man,” by the scores of teens who vape to look cool in front of their friends.) JUUL announced recently its research and development team is toiling with a smartphone application to create additional hurdles for potential teen vapors to clear.

Here are some of the highlights of the new JUUL app when it’s paired to a cellphone:

·        Age verification of users;

·        A product locking tool when the device leaves the cell’s range;

·        A navigation-type tool that locks devices if comes near school sensors.

FDA Commissioner Scott Gottlieb said he approved of companies continuing R&D on anti-teen vaping tech. If the new tech proves effective, the commissioner added he will utilize the FDA’s power to reach regulatory approval.

“I think if someone came to us with a good idea about how a product could be modified to be less appealing to kids or less prone to misuse by children, we’d be very interested in that product,” Gottlieb was quoted as saying. “We’d be very interested in having a discussion around that and how we could put that through an efficient regulatory process.”
The FDA remains busy.

It recently raised the curtain on a new vaping educational campaign targeting minors. Titled “The Real Cost,” the FDA announced it invested $60 million for online and in-school vaping prevention advertisements, according to fortune.com.

Also, the FDA is gearing up to explore the results of another initiative over the next few weeks. The clock is ticking on the mandate forcing companies to create credible plans to prevent minors from purchasing vaping products.
Tick tock. Tick tock.

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